Country Mut. Ins. Co. v. Carr

852 N.E.2d 907, 366 Ill. App. 3d 758, 304 Ill. Dec. 451, 2006 Ill. App. LEXIS 599
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedJuly 14, 2006
Docket4-05-0796
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 852 N.E.2d 907 (Country Mut. Ins. Co. v. Carr) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Country Mut. Ins. Co. v. Carr, 852 N.E.2d 907, 366 Ill. App. 3d 758, 304 Ill. Dec. 451, 2006 Ill. App. LEXIS 599 (Ill. Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion

852 N.E.2d 907 (2006)

COUNTRY MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY,
v.
Steve CARR, d/b/a Carr Construction; Jon Seevers; Seevers Farm Drainage, Inc.; Ruth Rollings; and Dana Bowyer, Defendants, and
Steve Carr, d/b/a Carr Construction, Defendant and Third-Party Plaintiff-Appellant,
v.
Harold Vogelzang, Third-Party Defendant-Appellee.

No. 4-05-0796.

Appellate Court of Illinois, Fourth District.

July 14, 2006.
Rehearing Denied August 22, 2006.

*909 Justice KNECHT delivered the opinion of the court:

Steve Carr, d/b/a Carr Construction, purchased a commercial general liability insurance policy issued by Country Mutual Insurance Company (Country Mutual) from Harold Vogelzang. After Carr purchased the policy, he was sued for alleged damage to a home he constructed; the allegations claimed Carr placed inappropriate backfill in and around the residence's basement walls and then operated heavy equipment near those walls, causing damage to those walls. Carr filed a claim with Country Mutual for the defense of that lawsuit. Country Mutual followed by filing a declaratory-judgment action, in which it asserted it owed no duty to indemnify or defend Carr in the lawsuit, as the property damage was caused by his own work which was excluded from the commercial general liability coverage.

In May 2005, Carr filed his amended third-party complaint against Vogelzang. In his complaint, Carr alleged Vogelzang breached the statutory duty to provide ordinary care in selling and procuring insurance (see 735 ILCS 5/2-2201(a) (West 1998)). On August 31, 2005, the trial court dismissed with prejudice the negligence counts of Carr's third-party complaint, upon finding Vogelzang owed Carr no duty and the Moorman doctrine barred those claims.

Carr appeals and argues (1) he stated a claim for negligence because section 2-2201(a) of the Code of Civil Procedure (Code) (735 ILCS 5/2-2201(a) (West 1998)) required Vogelzang to exercise ordinary care in procuring the insurance policy Carr requested, and (2) the Moorman doctrine (Moorman Manufacturing Co. v. National Tank Co., 91 Ill.2d 69, 61 Ill.Dec. 746, 435 N.E.2d 443 (1982)) does not apply. We agree with Carr and reverse and remand.

I. BACKGROUND

On an unspecified date, Carr, d/b/a Carr Construction, filed an insurance claim with Country Mutual. Carr's claim sought coverage for a lawsuit filed against Carr "for damages alleged to have occurred to property during [Carr's] work at" that property. Country Mutual denied coverage of the claim. On May 7, 2004, Country Mutual filed a declaratory-judgment action, seeking a court ruling it had no duty under the policy to defend or indemnify Carr.

In response, Carr filed a counterclaim against Country Mutual, asserting Country Mutual was responsible for the actions of its agent and employee, Vogelzang. Specifically, the counterclaim asserted Vogelzang *910 improperly procured an insurance policy that did not cover the risks Carr sought to protect against. In May 2005, Carr filed an amended third-party complaint against Vogelzang. This complaint asserted two counts of negligence based on a statutory duty and one count of breach of contract. The breach-of-contract claim, count III, is not at issue on appeal.

In count I, Carr alleged Vogelzang was an agent of Country Mutual. According to count I, Vogelzang "held himself out as a qualified insurance agent for Country" Mutual and procured insurance policies from Country Mutual to the general public. Carr purchased a business policy from Vogelzang for "liability coverage relative to jobs performed by him in his construction business." Vogelzang told Carr the "policy issued would provide general and complete coverage for all matters and usual, customary, and obvious risks associated with being a general contractor." The complaint asserted, under section 2-2201(a), Vogelzang owed Carr the duty of exercising ordinary care, competence, and skill in procuring insurance coverage. Vogelzang breached this duty by issuing Carr a policy that did not provide general and complete coverage for "the most obvious risks associated with being a general contractor." As a result of the breach, Country Mutual denied Carr coverage.

In count II, Carr alleged a second count of negligence based on a statutory duty of care. In this count, the allegations were the same as in count I, except Carr alleged Vogelzang was an independent insurance agent or broker.

In June 2005, Vogelzang moved to dismiss counts I and II pursuant to section 2-619 of the Code (735 ILCS 5/2-619 (West 2004)). In his motion, Vogelzang argued count I of the complaint alleges Vogelzang was Country Mutual's agent. As an agent of Country Mutual, according to Vogelzang, Vogelzang owed a duty of care only to the insurance company — not to Carr. Vogelzang argued that count II states he was an independent insurance agent or broker. Vogelzang disputed this legal conclusion by attaching exhibits to show he was an agent of Country Mutual. Vogelzang further argued both counts were barred by the Moorman doctrine.

In August 2005, the trial court dismissed counts I and II with prejudice. The court concluded Vogelzang owed no duty to Carr and the Moorman doctrine barred the negligence claims. This appeal followed.

II. ANALYSIS

A. The Propriety of the Section 2-619 Motion To Dismiss

On appeal, Carr first argues Vogelzang improperly moved to dismiss count I under section 2-619 of the Code (735 ILCS 5/2-619 (West 2004)). Carr contends because Vogelzang argues the allegations do not give rise to a claim, the motion to dismiss count I on this ground should have been brought under section 2-615 (735 ILCS 5/2-615 (West 2004)). In response, Vogelzang contends he properly filed the claim under section 2-619 and, in the alternative, if he did not, Carr suffered no prejudice by the improper designation.

A section 2-615(a) motion to dismiss "tests the legal sufficiency of the plaintiff's claim, while a motion to dismiss under section 2-619(a) [citation] admits the legal sufficiency of the plaintiff's claim, but asserts certain defects or defenses outside the pleading which defeat the claim." Wallace v. Smyth, 203 Ill.2d 441, 447, 272 Ill.Dec. 146, 786 N.E.2d 980, 984 (2002). Vogelzang's motion to dismiss, as a whole, touches on both section 2-615 and section 2-619. As to count I, Vogelzang asserts Carr did not state a claim for negligence in that the facts do not establish a duty. Vogelzang is not asserting Carr sufficiently *911 pleaded negligence, including a duty, but that negligence is defeated by a certain defect or defense. Vogelzang's argument should have been brought under section 2-615.

As to count II, Vogelzang does not dispute the legal sufficiency of the claim but emphasizes affirmative matters outside of the record to defeat the claim. Vogelzang contends Carr improperly pleaded him to be an insurance broker. To support his claim, Vogelzang attached exhibits. This is a section 2-619 argument. See Wallace, 203 Ill.2d at 447, 272 Ill.Dec. 146, 786 N.E.2d at 984.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
852 N.E.2d 907, 366 Ill. App. 3d 758, 304 Ill. Dec. 451, 2006 Ill. App. LEXIS 599, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/country-mut-ins-co-v-carr-illappct-2006.