Home Indemnity Co. v. Ball-Co Contractors, Inc.

645 F. Supp. 25, 1986 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 23370
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Alabama
DecidedJune 30, 1986
DocketCiv. A. No. 85-0614-P
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 645 F. Supp. 25 (Home Indemnity Co. v. Ball-Co Contractors, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Home Indemnity Co. v. Ball-Co Contractors, Inc., 645 F. Supp. 25, 1986 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 23370 (S.D. Ala. 1986).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

PITTMAN, Senior District Judge.

This is a non-jury case tried by this court. The court makes the following Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law.

[26]*26 Findings of Fact

The Home Indemnity Company (Home Indemnity) is an insurance corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of New York with its principal place of business in New York and was at all times material hereto authorized to conduct business in the State of Alabama.

The defendant Ball-Co Contractors, Inc. (Ball-Co) is a Delaware corporation with its principal place of business in Bay Minette, Baldwin County, Alabama.

The amount in controversy in this action is in excess of $10,000.00, exclusive of interest and costs.

In mid-1979, the defendant, Ball-Co, negotiated with the Waldorff Insurance and Bonding Agency of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, to secure worker’s compensation and general automobile and liability insurance coverage for its operations. As the result of these negotiations, Home Indemnity issued to the defendant, Ball-Co, a worker’s compensation policy being Policy Number WC 9849538, with a policy term from October 7, 1979 to October 7, 1980, and a general liability policy, numbered GA 9878803, with a term from October 7, 1979 to October 7, 1980.

These two policies provided that the initial estimated premium was an estimated premium only and that a final earned premium would be calculated after the policy term based upon an audit of the defendant, Ball-Co’s, books and records.

The initial estimated premium for Policy Number WC 9849538 was $19,890.00. This amount was paid by the defendant to the plaintiff in equal monthly installments.

The estimated premium for Policy Number GA 9878803 was calculated to be $25,-627.00, and was also paid by the defendant, Ball-Co, to the plaintiff, Home Indemnity, upon the issuance of this policy.

Subsequently, on or about November 25, 1980, a final audit of Ball-Co’s books and records for the policy term was conducted by the plaintiff, Home Indemnity. The audited exposure numbers indicated on the audits of these two policies are correct and indicate the true dollar volume of payroll and/or business done by the insured, Ball-Co, during the policy term.

As a result of these audits, it was determined that the total earned premium for Policy Number WC 9849538 was $60,-965.00. which after deduction of the amount paid as an estimated premium, left an additional earned premium of $41,-075.00.

The audit also showed that the earned premium for Policy Number GA 9878803 was $32,207.00, which after deduction of the amount paid as an estimated premium, left an additional earned premium due of $6,580.00. The parties are in agreement that this amount is due on the general liability policy and that the amount is correct. The issue of whether the defendant is legally liable for the additional earned premium due on this particular policy is a question of law, subject only to the defendant’s defenses of statute of limitations and the equitable defenses of waiver, estoppel and laches.

The above referenced worker’s compensation policy was renewed for the policy period from October 7, 1980 to March 1, 1981, when it was cancelled. This renewal policy was Policy Number WC 1053226. The above referenced general liability policy was renewed for a like period, the renewal policy being Policy Number GL 1136856.

The total estimated annual premium for the renewal worker’s compensation policy (WC 1053226) was calculated to be $48,-213.00. The total estimated annual premium for the renewal general liability policy (GL 1136856) was calculated to be $19,-903.00.

Both the worker’s compensation and general liability renewal policies were can-celled effective March 1, 1981, due to nonpayment of premiums, when this dispute arose between the insured, Ball-Co, and the insurer, Home Indemnity, over the additional earned premium due of the prior policies.

[27]*27Subsequently, in May and September of 1981, audits were conducted of the insured’s books and records which resulted in the calculation of earned premiums in the total amount of $11,843.00 on the renewal worker’s compensation policy, and $9,284.00 on the renewal general liability policy. After deduction of the amounts prepaid on these policies, there remained due and owing the amounts of $8,910.00 on the renewal worker’s compensation policy (WC 1053226), and the amount of $8,701.00 on the renewal general liability policy (GL 1136856).

It is undisputed that the total additional earned premium due on the renewal general liability policy (GL 1136856) is $8,701.00, the defendant, Ball-Co’s, legal liability for the payment of said sum being totally dependent upon the insured’s defenses of the statute of limitations and the equitable defenses of waiver, estoppel and laches.

. There is no dispute that the correct modification rate was applied to the calculation of the estimated premium on the renewal worker’s compensation policy (WC 1053226).

By correspondence dated April 6, 1981, Home Indemnity informed Ball-Co that the amount due it for adjusted premiums on the subject insurance policies was $47,-655.00.

By correspondence dated September 24, 1981, Home Indemnity informed Ball-Co that the amount due it for adjusted premiums on the subject insurance policies was $66,144.00.

By correspondence dated December 16, 1981, Home Indemnity informed Ball-Co that the amount due it for adjusted premiums on the subject insurance policies was $65,266.00.

By correspondence dated April 14, 1981, August 27, 1981, and December 5, 1981, Ball-Co informed Home Indemnity that it disputed the calculations and amount of adjusted premiums allegedly due Home Indemnity.

It was admitted at trial that the defendant, Ball-Co, does not dispute the additional amounts due on either the initial general liability policy (GA 9878803) or the two renewal policies (WC 1053226 and GL 1136856)!

This action was filed on April 3, 1985.

Conclusions of Law

This court has jurisdiction over the subject matter of this case by virtue of 28 U.S.C. § 1332.

The parties are properly before this court, are properly named, and venue is proper in this district.

Plaintiff's complaint contains two counts. The first seeks damages for breach of contract. The second seeks recovery of unpaid premiums in a stated account.

The total amount sought in this action is $65,266.00. Taking the allegations of the complaint, along with the plaintiff’s contentions of fact and the stipulated facts, as well as the evidence presented at trial, it is clear that there is more than one claim for relief stated, to-wit: an account stated for additional premiums due on Policy Number GA 9878803, in the amount of $6,580.00; an account stated for additional premiums due on Policy Number WC 1053226, in the amount of $8,910.00; an account stated for additional premiums due on Policy Number GL 1136856, in the amount of $8,701.00; and an open account on Policy Number WC 9849538.

In reaching this conclusion, the court relies upon Fed.R.Civ.P. 8

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

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
645 F. Supp. 25, 1986 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 23370, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/home-indemnity-co-v-ball-co-contractors-inc-alsd-1986.