Lincoln National Life Insurance Co. v. McClendon

230 F. Supp. 3d 1180, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11726, 2017 WL 388795
CourtDistrict Court, C.D. California
DecidedJanuary 26, 2017
DocketCV 15-3771-RSWL-Ex
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 230 F. Supp. 3d 1180 (Lincoln National Life Insurance Co. v. McClendon) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, C.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lincoln National Life Insurance Co. v. McClendon, 230 F. Supp. 3d 1180, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11726, 2017 WL 388795 (C.D. Cal. 2017).

Opinion

ORDER re: Plaintiffs Motion for Partial Summary Judgment or in the Alternative Summary Adjudication [36]

HONORABLE RONALD S.W. LEW, Senior U.S. District Judge

Currently before the Court is Plaintiff The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company’s (“Plaintiff’) Motion for Partial Summary Judgment, or in the Alternative, Summary Adjudication (“Motion”) as to its claim for Money Had and Received against Defendant Pamela McClendon (“Defendant”) [36]. Having reviewed all papers submitted pertaining to this Motion, the Court NOW FINDS AND RULES AS FOLLOWS: The Court GRANTS Plaintiffs Motion [36],

I. BACKGROUND

A. Factual Background

Plaintiff is an Indiana corporation authorized to do business in California. Compl. ¶ 1, ECF No. 1. Defendant is the daughter of Netha McClendon, the recipient of an annuity (“the Annuitant”). Id. at ¶ 5.

On August 13,1992, Alexander Hamilton Life Insurance Company of America issued a Single Life Immediate Annuity, No. 4000073334 (“the Annuity”) to the Annuitant. Ii; Compl. Ex. 1, ECF No. 1-1. In October 1995, Jefferson Pilot Life Insur-[1183]*1183anee Company (“Jefferson”) acquired the Annuity. Id. at ¶ 6. In April 2007, after merging with Jefferson, Plaintiff acquired ownership of the Annuity and its rights/obligations. IA Starting September 20, 1992, the Annuitant would receive $3,000.00 monthly under the “Single Life Immediate Annuity—Life Only” option. Id. at ¶ 7; Compl. Ex. 1. Pursuant to the Annuity, Plaintiff would make payments “as long as the Measuring Life [the Annuitant] is living.” See Compl. ¶¶ 8, 9, Ex. 1 at 8. If the Annuitant died before all payments were made, “the remaining guaranteed payments will be paid, when due, to the Designated Beneficiary.” Id. The “Beneficiary” box on the Annuitant’s contract states: “Not Applicable.” Compl. Ex. 1.

The Annuitant died on January 6, 1998. Compl. ¶¶ 9, 10. Defendant did not inform Plaintiff of the Annuitant’s death. Id. at ¶ 13. As a result, Plaintiff made 190 monthly payments to Annuitant—who it thought was still alive—from January 1998 to October 2013, totaling $570,000. Id. at ¶¶ 10, 16. The checks were sent to the Annuitant’s last-known address, where Plaintiff alleges Defendant was living. Id. at ¶ 11. Plaintiff alleges that Defendant deposited the mistaken overpayments into her bank account. Id. Sometime in 2006, the Annuitant purportedly signed a Deed of Trust transferring her property to Defendant, even though the Annuitant had been dead for eight years. Decl. of Douglas Burdick (“Burdick Decl.”) ¶4, Ex. 2, ECF No. 36-2. On March 6, 2009, a caller identifying herself as the Annuitant allegedly called Plaintiff, provided a birth date and social security number, and requested reinstatement of payments. Id. at ¶ 7, Ex. 5, ECF No. 36-2.

Plaintiff alleges that it was unaware of the overpayments until October 2013. Compl. ¶ 16. On December 18, 2013, Plaintiff sent letters to the Annuitant’s family, informing them of the overpayments and requesting reimbursement. Id. at ¶ 17. On May 19, 2014, Defendant allegedly admitted responsibility for the overpayments, but has yet to pay any of them back. Id. at ¶¶ 18-19.

B. Procedural Background

On May 19, 2015, Plaintiff filed its Complaint, alleging the following claims: (1) Unjust Enrichment; (2) Money Had and Received; (3) Money Paid; (4) Conversion; (5) Imposition of a Constructive Trust. Compl. ¶¶ 21-23; 28-29; 35; 40; 45.

On December 21, 2016, the final day of its motion filing cut-off date, Plaintiff filed the instant Motion as to the Claim for Money Had and Received and its Separate Statement of Uncontroverted Facts and Conclusions of Law (“SUF”) [36-1]. Defendant’s Opposition was due on January 3, 2017. Defendant missed this deadline and filed an ex parte application requesting an extension of time to file the Opposition [40], The Court granted the ex parte application, allowing Defendant until 5 P.M. on January 6, 2017 to file its Opposition [42]. On January 6, Defendant filed its Opposition, Statement of Genuine Issues of Material Fact, Objections to Plaintiffs Motion, and Declarations [46, 47, 49]. Plaintiffs Reply was timely filed on January 10, 2017 [51].

II. FINDINGS OF FACT

1. The Annuitant died on January 6, 1998. Pi’s Facts ¶ 5; see Decl. of Daniel S. Imber (“Imber Deck”), Ex. 7 at 10:4-5, ECF No. 36-3.

2. The Annuity Contract provided for a monthly benefit payment of $3,000 under the Life Only option. Pl.’s Stmt, of Uncontroverted Facts (“Pl.’s Facts”) ¶ 2, ECF No. 36-1; see Decl. of Douglas Burdick (“Burdick Decl.”) ¶ 3, Ex. 1, ECF No. 36-2 (undisputed).

[1184]*11843. Between January 12, 2007 and October 14, 2013, Plaintiff issued 80 checks, $3,000 each, payable and addressed to the Annuitant, Netha McClendon. Pl.’s Facts ¶ 4; see Burdick Deck ¶ 8, Ex. 6 (undisputed).

III. DISCUSSION

A. Legal Standard

1. Motion for Summary Judgment

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56 states that a “court shall grant summary judgment” when the movant “shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a). “The party moving for summary judgment has the initial burden of proof to show “no genuine dispute as to any material fact.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a); In re Oracle Corp. Securities Litigation, 627 F.3d 376, 387 (9th Cir. 2010). “A party asserting that a fact cannot be ... genuinely disputed must support the assertion by: citing to particular materials in the record, including ... stipulations.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c)(1)(A). “In determining any motion for summary judgment ..., the Court may assume that the material facts as claimed and adequately supported by the moving party are admitted to exist without controversy except to the extent that such material facts are (a) included in the ‘Statement of Genuine Disputes’ and (b) controverted by declaration or other written evidence filed in opposition to the motion.” Local Rule 56-3.

Where the non-moving party bears the burden of proof at trial, the moving party need only prove that there is an absence of evidence to support the non-moving party’s case. In re Oracle Corp., 627 F.3d at 387. If the moving party meets this burden, the burden then shifts to the non-moving party to produce admissible evidence showing a triable issue of fact. Id.; Nissan Fire & Marine Ins. Co. v. Fritz Cos., 210 F.3d 1099, 1102-03 (9th Cir. 2000); see Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a).

2. Partial Summary Judgment

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure

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230 F. Supp. 3d 1180, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11726, 2017 WL 388795, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lincoln-national-life-insurance-co-v-mcclendon-cacd-2017.