Dublin Eye Associates, P.C. v. Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance

957 F. Supp. 2d 843, 2013 WL 3725039, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 97335
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Kentucky
DecidedJuly 12, 2013
DocketCivil Action No. 5:11-CV-128-KSF
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 957 F. Supp. 2d 843 (Dublin Eye Associates, P.C. v. Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Kentucky primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dublin Eye Associates, P.C. v. Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance, 957 F. Supp. 2d 843, 2013 WL 3725039, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 97335 (E.D. Ky. 2013).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

KARL S. FORESTER, Senior District Judge.

This matter is before the Court on Defendants’ motion for summary judgment on the ground that Plaintiffs’ claims are barred by the statute of limitations. While Plaintiffs might have had some legitimate claims if they had been timely raised, the delay in bringing their claims is fatal. For the reasons discussed below, the motion will be granted.

I. BACKGROUND

Dublin Eye Associates, P.C. (“DEA”) established a pension plan (“Plan”) for its principals and employees in 1980. The original Plan Trustees were DEA’s doctors, Roger D. Smith (“Smith”) and James Y. Jones (“Jones”).1 Defendants Catherine Chatfield (“Chatfield”), Qualified Plan Services, Inc. (“QPS”), and Kim Shea (“Shea”) acted as the Plan’s third-party administrator or assisted with such administration at varying times from 1981 to 1999.

Plaintiffs contend they relied heavily on Defendant Tom Ackerman, originally an employee of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (“Mass Mutual”) and a cousin and very close friend of Plaintiff Dr. Smith, in establishing and maintaining the Plan. Plaintiffs claim that Ackerman determined all Plan investments until the Plan changed in 1998, when its investments become participant directed. Around that time, Ackerman left Mass Mutual and became associated with Mark Query at LPL Financial. Ackerman and Query continued to provide products and services to the Plan until 2006, when Ackerman parted ways with DEA. Plaintiffs argue it was not until 2007 that they discovered the Plan was comprised of multiple whole-life insurance policies and annuities for each participant. They say they were told that each participant would have only one or two insurance policies. Plaintiffs argue the Defendants breached fiduciary duties under ERISA by using Plan funds for multiple unauthorized policies, which resulted in very high commissions for Ackerman and others, but little benefit to the participants. Plaintiffs further allege that Trustees’ signatures were forged on some policy applications and that Ackerman engaged in conduct to conceal the policies and avoid detection of the unauthorized investments.

Defendants deny the existence of a fiduciary relationship, much less any breach. For purposes of their motion for summary judgment, however, they focus solely on the timing of the alleged fiduciary breaches and on information provided to Plaintiffs. Defendants summarize the critical question as: “When did Plaintiffs know, or when should they have known, about the policies acquired for the Plan between 1980 and 1998?” DE 331 at 1. Discussed as part of the analysis below are a series of [845]*845documents and events which Defendants argue demonstrate plainly that Plaintiffs knew or should have known of the policies more than six years before filing their complaint in 2011. Accordingly, Defendants argue the claims are barred by the statute of limitations.

Plaintiffs’ fifty-page Response argues many extraneous and irrelevant issues. For example, DEA says “Ackerman told them that it was a requirement to include life insurance as a Plan investment, and that in doing so the Plan’s administrative fees would be reduced.... Ackerman’s representations were false.” DE 806 at 4. These allegations were first pled in DEA’s Third Amended Complaint. DE 165-2 at ¶ 16. Yet, DEA’s motion to file the Third Amended Complaint was denied on February 8, 2013, 2013 WL 501652. DE 259. Moreover, Plaintiffs were told in October of 2012 that they “may not seek to prove fraudulent inducement in support of their claim of breach of fiduciary duty or any other claim.” DE 156 at 2. Accordingly, the Court will not address these and other irrelevant arguments in the Response.

Plaintiffs’ primary theme in this case is that they trusted Ackerman, did what he told them to do, and saw nothing. They also do not remember very much, except that Ackerman reassured them that all was well. They claim Ackerman misled them about the Plan investments and concealed information about the multiple policies from them. It is their position that each participant in the Plan was to have only one or two whole life policies, but Ackerman sold them many moré without their knowledge or authorization. The specific factual situations on which the parties rely are discussed more fully below.

II. ANALYSIS

A. Summary Judgment Standard

Summary judgment is appropriate “if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.” Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). A genuine issue of material fact exists if there is sufficient evidence favoring the

nonmoving party for a reasonable jury to return a verdict in favor of that party. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 249, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). The evidence, all facts, and any inferences that may permissibly be drawn from the facts must be viewed in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party. Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co., Ltd. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 587, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986).

Once the moving party shows that there is an absence of evidence to support the nonmoving party’s case, the nonmoving party must present “significant probative evidence” to demonstrate that “there is [more than] some metaphysical doubt as to the material facts.” Moore v. Philip Morris Companies, Inc., 8 F.3d 335, 340 (6th Cir.1993). Conclusory allegations are not enough to allow a nonmoving party to withstand a motion for summary judgment. Id. at 343. “The mere existence of a scintilla of evidence in support of the [nonmoving party’s] position will be insufficient; there must be evidence on which the jury could reasonably find for the [non-moving party].” Anderson, 477 U.S. at 252, 106 S.Ct. 2505. “If the evidence is merely colorable, or is not significantly probative, summary judgment may be granted.” Id. at 249-50, 106 S.Ct. 2505 (internal citations omitted).

B. ERISA Statute of Limitations and Discovery

The ERISA statute of limitations for a breach of fiduciary duty provides:

[846]*846No action may be commenced under this subchapter with respect to a fiduciary’s breach of any responsibility, duty, or obligation under this part, or with respect to a violation of this part, after the earlier of—
(1) six years after (A) the date of the last action which constituted a part of the breach or violation, or (B) in the case of an omission, the latest date on which the fiduciary could have cured the breach or violation, or
(2) three years after the earliest date on which the plaintiff had actual knowledge of the breach or violation;
except that in the case of fraud or concealment, such action may be commenced not later than six years after the date of discovery of such breach or violation.

29 U.S.C.

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Bluebook (online)
957 F. Supp. 2d 843, 2013 WL 3725039, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 97335, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dublin-eye-associates-pc-v-massachusetts-mutual-life-insurance-kyed-2013.