Ex Parte Lovejoy

790 So. 2d 933, 2001 Ala. LEXIS 36, 2000 WL 898954
CourtSupreme Court of Alabama
DecidedFebruary 16, 2001
Docket1981758
StatusPublished
Cited by24 cases

This text of 790 So. 2d 933 (Ex Parte Lovejoy) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ex Parte Lovejoy, 790 So. 2d 933, 2001 Ala. LEXIS 36, 2000 WL 898954 (Ala. 2001).

Opinion

790 So.2d 933 (2000)

Ex parte David LOVEJOY.
(Re David Lovejoy v. New South Federal Savings Bank and Vesta Fire Insurance Company).

1981758.

Supreme Court of Alabama.

July 7, 2000.
Opinion Overruling Rehearing February 16, 2001.

*934 K. Stephen Jackson and Jenifer S. Worley of K. Stephen Jackson, P.C., Birmingham, for petitioner.

Edwin O. Rogers, Joshua J. Wright, and Aaron L. Dettling of Hand Arendall, L.L.C., Birmingham, for respondent New South Federal Savings Bank.

Henry E. Simpson, Robert D. Eckinger, and Laurence J. McDuff of Lange, Simpson, Robinson & Somerville, L.L.P., Birmingham, for respondent Vesta Fire Insurance Company.

*935 JOHNSTONE, Justice.

Plaintiff David Lovejoy petitions for a writ of mandamus directing Judge G. William Noble, of the Jefferson County Circuit Court, to vacate his order of March 29, 1999, compelling Lovejoy to arbitrate his claims against Vesta Fire Insurance Company (Vesta). We grant the petition and issue the writ.

On July 31, 1996, David Lovejoy purchased an automobile from Allen Motor Company. Lovejoy and Allen Motor Company entered into a "Retail Installment Contract and Security Agreement," which required Lovejoy to purchase and to maintain insurance on the automobile. The retail installment contract contains an arbitration provision, which reads:

"ARBITRATION: Except as herein provided, and IN LIEU OF OUR RIGHTS TO A JURY TRIAL, all disputes or controversies between you and us, whether in contract or tort, shall be resolved in Birmingham, Alabama by BINDING ARBITRATION in accordance with Title 9 of the U.S.Code and the Arbitration Rules for Commercial Financial Disputes (the `Rules') of the American Arbitration Association (the `AAA'). All defenses, including those defenses based on statutes of limitations, estoppel, waiver, laches and similar doctrines, that would otherwise be applicable to an action brought by a party, shall be applicable in any such arbitration proceeding. Notwithstanding the above, we shall have the right, but not the obligation, to submit to and pursue in a court of law any claim against you for a debt due without waiving such claims or any other claims as a claim or counter-claim in arbitration. Nothing herein shall limit out right (1) to foreclose against the property by exercise of a power of sale under this contract, or by exercise of any rights of foreclosure or of sale under applicable laws, or (2) to exercise self-help remedies such as setoff or repossession. You agree that this transaction contemplates substantial interstate commerce. For claims of $50,000.00 or less, one (1) arbitrator will be selected using the Rules. For claims of more than $50,000.00, the AAA shall designate a panel of fifteen (15) neutral, potential arbitrators knowledgeable in the subject matter of the Dispute, from which three (3) mutually acceptable arbitrators will be selected by the parties, who shall determine the resolution of the Dispute. The arbitrators shall be selected applying a process of strikes, as more particularly described in the Rules. In the event the parties cannot agree on three (3) mutually acceptable arbitrator(s), then, from the list, each of us shall designate one (1) of the neutral, potential arbitrators to serve, and the two arbitrators so designated shall select a third neutral arbitrator from the thirteen (13) remaining potential arbitrators. The panel of three (3) arbitrators shall determine the resolution of the Dispute." (Emphasis added.)

The retail installment contract defines the terms "you" and "your" as "each Buyer above [Lovejoy] and guarantor, jointly and severally." The terms "we" and "us" "mean[ ] the Seller above [Allen Motor Company], its successors and assigns." On that same day, Allen Motor Company assigned, without recourse, the retail installment contract to New South Federal Savings Bank (New South Bank).

After Lovejoy allowed his insurance policy on the automobile to lapse in December 1995, New South Bank purchased from Vesta a "single interest" insurance policy insuring its interest in Lovejoy's automobile. On April 28, 1996, Lovejoy totaled his automobile. He reported the accident and total damage to his automobile to New *936 South Bank and Vesta. An employee or agent of Vesta informed Lovejoy that he must make the premium payments for the insurance. A Vesta employee or agent told Lovejoy that, if he filed an insurance claim, the claim would adversely affect his credit report. In February 1997, Lovejoy received from Vesta a $354 premium notice for the "single interest" insurance policy. Lovejoy paid the premium.

On December 30, 1999, Lovejoy sued New South Bank and Vesta for breach of contract; conversion; breach of fiduciary duty; innocent misrepresentation; intentional misrepresentation; fraudulent suppression; deceit; fraudulent deceit; continuing misrepresentations and suppressions, violations of § 6-5-100 et seq., Ala.Code 1975; and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Lovejoy alleged that New South Bank and Vesta made misrepresentations or suppressed material facts which induced him into "entering into the loan agreement."

New South Bank filed a motion to compel arbitration. Vesta joined in the motion to compel arbitration on the ground that Lovejoy's claims against it were "inextricably intertwined with the provisions of the Retail Installment Contract." Lovejoy opposed the motion to compel arbitration. Thereafter, finding that the "arbitration agreement is sufficiently broad to cover the disputes of both the signatory and non-signatory parties," Judge G. William Noble entered an order compelling Lovejoy to arbitrate his claims against New South Bank and Vesta.

On April 28, 1999, Lovejoy filed a motion to "reconsider" the March 29, 1999, ruling insofar as it compelled arbitration of his claims against Vesta. On June 8, 1999, Lovejoy amended his complaint to "clarify" his claims against Vesta. He alleged claims of innocent misrepresentation, intentional misrepresentation, fraudulent suppression, deceit, fraudulent deceit, continuing misrepresentations and suppressions, money had and received, and unjust enrichment against Vesta. The gravamen of his amended claims against Vesta was the alleged misrepresentations made by a Vesta employee or agent that Lovejoy had to pay the $354 insurance premium for the "single interest" insurance policy on the totaled automobile and that, if he filed an insurance claim, the claim would adversely affect his credit report. The gravamens of his claims against New South Bank remained misrepresentations of fact or suppressions of fact that induced him to sign the retail installment contract and to forgo borrowing the funds from a different banking institution. Shortly thereafter, the trial court entered an order stating:

"Presently pending before the court is [Lovejoy's] Motion to Reconsider the court's Order of March 29, 1999, granting [Vesta's] Motion to Compel Arbitration. The arbitration agreement was contained in a contract between [Lovejoy] and [New South Bank], which also provided that [Lovejoy] would obtain and maintain insurance on his automobile or upon [his] failure to do so, New South [Bank] could obtain such insurance. [Lovejoy] failed to maintain insurance and New South [Bank] obtained single interest coverage from ... Vesta. The automobile was wrecked and rendered a total loss. [Lovejoy's] various counts against [New South Bank and Vesta] include claims for breach of contract, conversion, breach of fiduciary duty, innocent and intentional misrepresentations and deceit. [Lovejoy] contends that the recent cases of

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790 So. 2d 933, 2001 Ala. LEXIS 36, 2000 WL 898954, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ex-parte-lovejoy-ala-2001.