Howell-Douglas v. Fidelity National Indemnity Insurance

24 F. Supp. 3d 579, 2014 WL 2506469, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 75469
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Louisiana
DecidedJune 3, 2014
DocketCivil Action No. 13-5578
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 24 F. Supp. 3d 579 (Howell-Douglas v. Fidelity National Indemnity Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Howell-Douglas v. Fidelity National Indemnity Insurance, 24 F. Supp. 3d 579, 2014 WL 2506469, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 75469 (E.D. La. 2014).

Opinion

ORDER AND REASONS

SARAH S. VANCE, District Judge.

Defendant Fidelity National Indemnity Insurance Company moves the Court for summary judgment.1 Plaintiff failed to submit a timely signed and sworn Proof of Loss for the insurance proceeds she seeks in this action. Additionally, the National Flood Insurance Act does not authorize her extra-contractual claims. For these reasons, the Court GRANTS defendant’s motion and dismisses this case.

I. BACKGROUND

Plaintiff Janina Howell-Douglas is a La-Place, Louisiana homeowner.2 She purchased a Standard Flood Insurance Policy (SFIP) from defendant Fidelity National.3 The insurance under a SFIP is provided through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency under the National Flood Insurance Act (NFIA). Wright v. Allstate Ins. Co., 415 F.3d 384, 385-86 (5th Cir.2005). “The terms of SFIP policies are dictated by FEMA,” id. at 386, and are currently found in the Code of Federal Regulations at 44 C.F.R. pt. 61, app. (A)(1). Although Fidelity National is nominally plaintiffs insurer, “[p]ayments on SFIP claims ultimately come from the federal treasury.” Wright, 415 F.3d at 386. In administering [581]*581the policy, Fidelity National acts as a “fiscal agent of the United States,” and is known as a Write Your Own (WYO) insurer. Id.

In August 2012, plaintiffs property sustained flood damage as a result of Hurricane Isaac.4 Plaintiff thereafter filed-a claim with Fidelity National for flood damages to her property.5 On September 27, 2012,6 December 7, 2012,7 and February 21, 2013,8 plaintiff submitted a series of Proofs of Loss totaling $107,572.39, and Fidelity National paid each in full.9 Plaintiff did not submit another signed and sworn Proof of Loss after that payment was made.10

Plaintiff sued Fidelity National on August 27, 2013, asserting that Fidelity National: (1) failed to pay for all flood damages due under the policy; (2) failed to include all flood damages in the scope of loss/damage estimate; (3) failed to bring in qualified professionals to timely and properly assess all of the flood damages; (4) overly depreciated the value of the property and the its contents; (5) refused to explain or provide plaintiff with a copy of the depreciation schedule used to calculate depreciation; and (6) failed to pay for post-catastrophe price increases.11 Plaintiff sought damages, penalties, costs, .and attorney’s fees for breach of the insurance contract. She also brought extra-contractual claims for breach of the duty of good faith and fair dealing under federal common law, negligence, and negligent misrepresentation under federal common law.12

Fidelity National now moves for summary judgment on plaintiffs breach of contract and extra-contractual claims.13 Plaintiff has not filed a response.

II. LEGAL STANDARD

Summary judgment is warranted when “the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(a); see also Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322-23, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986); Little v. Liquid Air Corp., 37 F.3d 1069, 1075 (5th Cir.1994). When assessing whether a dispute as to any material fact exists, the Court considers “all of the evidence in the record but refrain[s] from making credibility determinations or weighing the evidence.” Delta & Pine Land Co. v. Nationwide Agribusiness Ins. Co., 530 F.3d 395, 398-99 (5th Cir.2008). All reasonable inferences are drawn in favor of the nonmoving party, but “unsupported allegations or affidavits setting forth ‘ultimate or eonclusory facts and conclusions of law1 are insufficient to either support or defeat a motion for summary judgment.” Galindo v. Precision Am. Corp., 754 F.2d 1212, 1216 (5th Cir.1985); see also Little, 37 F.3d at 1075.

If the dispositive issue is one on which the moving party will bear the burden of proof at trial, the moving party “must [582]*582come forward with evidence which would ‘entitle it to a directed verdict if the evidence went uncontroverted at trial.’ ” Int’l Shortstop, Inc. v. Rally’s, Inc., 939 F.2d 1257, 1264-65 (5th Cir.1991). The nonmoving party can then defeat the motion by either countering with evidence sufficient to demonstrate the existence of a genuine dispute of material fact, or “showing that the moving party’s evidence is so sheer that it may not persuade the reasonable fact-finder to return a verdict in favor of the moving party.” Id. at 1265.

If the dispositive issue is one on which the nonmoving party will bear the burden of proof at trial, the moving party may satisfy its burden by merely pointing out that the evidence in the record is insufficient with respect to an essential element of the nonmoving party’s claim. See Celotex, 477 U.S. at 325, 106 S.Ct. 2548. The burden then shifts to the nonmoving party, who must, by submitting or referring to evidence, set out specific facts showing that a genuine issue exists. See id. at 324, 106 S.Ct. 2548. The nonmovant may not rest upon the pleadings, but must identify specific facts that establish a genuine issue for trial. See, e.g., id.; Little, 37 F.3d at 1075 (“Rule 56 ‘mandates the entry of summary judgment, after adequate time for discovery and upon motion, against a party who fails to make a showing sufficient to establish the existence of an element essential to that party’s case, and on which that party will bear the burden of proof at trial.’ ” (quoting Celotex, 477 U.S. at 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548)).

III. DISCUSSION

The SFIP contains the following provisions:

J. Requirements in Case of Loss
In case of a flood loss to insured property, you must: 4. Within 60 days after the loss, send us a proof of loss, which is your statement of the amount you are claiming under the policy signed and sworn to by you, and which furnishes us with [several categories of information] ....
R. Suit Against Us
You may not sue us to recover money under this policy unless you have complied with all the requirements of the policy.

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24 F. Supp. 3d 579, 2014 WL 2506469, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 75469, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/howell-douglas-v-fidelity-national-indemnity-insurance-laed-2014.