Hillhaven Properties Ltd. v. Sellen Construction Co.

948 P.2d 796
Washington Supreme Court·Decided November 26, 1997·No. 64669-4·Published·Cited by 23 cases

Opinion

948 P.2d 796 (1997)
133 Wash.2d 751

HILLHAVEN PROPERTIES LIMITED, Respondent,
v.
SELLEN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, INCORPORATED, Defendant,
Aetna Insurance Company, Petitioner.

No. 64669-4.

Supreme Court of Washington, En Banc.

Argued June 17, 1997.
Decided November 26, 1997.

Peery, Hiscock, Pierson, Kingman & Peabody, Michael E. Ricketts, William E. Fitzharris, Jr., Seattle, amicus curiae on behalf of Insurance Environmental Litigation.

William B. Moore, Seattle, for Sellen Const. Co.

Bullivant, Houser, Bailey, Pendergrass & Hoffman, R. Daniel Lindahl, Portland, OR, for Petitioner.

Oles, Morrison & Rinker, Seth W. Morrison, Seattle, for Respondent.

SMITH, Justice.

Petitioner Aetna Insurance Company seeks review of a Court of Appeals decision which reversed summary judgment granted by the Pierce County Superior Court in Aetna's *797 favor in an action by Hillhaven Properties, Limited for insurance coverage for water seepage and leakage damage around windows in the Narrows Glen retirement facility. We granted review. We affirm.

QUESTION PRESENTED

The question presented in this case is whether coverage is provided under an insurance policy acquired from a replacement insurer under a master policy after damage to a structure from known water seepage and leakage or whether policy coverage is precluded under the "known loss doctrine."

STATEMENT OF FACTS

The Narrows Glen retirement community, located at 8201 Sixth Avenue, Tacoma, Washington,[1] was built for Hillhaven Properties Limited (Hillhaven) by Sellen Construction Company, Incorporated (Sellen). Narrows Glen is a three-story, wood frame structure. It consists of 130 apartments, 10 assisted living units and ancillary facilities.[2] The administrative and common area is located in the center of the facility with residential wings radiating from it.[3] Narrows Glen was insured by Hartford Fire Insurance Company under a master policy for Hillhaven Properties from November 2, 1987 until June 1, 1989.[4] Aetna Insurance Company (Aetna) replaced Hartford as insurer on June 1, 1989.[5]

Narrows Glen started renting its units in November 1987.[6] During the winter of 1987-88, water seepage and stains developed around some of the windows. This was attended to by in-house maintenance staff and Sellen staff. The Sellen staff caulked the outside of the windows.[7] Hillhaven was not particularly concerned about the water seepage because the staff reasoned that problems such as these are not unexpected in a new building.[8]

The water seepage and window damage problem reoccurred in the winter of 1988-89 in five or six apartments along one wing of the facility.[9] The maintenance supervisor, Chris Higgins, at the request of the facility's executive director, wrote a letter to Sellen identifying the problem and requesting that it be corrected.[10] The letter stated in part:

This letter is to inform you of the present situation here at the Narrows Glen Retirement Community regarding the critical subject and immediate problem of interior water damage at many of the apartment windows here at the facility. Numerous resident complaints of water seepage and drippage accompanied by obvious related physical damage to window interior perimeters and ledges have presented a significant problem, one that requires an immediate thorough review resulting in a definitive course of corrective action.

After receipt of the letter, Sellen made additional repairs and the problem seemed to have been resolved. The Aetna policy went *798 into effect on June 1, 1989, after those repairs had been completed.

There was more water seepage around the windows during the winter of 1989-90. Hillhaven then hired an independent contractor, W.G. Clark Construction, to investigate the problem.[11] Clark Construction submitted its report to Hillhaven on November 30, 1989, in which it stated the vapor barrier had been improperly installed with the result that water was allowed to seep into the walls between the window frames and casements. This resulted in water saturation of the siding, wood framing and gypsum sheathing. Hillhaven notified Aetna Insurance Company and its predecessor, Hartford Fire Insurance Company, of this by letter dated December 15, 1989.[12]

In the spring of 1990 Hillhaven implemented design corrections recommended by W.G. Clark for Narrows Glen. However, it was not successful in preventing additional water problems during the fall of 1990. A design company, Schemmer Associates, Inc., was then hired to perform additional tests. It concluded that the vapor barriers had become porous on installation and caused the leakage around the windows.[13] It became necessary the following summer of 1991 to rebuild a portion of Narrows Glen at a cost of over $1,000,000.00.[14]

The sequence of developments in this matter is summarized as follows:

November 2,1987        Hartford Fire Insurance Company
                       became insurer for Hillhaven Properties.
November/              Hillhaven Properties substantially
December 1987          completed construction for Narrows
                       Glen.
Winter 1987-88         Water stains noticed at Narrows
                       Glen, but considered only for
                       "punch list" repair.
Winter 1988-89         Water stains reported in 5 or 6
                       apartments at Narrows Glen.
January 16, 1989       Letter from Narrows Glen to Sellen
                       Construction regarding problem.
June 1, 1989           Aetna Insurance Company became
                       insurer for Hillhaven Properties,
                       replacing Hartford Fire Insurance
                       Company.
November 30, 1989      W.G. Clark Construction Company
                       reported result of its investigation.
December 15, 1989      Notification letter from Hillhaven
                       to Hartford Insurance Company
                       and Aetna Insurance Company.
Spring 1990            Narrows Glen repaired window
                       damage and implemented design
                       correction.
Fall 1990              Water seepage and window leakage
                       problem became worse.
May 9, 1991            Schemmer Associates, Inc. reported
                       result of tests concerning problem
                       and recommended solution.
Summer 1991            Major repairs and rebuilding completed
                       at Narrows Glen.

On October 31, 1991, Hillhaven brought action for damages in the Pierce County Superior Court against Sellen, E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Company, Incorporated, Acorn Building Components/West, Incorporated, Hoffman Partnership, Incorporated, Safeco Insurance Company of America as performance bond surety for Sellen, and Aetna.[15] Aetna denied coverage and moved for summary judgment which was granted by the trial court on July 23, 1993.[16] On June 9, 1994, Hillhaven settled with all parties except Aetna.[17]

This case was decided on a motion for summary judgment by the trial court, the *799 Honorable Terry D. Sebring.

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Hillhaven Properties Ltd. v. Sellen Construction Co., 948 P.2d 796 (Wash. 1997).

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