LEDCOR INDUSTRIES v. Mutual of Enumclaw Ins. Co.

206 P.3d 1255
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedMay 4, 2009
Docket59705-1-I
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 206 P.3d 1255 (LEDCOR INDUSTRIES v. Mutual of Enumclaw Ins. Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
LEDCOR INDUSTRIES v. Mutual of Enumclaw Ins. Co., 206 P.3d 1255 (Wash. Ct. App. 2009).

Opinion

206 P.3d 1255 (2009)

LEDCOR INDUSTRIES (USA), INC., f/k/a Ledcor Industries, Inc., a Washington corporation, Appellant/Cross Respondent,
v.
MUTUAL OF ENUMCLAW INSURANCE COMPANY, a Washington corporation, Respondent/Cross Appellant,
The Ohio Casualty Insurance Company, an Ohio corporation; Safeco Insurance Company of America, a Washington corporation; Canal Indemnity Company, a South Carolina corporation; and Maryland Casualty Company, a Maryland corporation, Respondents.

No. 59705-1-I.

Court of Appeals of Washington, Division 1.

May 4, 2009.

*1258 David Michael Jacobi, Wilson Smith Cochran Dickerson, Seattle, WA, for Amicus Curiae National Fire & Marine Ins. Co.

Richard Lawrence Martens, Scott Allen Samuelson, Barbara L. Bollero, Martens & Associates PS, Seattle, WA, for Appellant/Cross-Respondent.

James Morton Beecher, David R. Collins, Patrick Evans Trompeter, Law Offices of Hackett, Beecher, & Hart, Seattle, WA, for Respondent/Cross-Appellant

ELLINGTON, J.

¶ 1 Ledcor Industries (USA), Inc. sued Mutual of Enumclaw (MOE) alleging that because MOE failed to promptly accept Ledcor's tender of defense as an additional insured on its subcontractor's policy and failed to investigate or indemnify Ledcor, MOE was liable for bad faith, breach of contract, and violations of the Consumer Protection Act, chapter 19.86 RCW (CPA). The court found bad faith and violations of the CPA, but awarded damages only for breach of contract. We affirm.

BACKGROUND

¶ 2 Ledcor was the general contractor for a 25-building condominium development in Bellevue. Ledcor subcontracted with Zanetti Custom Exteriors to install siding on Phase I of the project.

¶ 3 Though Ledcor maintained its own insurance policies, it intended to use its subcontractors' policies as its primary insurance, and required all subcontractors to maintain general commercial liability (CGL) coverage and to include Ledcor as an additional insured *1259 on their policies. MOE was Zanetti's CGL carrier.

¶ 4 Serious problems arose with the condominium project. The homeowners' association sued the developer, who sued Ledcor by way of a third-party claim in March 2002. Ledcor tendered its defense to its own carriers, who retained counsel and began work.

¶ 5 Through the attorney appointed by Ledcor's insurers, Ledcor tendered its defense to Zanetti and other subcontractors in August 2002. Zanetti forwarded the tender to MOE in September 2002. MOE responded to Ledcor's attorney on the same day, requesting details about Zanetti's work on the project.

¶ 6 Ledcor's attorney sent MOE a copy of the Ledcor-Zanetti contract and documents establishing MOE's coverage as an additional insured under Zanetti's policy, offered to make additional copies of certain materials he had already provided, and suggested MOE ask its insured Zanetti for the rest of the information, saying that if Zanetti could not provide the requested materials, "I have 34 banker's boxes of material that I will allow you to review at any mutually agreeable time and date. I will not, however, perform your investigation for you."[1]

¶ 7 In March 2003, Ledcor filed a fourth-party complaint against Zanetti and other subcontractors. MOE accepted Zanetti's tender and defended it against Ledcor.

¶ 8 In October 2003, MOE accepted Ledcor's tender subject to a reservation of rights. MOE stated it would appoint a lawyer or share the cost of a lawyer appointed by one of Ledcor's other insurance companies. Ledcor did not respond. MOE did not appoint a lawyer or request billings until the instant litigation began.

¶ 9 A preliminary agreement to settle the underlying litigation with the homeowners association for $1.25 million was reached in February 2004 and finalized in March. Ledcor paid $105,000 toward the settlement, which was otherwise funded by its own insurers. The settlement was found reasonable in November 2005. MOE had notice but did not attend the mediations or participate in the reasonableness hearing.

¶ 10 Ledcor settled its fourth-party lawsuit against Zanetti for $236,000, which MOE paid. Ledcor then brought this action against MOE in February 2006. After a three day bench trial, the court issued an initial judgment in February 2007.

¶ 11 The court found MOE had acted in bad faith and breached its contractual duty to defend Ledcor, and awarded Ledcor $101,873.02 (plus prejudgment interest) for MOE's unpaid defense obligation. The court further concluded MOE's bad faith and its violation of an insurance regulation constituted a violation of the CPA. Initially, the court awarded $10,000 in treble damages. After reviewing Ledcor's fee petition, however, the court withdrew the award, explaining that its CPA award was "plain error" because Ledcor had proven no harm resulting from the CPA violations.[2] Because Ledcor was not injured, the court ruled Ledcor was also not entitled to CPA attorney fees.

¶ 12 The court also ruled that MOE had satisfied its duty to indemnify Ledcor by funding the $236,000 settlement between Ledcor and Zanetti. Applying that offset, the court awarded nothing on Ledcor's indemnification claim. The court also denied Ledcor's motion for fees under Olympic Steamship Co. v. Centennial Insurance Co.[3]

¶ 13 The court entered a second amended final judgment in April 2007, certifying the judgment as final under Civil Rule (CR) 54(b). Ledcor appeals and MOE cross-appeals.

DISCUSSION

Bad Faith

¶ 14 MOE challenges the court's conclusion that it breached its duty of good faith and fair dealing by "failing to aggressively defend Ledcor or protect Ledcor's interests."[4]*1260 The usual standard of review for the court's findings of fact and conclusions of law applies.[5]

¶ 15 The court's conclusion is based upon its findings that MOE failed to promptly respond to Ledcor's tender of defense and "did not appoint counsel and did not contribute any defense or indemnity funds towards the substantial fees and costs incurred by Ledcor in defending and resolving the claims... arising out of Zanetti's work."[6] The court also found that once it accepted tender, MOE failed to assign a separate claims adjuster, open a separate file, or set up separate reserves for Ledcor's claims. Additionally, MOE did not request copies of defense cost billings and failed explain what efforts it made to ensure it honored its obligation to defend Ledcor.

¶ 16 Under Tank v. State Farm Fire and Casualty Co.,[7] an insurer defending under a reservation of rights has an enhanced obligation. In addition to the basic duties of good faith, fair dealing, and equal consideration for the insured's interests, the insurer must satisfy four criteria: (1) thoroughly investigate the claim; (2) retain competent defense counsel loyal only to the insured; (3) fully inform the insured of the reservation-of-rights defense and the progress of the lawsuit; and (4) refrain from putting the insurer's financial interests above that of the insured.[8]

¶ 17 MOE does not dispute that it failed to thoroughly investigate the claims against Ledcor or retain defense counsel. Rather, MOE contends all elements of its enhanced obligation of good faith were met "either by Mutual of Enumclaw directly or in conjunction with Ledcor's own insurers."[9] MOE provides no authority for this proposition, which we reject. The fact that Ledcor's other insurers were actively defending Ledcor's interests does not relieve MOE of its duties, under Tank

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
206 P.3d 1255, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ledcor-industries-v-mutual-of-enumclaw-ins-co-washctapp-2009.