Liberty Insurance Underwriters, Inc. v. Weitz Co.

158 P.3d 209, 215 Ariz. 80, 500 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 25, 2007 Ariz. App. LEXIS 52
CourtCourt of Appeals of Arizona
DecidedMarch 27, 2007
Docket1 CA-CV 05-0859
StatusPublished
Cited by35 cases

This text of 158 P.3d 209 (Liberty Insurance Underwriters, Inc. v. Weitz Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Arizona primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Liberty Insurance Underwriters, Inc. v. Weitz Co., 158 P.3d 209, 215 Ariz. 80, 500 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 25, 2007 Ariz. App. LEXIS 52 (Ark. Ct. App. 2007).

Opinion

OPINION

JOHNSEN, Judge.

¶ 1 Arizona law requires that certain property damage insurance policies conform to terms recited in a published form called the “Arizona Standard Fire Policy.” By statute, however, “inland marine insurance” policies are exempt from the Arizona Standard Fire Policy requirements. In this case we consider whether a builder’s risk insurance policy constitutes “inland marine insurance” and thereby is exempt from the Arizona Standard Fire Policy requirements. For the reasons that follow, we hold that the builder’s risk policy at issue is an inland marine policy within the meaning of Arizona law to which the Arizona Standard Fire Policy requirements do not apply.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

¶2 Appellant Liberty Insurance Underwriters, Inc. (“Liberty”), issued a commercial builder’s risk insurance policy in connection with the construction of four dormitories by appellee Weitz Company, LLC (“Weitz”), for Arizona State University. The policy was issued to ‘Weitz Company, LLC/Arizona State University.” By its terms, the policy was in effect from November 11, 2002 through July 11, 2003, and covered “Student Dorms” at the ASU campus on Thunderbird Road in Phoenix. The policy included three warranty endorsements that, if effective, required the insured to maintain adequate fire extinguishers on the job site, to conduct a fire watch “during all welding operations or other hot processes” and to inspect the premises for fire hazards at the end of each workday. Each warranty endorsement provided that “[fjailure to comply with this warranty will render this coverage null and void.”

¶ 3 On June 2,2003, a fire destroyed one of the dormitories while it was still under construction. After a dispute arose with Weitz regarding insurance coverage, Liberty filed a complaint for declaratory judgment. It sought an order holding that the policy did not cover the damage because Weitz had failed to abide by the terms and conditions of the three warranty endorsements. 1 Weitz answered and counterclaimed for an order that the policy covered the fire damage.

¶4 On November 23, 2004, Weitz moved for summary judgment on the complaint and counterclaim. Weitz argued that the warranty endorsements that Liberty contended barred coverage were void because they were inconsistent with the Arizona Standard Fire Policy. 2 Liberty countered that its policy was an inland marine policy exempt from the Arizona Standard Fire Policy requirements. Alternatively, Liberty argued that the warranty endorsements did not conflict with the Arizona Standard Fire Policy and were enforceable as a matter of law, or, if the warranty endorsements were unenforceable, that questions of fact remained concerning Weitz’s compliance with other policy requirements.

¶ 5 In March and June 2005, the superior court issued minute entries granting Weitz’s motion for summary judgment. Liberty filed a motion for reconsideration arguing that, at a minimum, issues of fact remained concern *83 ing whether the policy constituted inland marine insurance. 3 In support of its motion, Liberty attached an affidavit by William J. Warfel, Ph.D., CPCU, CLU, a professor of insurance and risk management at Indiana State University. 4 The superior court denied the motion for reconsideration.

¶ 6 Thereafter, the case was reassigned and a different judge considered additional filings and oral argument on Liberty’s motion for clarification. The superior court denied Liberty’s motion and entered judgment in favor of Weitz on the grounds that Liberty’s policy covered the fire damage and that the three warranty endorsements were unenforceable as a matter of law. The court awarded each defendant damages on the counterclaim and dismissed Liberty’s complaint with prejudice. 5 Liberty timely appealed.

DISCUSSION

A. General Principles of Insurance Policy Interpretation.

¶ 7 An insurance policy is a contract between the insurer and its insured. Tolifson v. Globe Am. Cas. Co., 138 Ariz. 31, 32, 672 P.2d 983, 984 (App.1983). Thus, the interpretation of an insurance contract presents questions of law, which we review de novo. State Farm Fire & Cas. Co. v. Rossini, 107 Ariz. 561, 564, 490 P.2d 567, 570 (1971); Liberty Mut. Fire Ins. Co. v. Mandile, 192 Ariz. 216, 220, 963 P.2d 295, 299 (App.1997). 6

¶ 8 Courts construe the written terms of insurance contracts to effectuate the parties’ intent, Tolifson, 138 Ariz. at 32, 672 P.2d at 984, and “to protect the reasonable expectations of the insured,” Phoenix Control Sys., Inc. v. Ins. Co. of N. Am., 165 Ariz. 31, 34, 796 P.2d 463, 466 (1990). Insurance policy provisions must be read as a whole, giving meaning to all terms. Nichols v. State Farm Fire & Cas. Co., 175 Ariz. 354, 356, 857 P.2d 406, 408 (App.1993). If the contractual language is clear, we will afford it its plain and ordinary meaning and apply it as written. Almagro v. Allstate Ins. Co., 129 Ariz. 163, 164-65, 629 P.2d 999, 1000-01 (App. 1981); Stephan v. Allstate Ins. Co., 26 Ariz. App. 367, 370, 548 P.2d 1179, 1182 (1976).

B. The Arizona Standard Fire Policy.

¶ 9 Arizona Revised Statutes (“A.R.S.”) section 20-1503 (Supp.2006) 7 provides that “[n]o policy of fire insurance covering property located in this state shall be made ... unless it conforms as to all provisions and the sequence thereof with the basic policy commonly known as the New York standard fire policy, edition of 1943.” The statute designates the New York standard form as the “Arizona standard fire policy,” A.R.S. § 20-1503(A), and provides that the director of the Arizona Department of Insurance shall maintain a copy of the standard policy on file, A.R.S. § 20-1503(C).

¶ 10 Because the warranty endorsements that Liberty contended barred coverage are not found in the Arizona Standard Fire Policy, Weitz’s motion for summary judgment argued that the warranty endorsements were invalid under Arizona law, and therefore unenforceable.

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158 P.3d 209, 215 Ariz. 80, 500 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 25, 2007 Ariz. App. LEXIS 52, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/liberty-insurance-underwriters-inc-v-weitz-co-arizctapp-2007.