Marble Bridge Funding Group, Inc. v. Euler Hermes American Credit Indemnity Co.

225 F. Supp. 3d 1034, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 167776, 2016 WL 7034050
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. California
DecidedDecember 2, 2016
DocketCase No. 5:12-cv-02729-EJD
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 225 F. Supp. 3d 1034 (Marble Bridge Funding Group, Inc. v. Euler Hermes American Credit Indemnity Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Marble Bridge Funding Group, Inc. v. Euler Hermes American Credit Indemnity Co., 225 F. Supp. 3d 1034, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 167776, 2016 WL 7034050 (N.D. Cal. 2016).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING IN PART DEFENDANT’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

EDWARD J. DAVILA, United States District Judge

This case stems from a type of commercial financing known as “factoring” and the variety of insurance unique to that industry. Plaintiff Marble Bridge Funding Group (“MBFG”) is a “factor,” or a company that provides accounts receivable financing to growing businesses that sell their products or services to other businesses. First Am. Compl. (“FAC”), Dkt No. 176, at ¶ 3. Defendant Euler Hermes American Credit Indemnity Company (“Euler”) sells credit or trade insurance, which is “purchased by sellers of goods or services to insure their accounts receivea-ble should the debtors on ther receiveables fail to pay.” Id. at ¶ 4.

MBFG alleges in this action that it was induced by Euler to purchase accounts receivable invoices from another business, Nature’s Own, Inc. or Nature’s Own Pharmacy LLC (“Nature’s Own”).1 Nature’s Own turned out to be a fraud, and Euler, who had insured Nature’s Own accounts receivable, did not pay MBFG’s claims on the policy once the scheme was discovered.

Federal jurisdiction arises pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1332. Presently before the court is Euler’s Motion for Summary Judgment, which MBFG opposes. Dkt. No. 218. Having now carefully considered the parties’ arguments, the court finds that most but not all of Euler’s arguments are meritorious. Thus, the motion will be granted in part and denied in part for the reasons explained below.

I. BACKGROUND

The basic facts are either undisputed or not reasonably disputed. Euler is a Maryland insurance company licensed to do business in California. Decl. of Deborah L. Stuehrmann (“Stuehrmann Deck”), Dkt. No. 219, at ¶2. MBFG is a commercial finance company which, as noted, provides its clients with accounts receivable funding. Id. at Ex. J. Commencing on November 1, 2010, Nature’s Own had a credit insurance policy with Euler designated as a “Domestic Markets Business Credit Insurance Policy.” Id. at Ex. D. The original policy was designated as Policy No. 5033862 (the “First Policy”), and was renewed on November 1, 2011, as Policy No, 5041669 (the “Second Policy”). Id. The terms of First Policy and the Second Policy are nearly identical. Id.

A. The Terms of the First and Second Policies

Under the Policies, Euler agreed to provide Nature’s Own “insurance against covered credit losses ... in return for the [1037]*1037Premium and [Nature’s Own’s] compliance .Id. The types of losses covered were further described as follows:

Subject to terms and conditions of this Policy, [Euler] will cover [Nature’s Own] against credit losses due to the non-payment of amounts due from a covered Buyer for Shipments of Covered Products made by [Nature’s Own] during the Policy Period, on terms no longer than the Maximum Terms of Sale and which were invoiced in U.S. or Canadian dollars.
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Credit losses covered under this Policy are:
1. The insolvency of a covered Buyer, or
2. The Protected Default due to slow payment of a covered Buyer.

Id.

A “Buyer,” or a customer of the insured, was defined in the Policies as “a legal entity and its branch offices, trade styles or divisions, if any, which is domiciled in the United States (including Puerto Rico) or Canada and is approved for coverage under the Policy,” but “does not include subsidiaries or affiliated corporations, which are separate legal entities.” Id. “Covered Products” were defined as “the products and/or services, including associated labor and service costs, described in the Declaration.” Id. Specific to the Nature’s Own Policy, “Covered Products” were specified in the Declaration as “Pharm Prods/Natural/Organic/Environ Prodts.” Id.

The Policies’ terms make plain that coverage is contingent on “Shipments of Covered Products.” Id. This phrase was defined as “Covered Products which are Dispatched by [Nature’s Own] and Delivered to a Buyer.” Id. “Dispatched” means “the point in time when Covered Products leave [Nature’s Own’s] control,” and “Delivery” means “the point in time when legal title to and the risk of loss of the Covered Products is transferred to the Buyer and the Covered Products have left [Nature’s Own] custody and physical control.” Id.

B. MBFG’s Involvement with Nature’s Own and the Policies

On June 22, 2011, MBFG entered into a Receivables Purchase Agreement “in which [MBFG] purchased certain accounts receivable of Nature’s Own....” FAC, at ¶ 75. Thereafter, on or about July 3, 2011,2 Nature’s Own requested the issuance of an endorsement to the First Policy in order to make MBFG a beneficiary. Stuehrmann Decl., at Ex. D. This was accomplished through a document entitled “Bank/Lender Policy Beneficiary Endorsement,” (the “Endorsement”) which in essence granted MBFG the same rights under the First Policy that Nature’s Own would receive absent the beneficiary designation. Id. As relevant to this case, the Endorsement permitted MBFG to file a claim against the First Policy and was entitled to receive any loss payments that would otherwise be payable to Nature’s Own. Id. Furthermore, the Endorsement would remain in effect through any policy renewal absent a written release. Id.

The sole member of Nature’s Own was an individual named Richard Wallace. Nature’s Own also purported to have an account manager named Anette Zimmerman, who completed and signed the credit insurance policy application that was submitted to Euler. Id. Nature’s Own, however, was not a legitimate business. Indeed, “[i]t [1038]*1038turned out that seemingly normal looking invoices/accounts receivable purchased by [MBFG] were fake, printed up by Nature’s Own and ‘issued’ to ‘Buyers’ who never bought anything, in order for Nature’s Own to exact from [MBFG] substantial amounts of money.”3 Furthermore, Annette Zimmerman was not a real person; this was a “made-up name” for another individual named Marsha Kay Holloway.

C. MBFG’s Policy Claims and Ensuing Litigation

Euler cancelled the Credit Limits for many of Nature’s Own’s Buyers on February 27th and February 29, 2012. Id. at ¶ 15. On March 7, 2012, MBFG filed claims against the Second Policy for the Nature’s Own Buyers whose credit limits had been cancelled. Id. at ¶8. Euler did not pay benefits on MBFG’s claims, and notified MBFG on or about May 24, 2012, that Euler would deny coverage. Id. at ¶ 10, Ex. N.

MBFG filed an action against Nature’s Own Pharmacy LLC and its principals in this court on April 12, 2012. See Case No. 5;12-cv-01839-EJD. MBFG then commenced this action against Euler on May 29, 2012, and filed the FAC on September 12, 2014. These motions followed.

II. LEGAL STANDARD

A motion for summary judgment or partial summary judgment should be granted if “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); Addisu v.

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Bluebook (online)
225 F. Supp. 3d 1034, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 167776, 2016 WL 7034050, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/marble-bridge-funding-group-inc-v-euler-hermes-american-credit-indemnity-cand-2016.