Logan v. North-West Insurance Co.

724 P.2d 1059, 45 Wash. App. 95
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedAugust 22, 1986
Docket7356-1-II
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 724 P.2d 1059 (Logan v. North-West Insurance 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
Logan v. North-West Insurance Co., 724 P.2d 1059, 45 Wash. App. 95 (Wash. Ct. App. 1986).

Opinions

Alexander, J.

—Rollie Logan appeals an order of the Superior Court granting summary judgment in favor of North-West Insurance Co. (North-West) and dismissing Logan's cause of action. We affirm.

The undisputed facts of the case are as follows. On or about October 15, 1976, Logan's logging equipment, covered under an insurance policy with North-West, was destroyed by fire. Logan filed a sworn proof of loss with North-West on or about February 14, 1977. On April 4, 1977, NorthWest filed an action in the Pierce County Superior Court, in which it sought a declaration of the rights and obligations of the parties under the insurance policy. North-West alleged in its complaint that Logan had caused or arranged the fire that resulted in his loss.

A notice of appearance was filed by an attorney on behalf of Logan on April 14, 1977, but no responsive pleading was filed at that time. On October 15, 1979, the Pierce County clerk mailed a notice to Logan's attorney, informing him that the case would be dismissed in December, pursuant to CR 41(b)(2), for want of prosecution. Logan's counsel responded by filing a motion for continuance dated November 29, 1979, supported by an affidavit in which he stated that he would file an answer the "forthcoming week." Logan's motion for continuance was not noted for hearing. On December 1, 1979, no action having been taken by Logan other than the filing of the motion, a superior court judge signed an order dismissing the action without [97]*97prejudice.

After the cause of action had been dismissed, Logan's counsel filed an answer, affirmative defense, and "cross-claim" in the file of the dismissed case. In his responsive pleading, Logan prayed that North-West's complaint be dismissed and that he be given an award for "his losses under the policy." The matter was assigned a trial date of September 24, 1980, however, the matter did not proceed to trial on that date. Eventually, a superior court judge discovered, at a motion hearing, that the case had previously been dismissed and thus no action was thereafter taken in the matter.

On February 23, 1982, about 5 years and 4 months after the fire, Logan filed a complaint for damages against North-West in a new cause of action in the Pierce County Superior Court. North-West responded by filing a motion for summary judgment, claiming that Logan's complaint should be dismissed because of his failure to file his suit within 1 year of the discovery of the occurrence giving rise to the claim. The Superior Court granted the motion. Logan appeals that ruling to this court.

Logan's North-West insurance policy contained a 1-year limitation clause:

No suit, action or proceeding for the recovery of any claim under this policy shall be sustainable in any court of law or equity unless the same be commenced within twelve months next after discovery by the insured of the occurrence which gives rise to the claim,. . .

The broad issue in this case is whether, in light of these facts, the Superior Court erred in determining, as a matter of law, that the aforementioned provision foreclosed Logan's right to maintain suit against North-West. A summary judgment should be granted only when there are no genuine issues of material fact before the court and the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law. Peterson v. Pacific First Fed. Sav. & Loan Ass'n, 23 Wn. App. 688, 690, 598 P.2d 407 (1979).

A 1-year policy limitation, which requires an insured [98]*98to bring an action within 1 year of the loss, is a valid and enforceable provision. Hefner v. Great Am. Ins. Co., 126 Wash. 390, 391, 218 P. 206 (1923); Ashburn v. Safeco Ins. Co. of Am., 42 Wn. App. 692, 695, 713 P.2d 742 (1986). In order to avoid running afoul of the policy limitation, Logan needed to bring his action within 1 year of the discovery of the occurrence. He did not do that.

Logan argues, however, that the Superior Court erred in dismissing his claim, suggesting that the declaratory judgment action brought by North-West tolled the 1-year policy limitation. We reject this argument and hold that a declaratory judgment action brought by the insurer is not an action for the recovery of a claim under the 1-year limitation clause. Farmers Ins. Group v. Johnson, 43 Wn. App. 39, 45, 715 P.2d 144 (1986).1 Therefore, North-West's declaratory judgment action did not toll the 1-year policy limitation.

Logan's counterclaim (incorrectly denominated a "cross-claim") might have constituted an action for recovery of a claim under the policy. A counterclaim is not barred by the statute of limitations if the counterclaim would not have been barred by the statute of limitations at the commencement of the action in which it is pleaded. See J.R. Simplot Co. v. Vogt, 93 Wn.2d 122, 126, 605 P.2d 1267 (1980). Therefore, for purposes of tolling the policy limitation, an effective counterclaim by Logan would have related back to April 4, 1977, the date of the commencement of the original action by North-West. However, Logan's counterclaim was not effective because it was filed after the dismissal of North-West's declaratory judgment action. Hence, Logan's [99]*99counterclaim could not attach to the original action.

Under the unusual circumstances of this case, Logan's present action would have been barred by the policy limitations even if the counterclaim to the declaratory judgment proceeding had been filed before the order of dismissal in that action was entered. Where an original action is dismissed, a statute of limitations is deemed to continue to run as though the action had never been brought. Fittro v. Alcombrack, 23 Wn. App. 178, 179, 596 P.2d 665, review denied, 92 Wn.2d 1029 (1979); Gould v. Bird & Sons, Inc., 5 Wn. App. 59, 65, 485 P.2d 458, review denied, 79 Wn.2d 1009 (1971). We see no reason for a different rule in a case dealing with a policy limitation rather than a statute of limitations. Here, although North-West's original action was commenced within the 1-year time period, that action was dismissed. At the time of the dismissal on December 1, 1979, the 1-year policy limitation had effectively run as if the April 1977 action had never been brought. Logan's new cause of action, filed nearly bVz years after the discovery of the loss, was clearly barred by the 1-year policy limitation.

Logan also claims that North-West has waived the right to assert the 1-year policy limitation, or in the alternative that it is estopped from asserting the policy limitation. We find no evidence of either waiver or estoppel.

Waiver is defined as "the voluntary and intentional relinquishment or abandonment of a known right, with the insurer's full knowledge of all the facts pertaining thereto . . ." Morrissette v. Continental Life & Accident Co., 9 Wn. App. 789, 791,

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Logan v. North-West Insurance Co.
724 P.2d 1059 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 1986)

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Bluebook (online)
724 P.2d 1059, 45 Wash. App. 95, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/logan-v-north-west-insurance-co-washctapp-1986.