Heritage Insurance Co. v. Bucaro

428 N.E.2d 979, 101 Ill. App. 3d 919, 57 Ill. Dec. 299, 1981 Ill. App. LEXIS 3607
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedNovember 6, 1981
Docket80-866
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 428 N.E.2d 979 (Heritage Insurance Co. v. Bucaro) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Heritage Insurance Co. v. Bucaro, 428 N.E.2d 979, 101 Ill. App. 3d 919, 57 Ill. Dec. 299, 1981 Ill. App. LEXIS 3607 (Ill. Ct. App. 1981).

Opinion

Mr. JUSTICE LORENZ

delivered the opinion of the court:

Plaintiff, Heritage Insurance Company (Heritage), brought a declaratory judgment action to construe the provisions of a “Manufacturers’ and Contractors’ Liability Insurance Coverage for Premises” policy it issued to defendant, Vito Martin Búcaro d/b/a Milford Auto Sales & Parts (Búcaro), the operator of an automobile dismantling business. The trial court found that Heritage had no duty under the insurance policy to defend or indemnify Búcaro for a tort action then pending against him. The court therefore granted Heritage’s motion for summary judgment. The underlying tort action arose from the theft of an automobile from Bucaro’s business premises by Calvin Sparks and Rayford Sullivan. The two subsequently collided with a motorcycle carrying Anthony and Linda Post. In the tort action, the Posts charged Sparks and Sullivan with the negligent operation of the stolen automobile, and charged Búcaro with, inter alia, negligently failing to remove the ignition keys from the unattended automobile. Búcaro now appeals from the order granting summary judgment on the complaint for declaratory judgment to Heritage.

The issue presented before us on appeal is whether Bucaro’s alleged negligence, which led to the “off premises” automobile collision with the plaintiffs in the underlying action, falls within the coverage provided by the insurance policy issued by Heritage.

Resolution of this issue requires an examination of the pleadings in this case.

According to the complaint for declaratory judgment, the automobile collision in question occurred on July 9, 1974. This occurrence resulted from the theft of a 1966 Plymouth which was parked in front of Bucaro’s place of business at 409 N. Pulaski Road, Chicago. The car had been purchased by Búcaro as junk for $25 for the purpose of salvage and destruction. The accident occurred on the Eisenhower Expressway where it intersects Des Plaines Avenue. According to the complaint in the underlying tort action, Búcaro is culpable for the accident in that he:

(1) Left a motor vehicle unattended in a location where defendant, Búcaro, knew or should have known the likelihood of such motor vehicle being stolen and causing an injury to motorists on public highways;

(2) Failed to remove the ignition keys from an unattended motor vehicle on a public highway in violation of section 11 — 1401 of the Illinois Vehicle Code (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1973, ch. 95K, par. 11 — 1401);

(3) Failed to remove the ignition keys from an unattended motor vehicle on private property heavily frequented by the public, when defendant Búcaro knew or should have known the likelihood of said motor vehicle being stolen and causing injury to motorists on public highways;

(4) Placed the keys of a motor vehicle in an easily accessible location when defendant, Búcaro, knew or should have known the likelihood of said motor vehicle being stolen and causing injury to motorists on public highways;

(5) Failed to lock a motor vehicle or otherwise prevent access into it. The complaint for declaratory judgment concludes by requesting a declaration that the policy Heritage issued to Búcaro is inapplicable to the automobile collision.

Búcaro filed an answer admitting the salient facts of Heritage’s complaint for declaratory judgment. Then, Heritage filed its motion for summary judgment since only the legal effect of the insurance policy was at issue. On October 9,1979, the trial court denied this motion. However, on March 7, 1980, the trial court vacated its October 9, 1979, order and entered summary judgment for Heritage. The trial court’s order recites as follows:

(a) that Heritage policy number 6LA 10567 issued by Heritage to Búcaro is inapplicable to the occurrence alleged in cause number 74 L 21330 refiled as 79 L 5822;

(b) that Heritage has no obligation to defend Búcaro in the action brought by Linda Post and Anthony Post in cause number 74 L 21330 refiled as 79 L 5822;

(c) that Heritage has no obligation to pay any judgment that may be rendered against Búcaro and in favor of Linda Post and/or Anthony Post in cause number 74 L 21330 refiled as 79 L 5822.

Opinion

In order to determine the scope of the insurance coverage provided under the policy in this case, we must examine the relevant provisions. The dispositive language reads as follows:

“Coverage A - Bodily Injury Liability
Coverage B - Property Damage Liability
The Company will pay on behalf of the insured all sums which the insured shall become legally obligated to pay as damages because of
A. bodily injury or
B. property damage
to which this insurance applies, caused by an occurrence and arising out of the ownership, maintenance or use of the insured premises and all operations necessary or incidental thereto.”

One of the exclusions to the policy states that:

This insurance does not apply:
# # e
(b) to bodily injury or property damage arising out of the ownership, maintenance, operation, use, loading or unloading of
(1) any automobile or aircraft owned or operated by or rented or loaned to any insured * *

The policy provides coverage for the following described hazards with respect to the premises: “Automobile Dismantling — including salvage or junking of parts, and store operations.” In addition, the business of the insured is listed on the policy as “Automobile Dismantling.”

Búcaro contends that his alleged negligence in leaving the keys in the unattended auto on the insured premises, which facilitated its theft and subsequent collision with the plaintiffs in the underlying action, is an occurrence falling within the terms of the policy just described. More specifically, Búcaro argues that this act of negligence is “an occurrence ° e ” arising out of the ownership, maintenance or use of the insured premises and all operations necessary or incidental thereto,” since the auto was acquired for the purpose of salvage and dismantling — the business of the insured premises; Because Bucaro’s alleged failure to remove the keys from the car may have proximately caused the collision, it is maintained that coverage under the policy applies. Heritage, of course, disagrees and contends that the policy it issued is inapplicable to these facts for two reasons. Its first argument in support of denying coverage is that the actual occurrence for which recovery is sought, the automobile collision, did not take place on the insured premises. The second argument is that the policy specifically excludes incidents arising out of the ownership and use of automobiles.

We find guidance in resolving this dispute in Cobbins v. General Accident Fire & Life Assurance Corp. (1972), 53 Ill.

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

Related

Westfield Insurance Company v. Scot Vandenberg
796 F.3d 773 (Seventh Circuit, 2015)
Indiana Insurance Company v. Royce Realty & Management, Inc.
2013 IL App (2d) 121184 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2013)
Pekin Insurance v. Recurrent Training Center, Inc.
948 N.E.2d 668 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2011)
Belmonte v. Employers Insurance
99 Cal. Rptr. 2d 661 (California Court of Appeal, 2000)
Dash Messenger Service Inc. v. Hartford Ins. Co. of Ill.
582 N.E.2d 1257 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1991)
Zurich Midwest, Inc. v. St. Paul Fire & Marine Insurance
513 N.E.2d 59 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1987)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
428 N.E.2d 979, 101 Ill. App. 3d 919, 57 Ill. Dec. 299, 1981 Ill. App. LEXIS 3607, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/heritage-insurance-co-v-bucaro-illappct-1981.