DiMillo v. Travelers Property Casualty Co. of America

789 F. Supp. 2d 194, 2011 WL 2174501, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 59944
CourtDistrict Court, D. Maine
DecidedJune 2, 2011
Docket1:10-cv-00263
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 789 F. Supp. 2d 194 (DiMillo v. Travelers Property Casualty Co. of America) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Maine primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
DiMillo v. Travelers Property Casualty Co. of America, 789 F. Supp. 2d 194, 2011 WL 2174501, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 59944 (D. Me. 2011).

Opinion

ORDER ON MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

JOHN A. WOODCOCK, JR., Chief Judge.

A condominium owner seeks to enforce coverage under a property insurance policy purchased by his condominium association. Because he has not raised a genuine issue of material fact as to whether he has standing to enforce the terms of the policy, the Court grants the insurance company’s motion for summary judgment.

*197 I. STATEMENT OF FACTS

A. Procedural Background

On March 31, 2010, Christopher DiMillo filed an amended complaint in Cumberland County Superior Court seeking a judicial declaration that Travelers Property Casualty Company of America (Travelers) is obligated to indemnify him for damages to his condominium and to hold him harmless for all covered losses under the Travelers policy that inured to his benefit; he also seeks damages against Travelers for its failure to defend and indemnify him. Notice of Removal (Docket # 1) Attach. 2 (Compl.). On April 27, 2010, the action was removed to this Court. Notice of Removal. On September 15, 2010, Travelers moved for summary judgment on the grounds that Mr. DiMillo lacks standing or capacity to prosecute his claims because he is not an insured under the policy. Def. Travelers Property Casualty Company of America’s Mot. for Summ. J. (Docket # 14) (Def.’s Mot.). On October 6, 2010, Mr. DiMillo responded. Pl.’s Opp’n. to Def.’s Mot. for Summ. J. (Docket # 17) (PL’s Opp’n). On October 20, 2010, the Magistrate Judge granted Mr. DiMillo leave to file a supplemental response in recognition of “an ongoing discovery concern” between the parties. Order (Docket # 21). On November 16, 2010, Mr. DiMillo filed his supplemental response. PL’s Supplemental Objection to Def.’s Mot. for Summ. J. (Docket # 22) (PL’s Supplemental Opp’n). On November 24, 2010, Travelers replied. Def. Travelers Property Casualty Company of America’s Reply Mem. in Supp. of its Mot. for Summ. J. (Docket # 25) (Def.’s Reply).

B. Factual Background

Mr. DiMillo owns an individual condominium unit (condo) in the Mountainside Phase IX condominium project located at 2136 Crocker Mountain Road in Kingfield, Maine. Def. Travelers Property Casualty Company of America’s Statement of Undisputed Material Facts ¶ 1 (Docket # 16) (DSMF); Pl.’s Opp’n to Def.’s Statement of Material Facts ¶ 1 (Docket # 18) (PODSMF). In the fall of 2009, Mr. DiMillo’s condo suffered severe water damage. DSMF ¶ 2; PODSMF ¶2. The resulting repairs required Mr. DiMillo to strip the condo to its studs to remediate the damage. PL’s Additional Material Facts ¶ 8 (Docket #18) (PAMF); Def. Travelers Property Casualty Company of America’s Reply to PL’s Additional Statement of Facts ¶ 8 (Docket # 26) (DRPAMF).

At the time of the incident, Mountainside Phase IX and Mountain Valley Property, Inc. maintained in force a Travelers property insurance policy (the policy). DSMF ¶ 3; PODSMF ¶3. Mountainside Phase IX is the condominium association (the Association) and Mountain Valley Property, Inc. (MVP) is the Association’s property manager. PODSMF ¶3. The policy was a condominium PAC (property and casualty) policy effective January 1, 2009 through January 1, 2010. DSMF ¶ 4; PODSMF ¶ 4. The only named insured on the policy was “Mountainside Phase IX & Mountain Valley Property Inc.,” and the insured premises were described as Crock-er Mountain, Burnt Mountain, Bigelow Mountain, and Carrabasset Valley condominiums. 1 DSMF ¶ 5; PODSMF ¶ 5. After Mr. DiMillo sustained water damage to his condo, the Association attempted to *198 assign to Mr. DiMillo its right to pursue Travelers for all claims associated with the incident. 2 PAMF ¶ 1; DRPAMF ¶1; PL’s Supplemental Statement of Material Facts ¶ 17 (Docket #23) (PSSMF); Def’s Resp. to Pl. ’s Supplemental Statement of Material Facts ¶ 17 (Docket # 26) (DRPSSMF).

Mr. DiMillo is a member of the Association. PAMF ¶ 14; DRPAMF ¶ 14. The Association’s bylaws require the Board of Directors to “obtain and maintain to the extent available in accordance with general business practices, insurance on the Condominium buildings and all other insurable improvements upon the land, including both but not limited to all of the units ____” 3 PAMF ¶ 15 (emphasis provided by Mr. DiMillo); DRPAMF ¶ 15. A certificate of insurance was to be issued to each *199 unit owner, showing the relative amount of insurance covering each unit. PAMF ¶ 15; DRPAMF ¶ 15. The insurance is paid for through the common expenses, which are paid by each unit owner. PAMF ¶ 15; DRPAMF ¶ 15.

When Mr. DiMillo bought his condo in 2002, representatives of MVP told him he only needed to buy a “contents” policy as the Association had purchased a policy for all other losses. 4 PAMF ¶¶ 6-7; DRPAMF ¶¶ 6-7. Based on this representation, Mr. DiMillo bought a “contents-only” policy and no other insurance. PAMF ¶ 13; DRPAMF ¶ 13. After the damage to Mr. DiMillo’s condo, Cindy Hammond, a representative from the Association, told him that the Association and its insurer would “take care of’ the damage to the condo. 5 PAMF ¶ 9; DRPAMF ¶ 9. The Association thought that the policy covered the damage to Mr. DiMillo’s condo. PSSMF ¶ 18; DRPSSMF ¶ 18. It brought a claim for damages to Mr. DiMillo’s condo under the policy, and Travelers denied that claim on October 7, 2009. DSMF ¶ 6; PODSMF ¶ 6.

C. Previous Claims

In 2006, Travelers paid a claim under a previous iteration of this same Travelers policy. 6 PSSMF ¶ 1; DRPSSMF ¶ 1. The underlying claim was for water damage caused by a running toilet on the second floor, possibly due to a defective valve. PSSMF ¶ 2; DRPSSMF ¶2. Travelers paid $29,971.32 on that claim for the water damage and covered “replacement costs” of “building and contents.” PSSMF ¶ 3; DRPSSMF ¶ 3. Similarly, in 2010, Travelers paid a claim under the policy for water damage to the unit located at 2174 Bigelow Road, unit 9, also in the Association. PSSMF ¶ 4; DRPSSMF ¶4. The claim was for water damage caused by an outside drain clogging and causing “water backup.” PSSMF ¶ 5; DRPSSMF ¶5. Travelers paid $3,188.89 on that claim for water damage and covered “replacement costs” and “building and contents.” PSSMF ¶ 6; DRPSSMF ¶ 6.

*200 In at least one annual policy, the underwriting documents referenced the interior of individual units. PSSMF ¶¶ 14-16; DRPSSMF ¶¶ 14-16. In 2005, a Travelers representative visited Maine to determine the extent of coverage for the property under the “General Liability and Property coverages” policy. PSSMF ¶ 14; DRPSSMF ¶ 14.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
789 F. Supp. 2d 194, 2011 WL 2174501, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 59944, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dimillo-v-travelers-property-casualty-co-of-america-med-2011.