Middleburg Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. v. McNeil & Co.

60 F. Supp. 3d 640, 85 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 206, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 159701, 2014 WL 6078594
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Virginia
DecidedNovember 13, 2014
DocketCase No. 1:14-cv-458
StatusPublished

This text of 60 F. Supp. 3d 640 (Middleburg Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. v. McNeil & Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Middleburg Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. v. McNeil & Co., 60 F. Supp. 3d 640, 85 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 206, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 159701, 2014 WL 6078594 (E.D. Va. 2014).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

T.S. ELLIS, III, District Judge.

In this removed diversity insurance coverage dispute, plaintiff alleges a breach of contract claim against defendants, asserting that defendants’ denial of coverage for the embezzlement of almost $500,000 by plaintiffs treasurer constitutes a breach of the insurance policy defendants issued to plaintiff. In response, defendants argue that coverage was properly denied on the basis of plaintiffs misrepresentation in the renewal survey (hereinafter “Renewal Survey”) submitted to defendants in support of plaintiffs request to increase the. policy’s commercial crime coverage limit from $50,000 to $250,000. Defendants also contend that they are entitled to void the Policy based on the Policy’s “Concealment, Misrepresentation Or Fraud” clause and the Policy’s “Joint Insured” clause. Finally, defendants argue that an accord and satisfaction occurred when plaintiff cashed the $50,000 check defendants submitted for the full amount of the limit of the policy in effect prior to the renewal request. At issue, therefore, on cross-motions for summary judgment, are the following 3 questions:

(1) Whether an insurance company may void an insurance policy where, as here, an officer of the insured did not disclose his ongoing embezzling activities in response to the insured’s question in the Renewal Survey as to whether there were any changes in the insured’s “operations or exposures.”
(2) Whether an insurance company may void an insurance policy based on the policy clause that allows the insurance company to void a policy when the insured intentionally conceals a material fact concerning the insurance where, as here, an officer of the insured intentionally concealed his ongoing embezzling activities and a second policy clause imputed this officer’s knowledge of his embezzling activities to the insured.
(3) Whether an accord and satisfaction occurred where, as here, the insurance company sent the insured a letter and a $50,000 check indicating that the check was for the full amount of the insurance policy’s pre-fraud limits, and the insured subsequently cashed the check without protest and then remained silent for a year-and-a-half before contesting defendants’ coverage position.

I.

The material facts are essentially undis[643]*643puted and may be succinctly stated.1

• Plaintiff Middleburg Volunteer Fire Department Inc. (“Middleburg”) is a volunteer organization dedicated to fighting fires in Middleburg, Virginia. Defendant McNeil & Company Inc. (“McNeil”) is a New York Corporation that provides insurance programs and risk management services for emergency service organizations and other specialty markets nationwide. Defendant Arch Insurance Company (“Arch”) is a Missouri corporation that is a leading insurer in the United States, and McNeil underwrites policies for Arch that fall within the parameters of McNeil’s underwriting authority from Arch.2
• Defendants issued an insurance policy to Middleburg with policy number MEPK07344305 (hereinafter “the Policy”) containing commercial crime coverage for up to $50,000.
• As relevant here, ¶ E(l)(b) of the Policy’s Commercial Crime Coverage form (hereinafter “¶ E(l)(b)”) states: [t]his insurance is void in any case of fraud by you as it relates to this insurance at any time. It is also void if you or any other insured, at any time, intentionally conceal or misrepresent a material fact concerning:
(1) This insurance;
(2) The property covered under this insurance;
(3) Your interest in this insurance; or
(4) A claim under this insurance.
• Also pertinent here, ¶ E(l)(h) of the Policy’s Commercial Crime Coverage form (hereinafter ‘VE(l)(h)”) reads: “[if] any insured, or partner, ‘member’ or officer of that insured has knowledge of any information relevant to this insurance, that knowledge is considered knowledge of every [i]nsured.”
• On November 17, 2006, Paul Draisey, who was then an employee of the Independent Insurance Center, wrote a letter to McNeil proposing that McNeil add Middleburg as a potential insurance client. In the letter, Draisey explained that Middleburg was in his hometown, and that he had been approached about joining Middleburg as an administrative member to provide assistance in public relations and fundraising. McNeil accepted Drais-ey’s proposal and added Middleburg as a client. McNeil then issued the Policy to Middleburg, which contained $50,000 in commercial crime coverage. Shortly thereafter, Draisey formed his own company, the Draisey Insurance Agency, which then handled Middle-burg’s account.
• On January 1, 2008, Draisey became Middleburg’s treasurer, a position he held until April 16, 2012.
• It is undisputed that between April 23, 2009 and March 26, 2012, Draisey embezzled almost $500,000 from Middle-burg. It is also uncontroverted that throughout this period in which Drais-ey was embezzling money from Mid-dleburg, Middleburg’s other officers and employees were unaware of Draisey’s embezzling activities.
[644]*644• On.November 18, 2011, in the midst of his embezzling activities, Draisey, in his capacity as Middleburg’s treasurer, filled out the Renewal Survey for the policy period from December 11, 2011 to December 11, 2012. One of the questions in the Renewal Survey was “whether there were any changes in the operations or exposures of the organization.” Draisey responded “Yes-See -Agent Notes.” In the Agent Notes section, Draisey requested an increase in the Policy’s commercial crime coverage limit from $50,000 to $250,000, but did not disclose that he was embezzling money from Mid-dleburg. Draisey signed the Renewal Survey affirming that his answers were “true, accurate, and complete” to the “best of [his] knowledge and belief.” Defendants granted Draisey’s request to increase the Policy’s commercial crime coverage limit from $50,000 to $250,000.
• In the spring of 2012, well after. Draisey’s submission of the Renewal Survey and the increase of the Policy’s commercial crime coverage limit to $250,000, Middleburg employees began to suspect irregularities in Draisey’s handling of Middleburg’s finances. Subsequently, on April 16, 2012, Draisey took his own life. Shortly before his death, Draisey sent an email to Middleburg’s President, Bruce Gilbert, and Middleburg’s Rescue Chief, Alice Love, stating in relevant part: “[t]here is a note with in- ■ formation on getting the $250k in coverage for my acts.”
• Following Draisey’s death, Middleburg submitted a claim for the Policy’s commercial crime coverage limit, which was then $250,000.
• On June 4, 2012, defendants responded to Middleburg’s claim for coverage by letter, stating:
While the Department cannot profit by Draisey’s false statements to Arch, Arch has elected to rescind the increased limits sought by Draisey rather than void the [Pjolicy. Under the circumstances, the full amount of the pre-fraud limits of $50,000.00 would be available to the Department. Arch has therefore enclosed a check for these policy limits.

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Bluebook (online)
60 F. Supp. 3d 640, 85 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 206, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 159701, 2014 WL 6078594, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/middleburg-volunteer-fire-department-inc-v-mcneil-co-vaed-2014.