Holly Mountain Resources, Ltd. v. Westport Insurance

130 Wash. App. 635
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedJanuary 11, 2005
DocketNo. 30915-7-II
StatusPublished

This text of 130 Wash. App. 635 (Holly Mountain Resources, Ltd. v. Westport Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Holly Mountain Resources, Ltd. v. Westport Insurance, 130 Wash. App. 635 (Wash. Ct. App. 2005).

Opinion

¶1

Hunt, J.

— Westport Insurance Corporation (Westport) appeals the trial court’s grant of partial summary judgment to its insured, Holly Mountain Resources, Ltd., arising from a breach of contract and timber trespass lawsuit that Ahtanum Irrigation District (AID) filed against Holly Mountain; John Zapel, its president; and his wife, Vickie Zapel (Holly Mountain). Westport argues the trial court erred in ruling that Westport, in bad faith, breached its duty to defend Holly Mountain, entitling Holly Mountain to coverage by estoppel, attorney fees, and the value of the counterclaim. Holding that Westport did not breach its duty to defend Holly Mountain because AID’s complaint against Holly Mountain alleged only claims that the policy unambiguously did not cover, we reverse.

[638]*638FACTS

¶2 Holly Mountain Resources, Ltd., was a Washington corporation engaged in contract logging.1 John Zapel was its president. Holly Mountain purchased comprehensive liability insurance from Westport Insurance Corporation.

I. Westport Insurance Policy

f 3 Relevant excerpts from Holly Mountain’s Commercial General Liability Coverage insurance policy with Westport included:

SECTION I — COVERAGES
COVERAGE A BODILY INJURY AND PROPERTY DAMAGE LIABILITY
1. Insuring Agreement
a. We will pay those sums that the insured becomes legally obligated to pay as damages because of “bodily injury” or “property damage” to which this insurance applies. We will have the right and duty to defend the insured against any “suit” seeking those damages. However, we will have no duty to defend the insured against any “suit” seeking damages for “bodily injury” or “property damage” to which this insurance does not apply. We may, at our discretion, investigate any “occurrence” and settle any claim or “suit” that may result.
b. This insurance applies to “bodily injury” and “property damage” only if:
(1) The “bodily injury” or “property damage” is caused by an “occurrence” that takes place in the “coverage territory”; and
(2) The “bodily injury” or “property damage” occurs during the policy period.
2. Exclusions
This insurance does not apply to:
[639]*639a. Expected Or Intended Injury
“Bodily injury” or “property damage” expected or intended from the standpoint of the insured. . . .
b. Contractual Liability
“Bodily injury” or “property damage” for which the insured is obligated to pay damages by reason of the assumption of liability in a contract or agreement.
j. Damage To Property
“Property damage” to:
(5) That particular part of real property on which you or any contractors or subcontractors working directly or indirectly on your behalf are performing operations, if the “property damage” arises out of those operations;
SECTION V — DEFINITIONS
13. “Occurrence” means an accident, including continuous or repeated exposure to substantially the same general harmful conditions.
17. “Property damage” means:
a. Physical injury to tangible property, including all resulting loss of use of that property . . .
b. Loss of use of tangible property that is not physically injured.

Clerk’s Papers (CP) at 89, 92, 98, 100, 101.

¶4 The policy also included a “Logging and Lumbering Operations Endorsement” that modified the Commercial General Liability Coverage Part. It provided:

With respect to “logging and lumbering operations” as defined below Section 1, Coverage A, “Property Damage” Liability, is amended to include:
[640]*6402. "PROPERTY DAMAGE” TO TIMBERLAND NOT OWNED BY ANY NAMED INSURED — Meaning, “property damage” to timberland and standing, felled or bucked timber at premises rented or controlled by the Named Insured, if such timberland or timber is not owned by any insured except while such timber is being transported; and
4. TIMBER TRESPASS — Is defined as unexpected or unintended “property damage” to timberland or standing timber which is not owned by the Named Insured or in the care, custody or control of the Named Insured and which arises out of the “logging and lumbering operations” of the Named Insured.

CP at 106.

II. Holly Mountain’s Breach of AID Timber Harvest Contract

¶5 In January 1998, Holly Mountain entered into a “Timber Harvest Agreement” (the Contract) with AID. The Contract gave Holly Mountain the right to log AID’s land, as directed, for a three-year period. The Contract provided that Holly Mountain was to harvest certain volumes of timber with the objective of enhancing snowpack retention, thinning for improved stand growth, and removing over-story. The Contract specifically proscribed nonharvest areas, timing, and various other logistics. The Contract further provided that in logging the AID property, Holly Mountain would emphasize market timing to maximize potential returns to AID.

¶6 Holly Mountain logged the AID land for approximately two years, until late in 1999, when AID asked Holly Mountain to produce an accounting of its logging costs and gross mill receipts. When Holly Mountain refused, AID ordered Holly Mountain off its land and to discontinue harvesting.

¶7 In November 1999, AID sued Holly Mountain and president Zapel for the following breaches of the timber [641]*641harvest contract. Holly Mountain and Zapel (1) failed to harvest the timber in a timely manner, (2) failed to enhance snowpack retention, (3) failed to minimize postharvest erosion, (4) failed to conform to the laws of Washington,2 (5) failed to maintain roads, (6) failed to perform cleanup, and (7) failed to haul cut logs to the mill. AID’s complaint further alleged that Holly Mountain failed to produce logging cost documentation as AID had requested.

¶8 In addition, AID’s complaint alleged that Holly Mountain breached the Contract by committing intentional timber trespass as follows:

Holly Mountain and John P. Zapel harvested timber in violation of the Agreement. They had no right to harvest trees except as described in the Agreement and the sustained harvest plans pursuant to that Agreement. Any harvest of trees outside the scope of the management plan in any year was a timber trespass under RCW 4.24.630 or under RCW 64.12.030. These acts of Holly Mountain and John P. Zapel were intentional. Holly Mountain’s and John P.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
130 Wash. App. 635, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/holly-mountain-resources-ltd-v-westport-insurance-washctapp-2005.