Foster v. Federal Emergency Management Agency

128 F. Supp. 3d 717, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 124636, 2015 WL 5430370
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. New York
DecidedSeptember 15, 2015
DocketNo. 14-CV-1750 JFB AKT
StatusPublished
Cited by26 cases

This text of 128 F. Supp. 3d 717 (Foster v. Federal Emergency Management Agency) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Foster v. Federal Emergency Management Agency, 128 F. Supp. 3d 717, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 124636, 2015 WL 5430370 (E.D.N.Y. 2015).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

JOSEPH F. BIANCO, District Judge:

On March 18, 2014, plaintiffs Thomas Foster and Coralie J. Foster (“plaintiffs” or “the Fosters”) filed this flood insurance action, bringing claims against the Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”), Allstate Insurance Company (“Allstate”), and Alan Aronson (collectively, “defendants”). Allstate Insurance Company is a “Write Your Own” (“WYO”) flood insurance carrier and the issuer of a flood insurance policy covering plaintiffs residence in Cedarhurst, New York. The instant action rises from Allstate’s denial of plaintiffs’ insurance claim seeking coverage for the damage their property sustained during Hurricane Sandy.

Plaintiffs bring the following claims against FEMA: (1) a request for relief under 28 U.S.C. §§ 2201, 2202 and a judgment by the Court that the defendants are obligated to pay their insurance claim in full; (2) breach of contract; (3) negligence; (4) breach of fiduciary duty; (5) aiding and abetting a breach of fiduciary duty; (6) unjust enrichment by FEMA; (7) promissory estoppel; (8) respondent superior and vicarious liability by agents and employees of FEMA; (9) intentional infliction of emotional distress; (10) negligent infliction of emotional distress; (11) breach of express and implied covenants; and (12) equitable estoppel.

FEMA now moves to dismiss plaintiffs’ claims against it for lack of subject matter jurisdiction pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(1), because sovereign immunity shields federal agencies from suit and FEMA has not waived its immunity, and for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) because: (1) plaintiffs failed to exhaust administrative remedies under the Federal Tort Claims Act (“FTCA”);1 (2) plaintiffs’ [719]*719promissory estoppel claim is not actionable against the federal government; (3) plaintiffs’ claims of breach of fiduciary duty (and aiding and abetting breach of fiduciary duty) fail, because the Fosters did not have a fiduciary relationship with FEMA; and (4) plaintiffs’ claims for unjust enrichment and breach of express and implied covenants are insufficiently pled and are likely encompassed within the breach of contract claim. For the reasons discussed below, the Court grants FEMA’s motion to dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction under Rule 12(b)(1), and also grants FEMA’s motion to dismiss plaintiffs’ FTCA claims. Accordingly, the plaintiffs’ claims against FEMA are dismissed.2

I. Background

A. Facts

The following facts are taken from the complaint, and are not findings of fact by the Court. Instead, the Court will assume the facts to be true and, for purposes of the pending motion to dismiss, will construe them in a light most favorable to the plaintiff, the non-moving party. The Court also considers the exhibits and affidavits attached to the parties’ moving papers for purposes of considering FEMA’s motion under Rule 12(b)(1).

1. The National Flood Insurance Program

Congress passed the National Flood Insurance Act (“NFIA”) in 1968, codified at 42 U.S.C. § 4001 et seq., with the purpose of instituting “a reasonable method of sharing the risk of flood losses” by subsidizing flood insurance through private insurers. 42 U.S.C. §§ 4001(a)-(b). NFIA established the National Flood Insurance Program (“NFIP”), which is “administered by [FEMA and] supported by the federal treasury, which pays for claims that exceed the revenues collected by private insurers from flood insurance premiums.” Palmieri v. Allstate Ins. Co., 445 F.3d 179, 183 (2d Cir.2006). The NFIP includes two separate types of government-financed flood insurance. Under the first, known as the “Direct program” or the “Government program,” NFIP policyholders are insured directly by FEMA. In the Direct program, “the government ‘run[s] the NFIP itself — offering federally underwritten policies — with the potential for administrative assistance from private insurers.’ ” Id. at 183 (quoting Downey v. State Farm, Fire & Cas. Co., 266 F.3d 675, 678 (7th Cir.2001)) (citing 42 U.S.C. §§ 4071-4072). Under the second program (the “WYO program”), which is authorized under 42 U.S.C. § 4081(a), NFIP policyholders are insured by participating WYO companies. “Although FEMA may issue policies directly under the Government Program, ‘more than 90% are written by WYO companies.’” Id. (quoting C.E.R. 1988, Inc. v. Aetna Cas. and Surety Co., 386 F.3d 263, 267 (3d Cir.2004)).

[720]*720Under the WYO program, private insurance companies have the authority to sell federally backed Standard Flood Insurance Policies (SFIPs) pursuant to the procedures outlined in 44 C.F.R. § 62.23. A SFIP is a “flood insurance policy issued by the Federal Insurance Administrator or an insurer pursuant to an arrangement with the Federal Insurance Administrator pursuant to Federal statutes and regulations.” 44 C.F.R. § 59.1. Specifically, the Code of Federal Regulations provides that “[a] WYO Company is authorized to arrange for the issuance of flood insurance in any amount within the maximum limits of coverage specified in ... [the federal regulations]” and “shall arrange for the adjustment, settlement, payment and defense of all claims arising from policies of flood insurance it issues under the Program.” 42 C.F.R. § 62.23(c), (d).

Under the terms of the WYO program the “Federal Insurance Administrator will enter into arrangements with [WYO] companies whereby the Federal Government will be a guarantor in which the primary relationship between the WYO Company and the Federal Government will be one of a fiduciary nature, i.e., to assure that any taxpayer funds are accounted for and appropriately expended.” 44 C.F.R. § 62.23(f); see also C.E.R. 1988, 386 F.3d at 267 (noting that the WYO “private insurers may act as fiscal agents of the United States, but they are not general agents. Thus they must strictly enforce the provisions set out by FEMA and may vary the terms of a Policy only with the express written consent of the Federal Insurance Administrator.”) (internal citations and quotations omitted).3

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

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
128 F. Supp. 3d 717, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 124636, 2015 WL 5430370, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/foster-v-federal-emergency-management-agency-nyed-2015.