Castro v. State Farm General Insurance Co.

256 F. Supp. 3d 1048, 2017 WL 2462203, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 87708
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. California
DecidedJune 7, 2017
DocketCase No. 15-cv-05728-WHO
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 256 F. Supp. 3d 1048 (Castro v. State Farm General Insurance Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Castro v. State Farm General Insurance Co., 256 F. Supp. 3d 1048, 2017 WL 2462203, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 87708 (N.D. Cal. 2017).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

Re: Dkt. No. 26

William H. Orrick, United States District Judge

Plaintiff Floyd , Castro submitted . a homeowner’s insurance claim to State Farm following the burglary of his home in April 2014, claiming that a significant amount of cash, a number of expensive tools and expensive musical equipment were stolen. State Farm denied the claim and voided Castro’s policy under its Concealment and Fraud provision because of Castro’s multiple material misrepresentations about the value and source of the stolen tools and equipment.1 It now moves for summary judgment, or partial summary judgment, because its conduct was justified., Castro opposes because any misrepresentations are explained by plaintiffs memory problems, of which State Farm was fully aware. Indeed, he argues that State Farm’s-investigation was conducted in bad faith because, having knowledge of Castro’s memory problems, it should have sent him for an Independent Medical Exam prior to denying his claim for misrepresentations. Castro’s misrepresentations were' numerous and material, and he introduced no evidence of memory issues that a reasonable jury would find as an excuse for his obviously false and inconsistent submissions. I GRANT State Farm’s motion.

BACKGROUND

On April 20, 2014, Castro’s home was burglarized. Declaration of Floyd Castro [Dkt. No. 33-1] ¶ 5, He reported the burglary .to the police. He made at least two online reports to the police department about items that were stolen from his home. Castro Decl. ¶ 5.

Castro had a homeowner’s insurance policy with State Farm (the “Policy”), and opened a claim on April 21, 2014. On April 23, 2014, Castro gave a recorded statement to State Farm indicating that tools were stolen from his garage, $6500 in cash was taken, and at least one piece of musical equipment (a PA system) was stolen. April Statement, Ex. A. to the Declaration of John T. Bell [Dkt. No. 33-2] at 7:6-10; Declaration of Maria Okino [Dkt. No. 27] at 22:5-8. In early May 2014, he submitted a “Personal Property Inventory — Customer Worksheet” listing the following items (as relevant to this motion) as stolen:, (1) Husqvarna chain saw, purchased at Sears and valued at $600; (2) Tascam recorder, purchased online and valued at- $500; (3) socket set, purchased in Portland and valued at $6,000; (4) Martin hunting bow, purchased in Portland and valued at [1051]*1051$1,000; (5) a Mackie PA system, purchased at Guitar Center and valued at $1,100; and (6) a fender acoustic guitar, given as a gift and valued at $3,250. Okino Decl., Ex. 5.

During this general time frame, State Farm had a number of contacts with Castro, asking for receipts and other proofs of payment for the stolen items. See, e,g., Okino Deck, Exs. 12-13. State Farm attempted to get more information about some of the musical equipment that was lost, to figure out the exact versions, purchase dates, and purchase prices. See, e.g., Ex. 13. On June 26, 2014, Castro reaffirmed his belief that the stolen guitar was a fender, that it retailed for $3,000, and that it was gifted to him by “Jimmy Johnson” who was working in Alaska. Ex. 13. Shortly thereafter, he changed his claim, asserting that the stolen guitar was a Martin guitar in a Fender case (which is why he thought it was a Fender), and was valued at $47,999. Okino Deck, Exs. 15-16. On June 28, 2014, he sent State Farm an email “as to” the Tascam recorder identifying the model he believed it was and stating that it sells for $1600. Okino Deck, Ex. 12.

On June 30, 2014, State Farm paid Castro $4,789.75 for repairs Castro had to make to doors damaged during the burglary. Okino Deck, Ex. 14. It also informed him that more information was needed as to the Tascam recorder, the socket set, and other items. Id. On July 1, 2014, Castro submitted a supplemental report to the police department listing additional stolen items and provided a copy to State Farm. Okino Deck, Ex. 15. That list included three Marshal amps and cabinets with speakers and the Martin guitar. Id. On July 15, 2014, Castro provided State Farm with an unsigned and undated typed note addressed “to State Farm” allegedly from “Doug Fretus”2 stating that Freitas gave Castro a Martin D45 Authentic 1942 Dreadnaught Acoustic guitar. Okino Deck Ex. 16. The note also included a phone number for Freitas and Castro’s claim number. Id. On the same day, Castro forwarded to State Farm an unsigned typed note “to State Farm” allegedly from Brian “Till-seth,” indicating that Tilseth sold Castro a Snap On socket set on May 12, 2011 .for $6,000. Id.3 The note included Tilseth’s phone number and Castro’s claim number. Id. State Farm was concerned about the authenticity of these notes because they looked to have been drafted by the “same person/printer.” Okino Deck, Ex. 23.

On July 18, 2014, State Farm informed Castro that it needed a copy of his revised police report and more documentation regarding the Tascam recorder, the socket set, amplifiers, and the “Fender Acoustic guitar.” Okino Deck, Ex. 17. On July 22, 2014, State Farm performed an online search and found that Castro had made a prior homeowners insurance policy claim for stolen items in November. 2013 and had made numerous claims over the past years, some of which had been referred for further investigation because of suspected fraud. Okino Deck, Ex. 18.

State Farm took a second recorded call statement from Castro on August 1, 2014. August Statement, Ex. B. to Bell Declaration; Ex. 20 to the Okino Deck In that call, Castro confirmed that he lost at least three Marshall amps and three cabinets, as well as the Mackie PA system. August Statement at 8:6-9:20,18:13. Castro stated that although he had filed a bankruptcy [1052]*1052petition in 2012, he did not list any of the items he claimed were stolen in April 2014 on his personal property schedules filed with his bankruptcy petition because he did not know he was supposed to. Id. at 18:7 — 19:3. The State Farm agent explained that Castro might want to reopen his bankruptcy petition to disclose those items, because if they were not included on Castro’s petition then State Farm would not be able to include those items in this claim. Id. 19:20 — 20:13. In closing, the State Farm agent indicated he would continue to investigate the claim and would “check on the bankruptcy, um, issue as well. Just again check whether or not they need anything updated on the bankruptcy or not.... I hope to get back in touch with you, ah, next week with, you know, the information with regard to the bankruptcy....” August Statement at 24:21 — 25:3. Castro took that as an indication that unless he heard back from the agent, he did not need to do anything with respect to his bankruptcy petition. Castro Deck ¶ 8. However, in an August 18, 2014 letter, Castro was informed that he should contact the bankruptcy trustee and his bankruptcy attorney because the property for which he was claiming a loss was not disclosed on his bankruptcy schedules. Okino Deck, Ex. 25.4

On August 5, 2014, a State Farm agent contacted Doug Freitas. Freitas admitted giving Castro a Martin guitar, but said that he was too busy to talk and asked the agent to call back. Okino Deck, Ex. 21. The agent was never able to reach Freitas again. Okino Decl., Ex. 40 at 313.

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256 F. Supp. 3d 1048, 2017 WL 2462203, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 87708, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/castro-v-state-farm-general-insurance-co-cand-2017.