HDMG Entm't, LLC v. Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's of London Subscribing to Policy No. L009082

355 F. Supp. 3d 373
CourtDistrict Court, D. South Carolina
DecidedNovember 20, 2018
DocketCivil Action No.: 4:16-cv-01626-RBH
StatusPublished

This text of 355 F. Supp. 3d 373 (HDMG Entm't, LLC v. Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's of London Subscribing to Policy No. L009082) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. South Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
HDMG Entm't, LLC v. Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's of London Subscribing to Policy No. L009082, 355 F. Supp. 3d 373 (D.S.C. 2018).

Opinion

R. Bryan Harwell, United States District Judge

This matter is before the Court on Defendant's motion for summary judgment.

*376See ECF No. 64. The Court grants in part and denies in part the motion for the reasons set forth below.1

Background

The parties do not dispute the following facts. Plaintiff, HDMG Entertainment, LLC, planned to sponsor and produce an entertainment event known as the Swamp Fox Biker Bash (the "Bash") that was scheduled to occur at the Swamp Fox Entertainment Complex in Marion, South Carolina between May 8 and 15, 2015. Compl. at ¶ 3 [ECF No. 1-1]; Answer at ¶ 3 [ECF No. 27]. As the Court has previously noted, Plaintiff is a limited liability company organized under the laws of Delaware and doing business in Marion County, South Carolina; its principal place of business is in Milford, Connecticut, and its managing member and president is Robert Hartmann, Sr. ("Hartmann"), who is a citizen and resident of Connecticut. [Jan. 25, 2017 Order at 1, ECF No. 14]. Plaintiff leased the Swamp Fox Entertainment Complex from HSGCHG Investments, LLC ("HSGCHG"), a real estate holding company in which Hartmann has a 90% ownership interest. Hartmann Aff. at 1 [ECF No. 72-1].

In order to produce the Bash, Plaintiff needed a communications system in the venue to provide Internet access, phone service, and other services crucial to the event's success; without it, the Bash could not occur. Mem. in Supp. of Mot. for Summ. J at 3. As owner of the venue, HSGCHG entered into a contract with Time Warner Cable ("Time Warner") on January 23, 2015, to put a communications system in the venue. Resp. Mem. in Opp'n to Def.'s Mot. for Summ. J. at 10 (citing Time Warner Contract [ECF No. 72-6] ). On January 29, 2015, as the work began, Time Warner estimated a March 14, 2015 completion date for the communications system. Mem. in Supp. of Mot. for Summ. J. at 5 (citing Jan. 29, 2015 Email [ECF No. 66-3] ). However, this initial estimate was not met. On April 6, 2015, Time Warner told Plaintiff that the installation would occur on April 27. [Apr. 6, 2015 Email, ECF No. 72-8]. However, on April 22, 2015, Time Warner informed Hartmann that "due to unforeseen delays in construction[,]" installation would not be completed until after the Bash was scheduled to occur, forcing cancellation of the Bash. [Apr. 22, 2015 Letter, ECF No. 72-11]; Compl. ¶ 6.

Plaintiff had sought event cancellation insurance for the Bash. On February 18, 2015, Gabriel Gornell, executive producer of the Bash, completed an event cancellation application ("the Application") with Ascend Insurance Brokerage ("Ascend") on Plaintiff's behalf. See Application [ECF No. 67-4]. In response to Question 12 on the Application-"Will the event require construction work?"-Plaintiff answered in the negative, noting that "[e]lements will require re-certification. But the stage and buildings are fully constructed." Id. at 2. In response to Question 19-"Have all necessary arrangements for the successful fulfillment of the performance(s) or event(s) to be insured been made?"-Plaintiff answered in the affirmative. Id. at 3. In response to Question 26-"Are there any other material facts or items of information with regard to the proposed performance(s) or event(s) which should be disclosed? (A material fact is one likely to influence acceptance or assessment of this proposal by Underwriters)"-Plaintiff answered in the negative. Id. at 4. The Application includes a declaration "that non-disclosures *377or misrepresentation of a material fact will entitle the company to void the [i]nsurance" and Plaintiff's affirmation that "the information provided in this application ... is true" and no material facts were withheld. Id.

On April 28, 2015, Defendant, Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's of London Subscribing to Policy No. L009082,2 issued Plaintiff an event cancellation insurance policy with a March 26, 2015 effective date3 (the "Policy") under which Defendant agreed to indemnify Plaintiff up to $4,490,480.00 for losses resulting from cancellation of the Bash; in exchange, Plaintiff paid a $47,635.12 premium. Compl. at ¶ 4; Answer at ¶ 4; see Policy [ECF No. 72-2 at 2]. The Policy has certain requirements for coverage to apply, as well as seventeen exclusions and nineteen conditions. Policy [ECF No. 72-2 at 3, 5, 8-14]. The Policy was underwritten by HCC Speciality Underwriters, Inc. ("HCC") from its office in Massachusetts and delivered to Plaintiff's principal place of business in Milford, Connecticut. [Jan. 25, 2017 Order at 2].

On April 30, 2015, Plaintiff provided a notice of claim to HCC, explaining that it was forced to cancel the Bash due to Time Warner's failure to timely complete the communications system. See Notice of Claim [ECF No. 68-1 at 3]. Defendant began to investigate Plaintiff's claim. See June 20, 2015 Letter at 1 [ECF No. 68-4]. On August 27, 2015, Plaintiff provided its proof of loss. See ECF No. 72-12. On April 15, 2016, before a formal denial of the claim from Defendant, Plaintiff initiated this action by filing a complaint in the Court of Common Pleas for Marion County, South Carolina, asserting causes of action for breach of contract, statutory bad faith, and common law bad faith. Compl. at ¶¶ 11-22. On May 6, 2016, after further investigation, Defendant denied Plaintiff's claim, explained the grounds for denial, provided a notice of rescission of the Policy due to alleged material misrepresentations in the Application, and returned Plaintiff's premiums paid. See Notice of Rescission at 1 [ECF No. 68-10].

On May 20, 2016, Defendant timely removed the action to this Court under diversity jurisdiction. See ECF No. 1. On May 27, 2016, Defendant filed a motion to dismiss for improper venue or in the alternative to transfer venue, which the Court denied on January 25, 2017. See ECF No. 14. Subsequently, on March 6, 2017, Defendant filed an answer and counterclaim for: (1) a declaratory judgment that Defendant had no duty to indemnify because no coverage was triggered under the Policy; and (2) a declaratory judgment for rescission of the Policy due to Plaintiff's alleged intentional concealment and misrepresentation of material facts. Answer & Countercl. at ¶¶ 22-60 [ECF No. 24]. On April 2, 2017, Plaintiff filed an answer to Defendant's counterclaim. See ECF No. 27. On May 30, 2018, Defendant filed the instant motion for summary judgment. On June 18, 2018, Plaintiff filed a response in opposition, and on June 25, 2018, Defendant filed a reply thereto. See ECF Nos. 72 & 73. The matter is now ripe for the Court's consideration.

Legal Standard

Summary judgment is appropriate when no genuine issue of material fact exists and *378the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Reyazuddin v. Montgomery Cty., Md. , 789 F.3d 407, 413 (4th Cir. 2015) ; see Fed. R. Civ. P. 56

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Bluebook (online)
355 F. Supp. 3d 373, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hdmg-entmt-llc-v-certain-underwriters-at-lloyds-of-london-subscribing-scd-2018.