Michelle Latray as Receiver of the Assets of Clifton Boatright for the Benefit of Judgment Creditors W.L. Roberts, Dana Roberts, Erin Leigh Roberts, and Katelyn Robert Gonzales v. Colony Insurance Company D/B/A Colony Specialty Insurance Co.

Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided January 11, 2021·No. 07-19-00350-CV·Published

Opinion

In The

Court of Appeals

Seventh District of Texas at Amarillo

No. 07-19-00350-CV

MICHELLE LATRAY AS RECEIVER OF THE ASSETS OF CLIFTON BOATRIGHT FOR THE BENEFIT OF JUDGMENT CREDITORS W.L. ROBERTS, DANA ROBERTS, ERIN LEIGH ROBERTS, AND KATELYN ROBERTS GONZALES, APPELLANT

V.

COLONY INSURANCE COMPANY

D/B/A COLONY SPECIALTY INSURANCE CO., APPELLEE

On Appeal from the 77th District Court Limestone County, Texas

Trial Court No. 31,528-A; Honorable Patrick Simmons, Presiding

January 11, 2021

MEMORANDUM OPINION

Before PIRTLE, PARKER, and DOSS, JJ.

Appellant, Michelle Latray, acting as a receiver on behalf of certain judgment creditors, appeals the trial court’s rendition of summary judgment in favor of Appellee, Colony Insurance Company d/b/a Colony Specialty Insurance Company (hereinafter “Colony”). Latray also appeals the trial court’s denial of her motion for partial summary judgment. Through her appeal, Latray argues the trial court erred in its rulings because Colony had both the duty to defend and the duty to indemnify her judgment debtor, Clifton

Boatright, and that none of the policy exclusions asserted by Colony were applicable. We will affirm the judgment of the trial court.

BACKGROUND

This appeal arises from an insurance coverage dispute stemming from Boatright’s dumping of debris onto property owned by W.L. Roberts and others. The City of Kosse hired Boatright to demolish the town’s old high school. Their agreement included Boatright’s removal and disposal of the debris resulting from the demolition. Their agreement also required Boatright to obtain a policy of liability insurance prior to the commencement of demolition. An agent for Colony issued a policy covering the planned operations.

David Garrett, a friend of Boatright’s and a long-time tenant 1 on the Roberts’

property, asked Boatright if he could take some of the debris to use for purposes of erosion control. According to Boatright, he mistakenly believed the property on which Garrett wished to place the debris belonged to Garrett when, in fact, the property belonged to the Robertses. Neither Garrett nor Boatright sought the Roberts’ permission before placing the debris on the property.

Thereafter, Garrett and Boatright took debris 2 from the demolition site and placed it on the Roberts’ property. At times, Boatright borrowed his mother’s dump truck to move larger loads of the debris to the property. By the end of the project, Garrett and Boatright

1 Boatright testified Garrett had lived at that home where the debris was deposited for “nearly twenty years.”

2 The debris included brick and metal rebar.

had placed forty tons of debris on the Roberts’ property. When W.L. Roberts discovered the debris on his property, he filed suit against Boatright and others for illegal dumping and damage to his land. 3 Roberts subsequently obtained a judgment against Boatright for $50,000, plus $309 in court costs. After the judgment became final, the court also issued a Turnover Order pursuant to section 31.002 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, appointing Latray as a receiver, to take possession of non-exempt property for the purpose of liquidating that property for the benefit of Boatright’s judgment creditors. See TEX. CIV. PRAC. & REM. CODE ANN. § 31.002 (West 2020).

As required by his demolition contract, prior to the commencement of demolition, Boatright obtained a liability insurance policy issued by Colony. After the judgment against Boatright was returned and the Turnover Order was issued, Latray sought relief under the insurance policy issued to Boatright by Colony. When Colony denied that coverage, Latray filed this suit against Colony for breach of contract, violation of the Deceptive Trade Practices Act (“DTPA”), 4 violation of section 541 of the Texas Insurance Code, 5 and breach of the common law duty of good faith and fair dealing. Colony argued that because Boatright’s actions were intentional, the policy did not cover Boatright’s acts and thus, it had no duty to defend nor indemnify. Colony filed an amended traditional motion for summary judgment on that basis. Latray also filed a motion for partial summary judgment arguing Colony owed Boatright a duty to defend as a matter of law because, although the conduct was intentional, the alleged negligence was “accidental” because

3 W.L. Roberts alleged damages including property damage, cleanup costs, debris removal costs,

soil testing, soil analysis, environmental studies, and attorney’s fees.

4 TEX. BUS. & COM. CODE ANN. § 17.46 (West 2020).

5 TEX. INS. CODE ANN. §§ 541.051-541.061 (West 2009).

Boatright was operating under the misconception that he had authority to dump the debris on the Roberts’ property. The trial court granted Colony’s motion for summary judgment and denied Latray’s motion for partial summary judgment.

On appeal, Latray contends the trial court erred in granting Colony’s motion for summary judgment and in denying her motion for partial summary judgment because the acts of Boatright and Garrett were negligent in nature, not intentional, and thus the policy provided coverage. Latray argues that the issue is whether Boatright’s intentional acts of taking the debris to the Roberts’ property and leaving it where Garrett directed constituted an “occurrence” under the insurance policy. Colony contends those acts do not and thus, there was no coverage under the policy and the trial court did not err in its rulings.

ANALYSIS STANDARD OF REVIEW We review a trial court’s ruling on a summary judgment motion under a de novo standard of review. Valence Operating Co. v. Dorsett, 164 S.W.3d 656, 661 (Tex. 2005); Provident Life & Accident Ins. Co. v. Knott, 128 S.W.3d 211, 215 (Tex. 2003). In conducting our review, we take as true all evidence favorable to the nonmovant, and we indulge every reasonable inference and resolve any doubts in the nonmovant’s favor. Valence Operating Co., 164 S.W.3d at 661; Knott, 128 S.W.3d at 215.

A party-defendant moving for traditional summary judgment bears the burden of proving that no genuine issue of material fact exists on at least one essential element of the plaintiff’s cause of action and that it is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Mejia- Rosa v. John Moore Servs., No. 01-17-00955-CV, 2019 Tex. App. LEXIS 6405, at *11-

13 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] July 25, 2019, no pet.) (mem. op.) (citing TEX. R. CIV. P. 166a(c); Lightning Oil Co. v. Anadarko E&P Onshore, LLC, 520 S.W.3d 39, 45 (Tex. 2017)). In that regard, a matter is conclusively established if reasonable people could not differ as to the conclusions to be drawn from the evidence. Mejia-Rosa, 2019 Tex. App. LEXIS 6405, at *12 (citing City of Keller v. Wilson, 168 S.W.3d 802, 816 (Tex. 2005)). If the movant meets its burden, the burden then shifts to the nonmovant to raise a fact issue precluding summary judgment. Mejia-Rosa, 2019 Tex. App. LEXIS 6405, at *12 (citing Centeq Realty, Inc. v. Siegler, 899 S.W.2d 195, 197 (Tex. 1995)).

When, as here, parties file cross-motions for summary judgment, each party in support of its motion necessarily takes the position that there is no genuine issue of fact in the case and that it is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. SW Bell Tel. Co. v. Combs, 270 S.W.3d 249, 259-60 (Tex. App.—Amarillo Oct. 28, 2008, pet. denied) (citing City of Pflugerville v. Capital Metro. Transp. Auth., 123 S.W.3d 106, 109 (Tex. App.— Austin 2003, pet. denied)). When both parties move for summary judgment on the same issues and the trial court grants one motion and denies the other, the reviewing court considers the summary judgment evidence presented by both sides and determines all questions presented. Combs, 270 S.W.3d at 260 (citing Valence Operating Co., 164 S.W.3d at 661; Comm’rs Court of Titus County v. Agan, 940 S.W.2d 77, 81 (Tex. 1997)).

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Michelle Latray as Receiver of the Assets of Clifton Boatright for the Benefit of Judgment Creditors W.L. Roberts, Dana Roberts, Erin Leigh Roberts, and Katelyn Robert Gonzales v. Colony Insurance Company D/B/A Colony Specialty Insurance Co., (Tex. Ct. App. 2021).

Michelle Latray as Receiver of the Assets of Clifton Boatright for the Benefit of Judgment Creditors W.L. Roberts, Dana Roberts, Erin Leigh Roberts, and Katelyn Robert Gonzales v. Colony Insurance Company D/B/A Colony Specialty Insurance Co. (Michelle Latray as Receiver of the Assets of Clifton Boatright for the Benefit of Judgment Creditors W.L. Roberts, Dana Roberts, Erin Leigh Roberts, and Katelyn Robert Gonzales v. Colony Insurance Company D/B/A Colony Specialty Insurance Co.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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