James v. Antilles Insurance

27 V.I. 55, 1992 WL 12729437, 1992 V.I. LEXIS 43
CourtSupreme Court of The Virgin Islands
DecidedFebruary 6, 1992
DocketCivil No. 432/90
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 27 V.I. 55 (James v. Antilles Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of The Virgin Islands primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
James v. Antilles Insurance, 27 V.I. 55, 1992 WL 12729437, 1992 V.I. LEXIS 43 (virginislands 1992).

Opinion

ELTMAN, Judge

MEMORANDUM OPINION

For the reasons stated below, the court denies the defendant's motion to waive the supersedeas bond but grants its request to post alternative security to stay execution of the judgment pending appeal.

STATEMENT OF FACTS

On June 5, 1991, a jury awarded the plaintiffs Richard James and Janis James a total of $146,486 in an action against the defendant Antilles Insurance, Inc. Judgment was entered on June 27,1991. On October 9, 1991, the defendant's motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict was partially granted and the judgment was reduced by $40,000 to $106,486. The defendant then filed a notice of appeal to the Appellate Division of the District Court, along with a motion to waive supersedeas bond or for leave to post alternate security. The plaintiffs cross-appealed the final judgment to the extent that it granted in part the defendant's motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict.

In support of its motion to waive the bond, Antilles now seeks a stay of execution pending appeal. Antilles argues that the judgment is safe because it is insured under an insurance broker's errors and omissions policy. The policy pays $2,000,000 per claim and $6,000,000 in the aggregate. It is undisputed that Antilles is a named insured under an insurance policy issued by Utica Mutual Insurance Company, an A-rated insurance company. The policy covers the judgment less a $10,000 deductible. The defendant contends that it is financially unable to satisfy this $10,000 portion of the judgment without jeopardizing the claims of other creditors.

As an alternate form of security, the defendant proposes to "post the policy" with the court. Posting the policy entails filing with the [57]*57clerk of the court a sworn statement by an officer of the insurer describing the policy and affirming that the insurer will pay the final judgment of the court to the extent of the limit of the insurance policy. This practice has been codified in various jurisdictions. See e.g., New York Civil Practice Law and Rules § 5519(b). Finally, the defendant requests that it be permitted to post a partial bond. In opposition, the Jameses argue that the defendant has failed to adequately support statements of insolvency and impending jeopardy to other creditors. The plaintiffs also argue that the insurance policy is inadequate security because it is subject to additional claims in excess of the policy's limits.

DISCUSSION

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 62(d) provides:

Stay upon appeal
When an appeal is taken the appellant by giving a supersedeas bond may obtain a stay subject to the exceptions contained in subdivision(a) of this rule. The bond may be given at or after the time of filing the notice of appeal or of procuring the order allowing the appeal as the case may be. The stay is effective when the supersedeas bond is approved by the court.

The purpose of a supersedeas bond is to secure the appellee from loss resulting from the stay of execution. Federal Prescription Service, Inc. v. American Pharmaceutical Association, 636 F.2d 755 (D.C. Cir. 1980). It is normally required "where there is some reasonable likelihood of the judgment debtor's inability or unwillingness to satisfy the judgment if affirmed on appeal and where posting adequate security is practicable." Wunschell & Small, Inc. v. United States, 554 F.Supp. 444-445 (U.S.Cl.Ct. 1983). While the amount and conditions of the supersedeas bond are not specified in current Rule 62(d), former Rule 73(d) directed that such a bond should include "the whole amount of the judgment remaining unsatisfied, costs on the appeal, interest, and damages for delay, unless the court after notice and hearing for good cause shown fixes a different amount or orders security other than the bond". Fed. R. Civ. P. 73(d), reprinted in 39 F.R.D. 69,128-29 (1966). Even though Rule 73(d) was abrogated when the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure were established, its standard has retained vitality. See, Federal Prescription Serv., Inc. v. American Pharmaceutical Ass'n, supra; Poplar Grove, Etc. v. Bach Halsey Stuart, supra; 9 Moore's Federal Practice Section 208.05 (2d Ed. 1980).

[58]*58Fed. R. Civ. P. 62(d) provides that an appellant who posts a supersedeas bond is entitled as a matter of right to a stay of the judgment pending appeal. Wunschell & Small, Inc. v. United States, supra. This rule,' however, does not preclude a court from issuing an unsecured stay, requiring a partial bond, or some other form of security. Miami International Realty Co. v. Paynter, 807 F.2d 871 (10th Cir. 1986). Courts have inherent discretionary power in setting supersedeas bonds. Miami International Realty Co. v. Paynter, supra. The Seventh Circuit has held that an appellant must post a bond "if he wants an automatic stay, but not if he is content to throw himself on the district court's discretion". Northern Indiana Pub. Serv. Co. v. Carbon County Coal, 799 F.2d 265 (7th Cir. 1986). In Texaco, Inc. v. Penzoil Company, 784 F.2d 1133 (2d Cir. 1986), the Second Circuit noted that "no bond or a reduced bond would suffice when the [judgment] creditor's interest, due to unusual circumstances, would not be unduly endangered." Various cases have outlined the contours of a court's discretion. An appellant must objectively demonstrate that posting a full supersedeas bond is impossible or impractical and propose a plan that will provide adequate security for appellee. United States v. Kurtz, 528 F.Supp. 1113 (E.D.Pa. 1981). Waiver or modification of the supersedeas bond requirement must not impair the appellee's ability to collect its judgment if the award is affirmed. Wunschell & Small, Inc v. United States, supra.

In In re Oil Spill by the Amoco Cardiz, 744 F.Supp. 848 (N.D.Ill. 1990), several defendants brought motions to stay execution of judgments pending appeal. The court considered five factors in determining whether to waive the supersedeas bond requirement: (1) the complexity of the collection process; (2) the amount of time required to obtain a judgment after it is affirmed on appeal; (3) the degree of confidence that the district court has in the availability of funds to pay the judgment; (4) whether the defendant's ability to pay the judgment is so plain that the cost of a bond would be a waste of money; and (5) whether the defendant is in such a precarious financial situation that the requirement to post a bond would place other creditors of the defendant in an insecure position.

While Amoco earned more than 42 times its total judgment liability, France had a $100,000,000 judgment against which its $35,862.52 judgment could be offset.

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Bluebook (online)
27 V.I. 55, 1992 WL 12729437, 1992 V.I. LEXIS 43, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/james-v-antilles-insurance-virginislands-1992.