Kojsza v. Scottsdale Insurance

992 F. Supp. 2d 403, 2014 WL 198569, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5286
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedJanuary 15, 2014
DocketNo. 3:12-CV-1602
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 992 F. Supp. 2d 403 (Kojsza v. Scottsdale Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kojsza v. Scottsdale Insurance, 992 F. Supp. 2d 403, 2014 WL 198569, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5286 (M.D. Pa. 2014).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

ROBERT D. MARIANI, District Judge.

I. Introduction

Before the Court is Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment (Doc. 14) on Plaintiffs claims for breach of contract (Count I) and breach of the duty of good faith and fair dealing (Count II). For the reasons set forth below, the Court will grant the motion in part and deny it in part.

II. Undisputed Statement of Facts

Defendant, Scottsdale Insurance Company (“Scottsdale”), issued a policy of insurance to Plaintiff, Tara Kojsza, with effective dates of February 22, 2009 to February 22, 2010. (Policy, Doc. 17, Ex. A). The Policy provided up to $120,000 in coverage for personal property losses. {Id.).

On July 6, 2009, Plaintiff left her residence for a trip to Philadelphia. (Am. Comp., Doc. 5, ¶ 4; Police Report, Doc. 17, Ex. C, at 4). Plaintiff returned to her residence on July 9, 2009, at which time she discovered that a theft had occurred. (Doc. 17, Kojsza Dep., Ex. F at 14:14-15:19, Police Report at 4, Am. Comp, at ¶5). That day, Plaintiff contacted the Scranton Police Department, which reported to the property and conducted an investigation. (Police Report at 4-5; Kojsza Dep. at 25:6-28:9).

Officer Bonin completed the report and classified the break-in as “0523 burglary-no-force-residence-unk”. (Police Report at 1). Patrolman Bonin has confirmed that this classification means “this was a burglary, that there was no sign of forced entry, that it was a home, a residence, and that the time it occurred is unknown.” (Bonin Dep., Doc. 17, Ex. D, at 9:2-5). This was confirmed by Detective Spinosi, the detective on Plaintiffs case, who testified that a different abbreviation or code would have been used in the report had there been any evidence that force had been used to enter the property. (Spinosi Dep., Doc. 17, Ex. E at 14:14-15:10).

Soon thereafter, Plaintiff filed a claim with Defendant asserting loss of personal property amounting to approximately $30,000. (Semcheski Report, Doc. 17-3, Ex. B at 2). As part of Scottsdale’s in[405]*405vestigation into Plaintiffs claim, it retained Eugene Semcheski of Cunningham Lindsay to investigate the claim. (Semcheski Dep., Doe. 17, Ex. G, at 10:2-4). As part of that investigation, Mr. Semcheski interviewed Plaintiff, reviewed the police report, conducted an inspection of the property, and took photographs of the property. (Id. at 13:23-18:21). Based on his inspection, Mr. Semcheski found that there were no visible signs of forced entry into the property. Specifically, he said “[i]t was a fairly new window and there were no pry marks on it. The frame was not bent as if someone tried to force it open. The lock was not broken, glass was not broken.” (Id. at 19:17-24).

The policy of insurance issued to Plaintiff by Scottsdale provides in pertinent part;

Item 9. Theft of COVERAGE C — Personal Property of SECTION I PERILS INSURED AGAINST is deleted and replaced by the following:

9. Theft, including attempted theft and loss of property provided theft is a result of burglary and visible signs of forced entry are evidence. Mysterious disappearance will not be considered as theft. This peril does not include loss caused by theft:

(Amendatory Endorsement to Policy, Doc. 17-2, Ex. B, at 13).

Defendant denied Plaintiffs claim by letter dated August 21, 2009 and cited Mr. Semcheski’s conclusion that there were no “visible signs of forced entry” into the residence as required by the policy as the basis for its denial. (Denial Letter, Doc. 17, Ex. H).

III. Disputed Facts

Despite the above undisputed facts, there are three key facts in dispute.

First, there is a dispute as to whether there were any “visible signs” on or near the kitchen window. Patrolman Bonin testified that when he arrived at Plaintiffs home, he “couldn’t observe any break-in, there was no forced entry, no sign that force was used to get into the home.” (Bonin Dep. at 9:23-25). He also “vividly remember[ed] that there was no sign of forced entry detected at that home” by way of “a pry mark or a broken frame, a window frame, a door frame to force their way in.” (Id. at 10:3-11).

Still, he “believe[d] there was a burglary that occurred,” (id. at 12:10-13) and he described the residence as having been “ransacked when [he] got in.” (Id. at 6:20-21). Mr. Semcheski also stated he did not inspect the window lock. (Semcheski Dep. at 19:17-24, 20:2-4). Finally, Plaintiff argues that a photograph of her kitchen window shows marks along the bottom edge of the window and a deep gouge mark on the frame. (Pl.’s Counter-Statement of Facts at ¶ 33).

Second, there is a dispute as to whether Plaintiff left her kitchen window open before she left for Philadelphia on July 6, 2009, unlocked, or neither. She testified at her deposition that she did not leave it open or unlocked. (Kojsza Dep. at 31:1— 21). However, Mr. Semcheski testified that Plaintiff told him “that the double-hung kitchen window was not completely shut and locked” when she left. (Semcheski Dep. at 21:11 — 13).1

[406]*406Third, there is a dispute as to whether Plaintiffs yard gate was unlocked or broken when she returned from Philadelphia. Plaintiff claims that the lock on her gate was broken when she returned from Philadelphia. (Kojsza Dep. at 21:25) (“I don’t know how it was open — opened, but you can tell there was force on it because the lock is actually — like, a portion of the plastic fell out ____”). However, Mr. Semcheski testified that she told him it was “unlocked because of the phone call she received from her neighbor ... that her dog had gotten out and apparently ... ran up the street and bit his dog.” (Id. at 22:1-5). Mr. Semcheski did not inspect the fence or the gate’s lock, purportedly because he had not been informed of any damage to the gate or the lock. (Id. at 23:22-25).2

IV. Motion for Summary Judgment

Through summary adjudication, the court may dispose of those claims that do not present a “genuine issue as to any material fact.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a). Summary judgment “should be rendered if the pleadings, the discovery and disclosure materials on file, and any affidavits show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c); Turner v. Schering-Plough Corp., 901 F.2d 335, 340 (3d Cir. 1990). “As to materiality, ... [o]nly disputes over facts that might affect the outcome of the suit under the governing law will properly preclude the entry of summary judgment.” Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986).

The party moving for summary judgment bears the burden of showing the absence of a genuine issue as to any material fact. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett,

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992 F. Supp. 2d 403, 2014 WL 198569, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5286, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kojsza-v-scottsdale-insurance-pamd-2014.