Key Custom Homes, Inc. v. Mid-Continent Casualty Co.

450 F. Supp. 2d 1311, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 60355
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Florida
DecidedAugust 24, 2006
Docket3:05-mj-00266
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 450 F. Supp. 2d 1311 (Key Custom Homes, Inc. v. Mid-Continent Casualty Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Key Custom Homes, Inc. v. Mid-Continent Casualty Co., 450 F. Supp. 2d 1311, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 60355 (M.D. Fla. 2006).

Opinion

ORDER

HODGES, District Judge.

This is an action for declaratory judgment concerning the rights and obligations of the parties under a written contract — a policy of insurance. The case began in state court, but was removed to this Court on the basis of diversity of citizenship. It is presently before the Court on the Parties’ cross-motions for summary judgment (Docs. 19, 35, 44), to which each side has filed a response in opposition (Docs. 26, 40, 46). 1

*1313 The central issue is whether the losses suffered by the Plaintiff resulting from a fire that completely destroyed a construction project are covered by the Defendant’s Commercial General Liability Policy. The Court finds that Florida law dictates the conclusion that the Plaintiffs claims for coverage under the insurance policy are without merit, and the Defendant’s motion for summary judgment is due to be granted.

Factual Background

The Plaintiff, Key Custom Homes, Inc. (“Key Custom”) is a Florida corporation and was the general contractor and builder for a home construction project located in Groveland, Florida (“the Groveland Project”), on land owned by the Hunt Family II, Ltd., a Florida limited partnership (“Hunt Family”). The Defendant, Mid-Continent Casualty Company (“Mid-Continent”) is a foreign insurance company authorized to do business in Florida that issued a Commercial General Liability Insurance Policy, number 04GL00519464 (the “CGL Policy”) to Key Custom on May 7, 2003. 2 The CGL Policy was in full force and effect at all relevant times. Key Custom also obtained builder’s risk insurance for the Groveland Project from Zurich North America. 3

1. The Groveland Project

The Hunt Family maintained a secure gate that controlled and restricted access to the Groveland Project between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. During normal working hours, (between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.) care, custody and control over the Groveland Project was shared by Key Custom and the Hunt Family. After normal working hours, the property was under the exclusive care, custody and control of the Hunt Family. The Hunt Family did not pay Key Custom during the construction period. Instead, both entities had agreed that Key Custom would receive a share of the profits once the house was sold to a third party and all expenses paid. In addition, Key Custom obtained at least one construction loan from the Hunt Family to pay various expenses associated with construction at the Groveland Project.

The Groveland Project was moving forward towards completion, and Key Custom anticipated that Lake County would issue a certificate of occupancy by mid-March 2004. However, on February 19, 2004 an accidental fire broke out at approximately 9:50 p.m., resulting in a total loss of the Groveland Project. At the time of the fire, the Project was worth in excess of $1.6 million. The Hunt Family has filed a lawsuit in the Circuit Court in and for Lake County, Florida, Case No.2006-CA-356, against Key Custom and its corporate officers, alleging breach of contract and seeking to recover money advanced to Key Custom to pay expenses for the Groveland Project. 4 Multiple claims have also been *1314 made against Key Custom by subcontractors and other third parties involved in the construction of the Groveland Project, seeking recovery of sums due for labor and material. Am. Complt. ¶ 17(a). 5 It is unclear whether these other claims have yet resulted in lawsuits.

Key Custom made a timely claim under its builder’s risk policy. The builder’s risk policy paid Key Custom up to the policy limits, approximately $820,000. However, the policy did not defray all the costs incurred by Key Custom from the loss of the Groveland Project. Key Custom then made a timely claim under its policy with Defendant Mid-Continent, seeking coverage “for the claims of the subject property’s owner and various third-parties, including but not limited to, subcontractors, arising from the destruction of the [Grove-land Project].” 6 Key Custom is not seeking coverage to repair the destroyed home, 7 nor does it appear that Key Custom is seeking to enforce the indemnification provisions or “duty to defend” provisions of the CGL Policy. Id. Rather, Key Custom seeks monetary compensation in the amount of approximately $1,000,000.

II. The CGL Policy

The CGL Policy covers “those sums that the insured becomes legally obligated to pay as damages because of ‘bodily injury’ or ‘property damage’ to which this insurance applies.” Section I, § l.a.

“Property Damage” is defined in relevant part as “[p]hysical 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.” See CGL Policy, Section V, § 17(a).

The CGL Policy does not cover “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,” nor does it cover “property damage” that is caused by or arises from work performed by the insured, by or any of the insured’s contractors or subcontractors. Section I, A, § 2.b„ § 2.j.

The CGL Policy does cover “insured contracts,” which include leasing agreements, licensing agreements, and “that part of any other contract or agreement pertaining to your business ... under which you assume the tort liability of another party to pay for ‘bodily injury’ or ‘property damage’ to a third person or organization.” Section V, § 9 (emphasis added). “Tort liability” is defined as “a liability that would be imposed by law in the absence of any contract or agreement.” Id., § 9.f.

The CGL Policy is considered “excess insurance” over and above any fire, extended coverage, or builder’s risk insurance policies. In other words, Key Custom was required to seek compensation from its other policies before seeking compensation from Mid-Continent. Section IY, § 4.b.(l)(a).

III. The Denial of Coverage

On August 30, 2004, Mid-Continent, while conceding that the fire was accidental, tendered a reservation of rights letter to Key Custom based upon Mid-Continent’s interpretation of various policy provisions. For example, Mid-Continent stated that the damages Key Custom claimed under the CGL Policy related to the hous *1315 ing structure, and under Florida’s Economic Loss Rule, damage to a structure under construction is only recoverable under contract law. The claim, therefore, did not fall within the Policy’s coverage.

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Bluebook (online)
450 F. Supp. 2d 1311, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 60355, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/key-custom-homes-inc-v-mid-continent-casualty-co-flmd-2006.