Carson v. Skandia Insurance

19 V.I. 138, 1982 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18371
CourtDistrict Court, Virgin Islands
DecidedJune 9, 1982
DocketCivil No. 80-44
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 19 V.I. 138 (Carson v. Skandia Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, Virgin Islands primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Carson v. Skandia Insurance, 19 V.I. 138, 1982 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18371 (vid 1982).

Opinion

CHRISTIAN, Chief Judge

[142]*142MEMORANDUM OPINION

I. Introduction

On the eve of trial defendant Skandia Insurance Company, Ltd. (hereinafter “Skandia”) filed a motion to dismiss this action which alleged most of the defenses listed in Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b), as well as comity and abstention. Such motion is untimely as this action has been pending for over two years and the information the defendant relies on to argue its position was available to it at the outset of this cause. Nevertheless, we reviewed the motion on its merits because all Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b) defenses had been preserved by assertions in defendant’s answer to the complaint. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(h). The motion was then denied by May 26,1982, Order. This memorandum opinion explains the reasons for our decision.

The relevant facts of this case are as follows. Phillip Sturm is the owner and operator of a beauty salon, known as Phillip Sturm Hair Studio, which is located in the Royal Dane Mall, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. In 1975, Phillip Sturm contacted West Indies Insurance Agency (hereinafter “W.I. Insurance”) in St. Thomas regarding the purchase of an insurance policy for his business. W.I. Insurance, acting as the alleged agent for Commonwealth Insurance Company (hereinafter “Commonwealth”) subsequently entered into an insurance contract with Sturm for the period of December 1, 1975, to December 1, 1978. Allegedly attached to the aforesaid insurance contract was a document which is described as a “cut-through endorsement.”

The cut-through endorsement at issue was allegedly signed by W.I. Insurance, as the alleged agent of Commonwealth, and by defendant Skandia Insurance Company, Ltd. The endorsement provided the following in pertinent part:

In the event of the insolvency of COMMONWEALTH INSURANCE COMPANY the subscribing reinsurer hereunder shall pay directly to the named insured and the loss payee herein named, as their interests may appear, 100% of any loss payable in accordance with the terms and conditions of the original policy of insurance, as an [sic] if amended, described herein.

On its face, the endorsement also stated that it was “[attached to and forming a part of” Sturm’s insurance policy with Commonwealth.

On December 17, 1976, and January 17, 1977, an antique store owned by the plaintiffs, which is located beneath the Phillip Sturm Hair Studio, suffered flood damage. On November 23, 1977, the [143]*143plaintiffs brought suit against Phillip Sturm in this Court, alleging that the injury to their property was caused by the negligence of Phillip Sturm. Carson v. Sturm, No. 77-297 (D.V.I. April 26, 1979). Commonwealth initially defended the suit on behalf of Phillip Sturm because Sturm’s liability in that action was allegedly covered by the aformentioned insurance policy. However, Commonwealth withdrew its defense of the suit after the judicial declaration on July 28, 1978, that Commonwealth was insolvent and should be liquidated. Cruz v. The Commonwealth Insurance Company, No. PE-77-1656 (Super. Ct. P. R. July 28, 1978). Defendant Skandia did not assume the responsibility of Sturm’s defense after the withdrawal of Commonwealth. This Court tried the action and a judgment was entered against Sturm in the amount of $89,221.28, plus costs and attorney’s fees. Carson v. Sturm, No. 77-297 (D.V.I. April 26, 1979).

The instant case was brought by plaintiffs against defendant Skandia to recover the amount of the April 26, 1979, Judgment against Phillip Sturm. Plaintiffs contend that the cut-through endorsement attached to Sturm’s insurance policy with Commonwealth obligates Skandia to pay the aforesaid judgment. Plaintiffs allege that they have a right to bring a direct action against Skandia by virtue of the alleged assignment to the plaintiffs of Sturm’s rights under the cut-through endorsement, to the extent of the judgment.

On September 26, 1980, this Court granted Phillip Sturm’s motion to intervene in this cause. Phillip Sturm contends that defendant Skandia breached its duty of good faith and fair dealing to Sturm imposed by the cut-through endorsement at issue, and as a result, Skandia is liable to Sturm for compensatory and punitive damages.

II. Service of Process

Turning to the defendant’s motion to dismiss, we will discuss each ground alleged by the defendant in turn. Its first defense is insufficiency of “process” and “service of process.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(4) and (5).

On February 15, 1980, this Court granted the plaintiffs permission to serve defendant Skandia by mail, return receipt requested, pursuant to 5 V.I.C. § 4911(a)(3) and Fed. R. Civ. P. 4(e).1 The sum[144]*144mons and complaint was subsequently mailed to 280 Park Avenue, New York, New York, addressed to the “Presiding Officer or Agent in charge of Skandia Insurance Company, Ltd.” On March 6, 1980, the summons and complaint was received by Thomas M. Tobias at the aforesaid address. At that time, Thomas M. Tobias, Esq., was Assistant Secretary of Skandia Corporation (hereinafter “S.C.”) and Assistant Vice President and Assistant General Counsel of Skandia America Reinsurance Company (hereinafter “S.A.R.C.”). The duties of Mr. Tobias included supervision of the legal affairs of S.C. and S.A.R.C. On May 1, 1980, Skandia filed an answer to the complaint.

Defendant Skandia contests the service upon Mr. Tobias at 280 Park Avenue on the grounds that Skandia does not have an office on Park Avenue or anywhere else in the United States. Skandia alleges that although S.C. and S.A.R.C. are located at 280 Park Avenue, such companies are independent of Skandia, even though they are wholly owned subsidiaries of Skandia. Skandia further alleges that neither S.C. nor S.A.R.C. are authorized to receive process on its behalf, Skandia concludes that the process was defective because service on a subsidiary is sufficient service on the parent corporation only in limited circumstances not present in this cause.

We find that the plaintiffs’ service of process was proper for the following reasons. Fed. R. Civ. P. 4(d)(3) provides that service upon a corporation shall be made “by delivering a copy of the summons and of the complaint to an officer, a managing or general agent, or to any other agent authorized by appointment or by law to receive service of process.” There is no set definition of “managing or general agent.” That term has been construed broadly to include any person whose position is such that “there is a high probability that the papers will reach those persons in the organization responsible for protecting the firm’s interests in the litigation.” Wright & Miller, Federal Practice and Procedure: Civil § 1074 at 295 (1969). In this jurisdiction, the following has been stated on the issue:

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Bluebook (online)
19 V.I. 138, 1982 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18371, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/carson-v-skandia-insurance-vid-1982.