IDC Construction, LLC v. Admiral Insurance

339 F. Supp. 2d 1342, 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20443, 2004 WL 2331625
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Florida
DecidedOctober 6, 2004
Docket03-14216-CIV
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 339 F. Supp. 2d 1342 (IDC Construction, LLC v. Admiral Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
IDC Construction, LLC v. Admiral Insurance, 339 F. Supp. 2d 1342, 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20443, 2004 WL 2331625 (S.D. Fla. 2004).

Opinion

ORDER

K. MICHAEL MOORE, District Judge.

THIS CAUSE came before the Court upon Plaintiffs’, IDC Construction, LLC, and Century Insurance Company, Motion for Partial Summary Judgment (DE # 30).

UPON CONSIDERATION of the motion and response, and being otherwise fully advised in the premises, the Court enters the following Order.

I. BACKGROUND

A. The Parties

Plaintiff IDC Construction, Inc. (“IDC”), is a Georgia limited liability company which engaged in the business of commercial general contracting and construction in Martin County, Florida. Plaintiff Century Surety Company (“Century”) is a foreign insurance company authorized to do business in the State of Florida. Defendant Admiral Insurance Company (“Admiral”) is a foreign insurance company authorized to do business in the State of Florida. Both Century and Admiral provided liability coverage to IDC.

This cause of action arose as a result of claims made by the Hutchinson Island Inn, *1344 Inc. d/b/a Holiday Inn Oceanside (“Holiday Inn Oceanside”), a non-party in this action, against IDC. Holiday Inn Oceanside claims that IDC materially breached the terms and conditions of two construction contracts between the parties, resulting in property damage, consequential damages for loss of use of the property, and costs to repair the property. IDC demanded that Admiral provide coverage, and defend and indemnify all covered claims made by Holiday Inn Oceanside. Admiral advised IDC that it determined that no coverage is afforded under its policy for the claim of loss occurring at the property owned by Holiday Inn Oceanside. Mot. for Partial Summ. J. ¶ 6. The instant action ensued.

B. The Insurance Policy

On or about October 1, 2001, Admiral issued a Commercial General Liability Policy (the “Admiral Policy”), Policy No.: A01AG11573, to IDC. Am. Compl. ¶ 9. The Admiral Policy contains the following relevant provisions:

SECTION I —COVERAGES
COVERAGE A BODILY INJURY AND PROPERTY DAMAGE
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.
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.
SECTION V —DEFINITIONS
13. “Occurrence” means and 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. All such loss of use shall be deemed to occur at the time of the physical injury that caused it; or
b. Loss of use of tangible property that is not physically injured. All such loss of use shall be deemed to occur at the time of “occurrence” that caused it.
PRE-EXISTING DAMAGE EXCLUSION
This insurance does not apply to:
1. Any damages arising out of or related to “bodily injury” or “property damage”, whether such “bodily injury” or “property damage” is known or unknown,
(a) which first occurred prior to the inception date of this policy (or the retroactive date of this policy, if any, whichever is earlier); or
(b) which are, or are alleged to be, in the process of occurring as of the inception date of the policy (or the retroactive date of this policy, if any, whichever is earlier) even if the “oc *1345 currence” continues during this policy period.
2. Any damages arising out of or related to “bodily injury” or “property damage”, whether known or unknown, which are in the process of settlement, adjustment or “suit” as of the inception date of this policy (or the retroactive date of this policy, if any, whichever is earlier). We shall have no duty to defend any insured against any loss, claim, “suit”, or other proceeding alleging damages arising out of or related to “bodily injury” or “property damage” to which this endorsement applies.
C. Procedural History

On or about April 20, 2000, IDC entered into a contract with Holiday Inn Oceanside for the purpose of performing certain repairs and renovations to the Holiday Inn Oceanside. Am. Compl. ¶ 12. After certain repairs and renovations were completed, water intrusion into various guest rooms in the Holiday Inn Oceanside occurred. As a result, Holiday Inn Oceanside has made a claim against IDC. Id. ¶ 13.

IDC demanded that Admiral provide coverage, defend, and indemnify all covered claims made against it by the Holiday Inn Oceanside. Mot. for Partial Summ. J. ¶ 6. Admiral agreed to share in investigative expenses until it made a coverage decision. Admiral later informed IDC and notified Century that it would no longer share in the investigative expenses of Century because it determined that the claim of loss by Holiday Inn Oceanside was not covered under the Admiral Policy. Resp. to Mot. for Partial Summ. J. at 3.

After Admiral denied coverage, Century continued to investigate the claims made by Holiday Inn Oceanside, and assumed the defense of IDC in the lawsuit which was subsequently brought by Holiday Inn Oceanside. Id at 3. A demand was made by Century upon Admiral for the reasonable investigation of the losses claimed against their mutual insured and for the defense and indemnity of the insured. Mot. for Partial Summ. J. ¶¶ 7, 9.

On July 10, 2003, IDC commenced an action against Admiral in the Circuit Court of the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit in and for Martin County, Florida, see IDC Construction, LLC and Century Surety Company v. Admiral Insurance Company, Case No. 03-600A, seeking damages for breach of contract and contribution arising out of Admiral’s denial of a claim made by IDC against the Admiral Policy. On July 31, 2003, Admiral removed this action to federal court, and on August 4, 2003, Admiral served its answer to the complaint.

On November 13, 2003, Holiday Inn Oceanside filed a complaint in the Circuit Court for the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit for Martin County, Florida, against IDC for property damage caused by IDC. See Hutchinson Island Inn, Inc.

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Bluebook (online)
339 F. Supp. 2d 1342, 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20443, 2004 WL 2331625, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/idc-construction-llc-v-admiral-insurance-flsd-2004.