Naghiu v. Inter-Continental Hotels Group, Inc.

165 F.R.D. 413, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2263, 1996 WL 118277
CourtDistrict Court, D. Delaware
DecidedFebruary 23, 1996
DocketCivil A. No. 94-437 MMS
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 165 F.R.D. 413 (Naghiu v. Inter-Continental Hotels Group, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Delaware primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Naghiu v. Inter-Continental Hotels Group, Inc., 165 F.R.D. 413, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2263, 1996 WL 118277 (D. Del. 1996).

Opinion

OPINION

MURRAY M. SCHWARTZ, Senior District Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

Plaintiffs Leslie and Laverne Naghiu, citizens of Virginia, have filed suit in this diversity action against the Inter-Continental Hotels Group, Inc. (“Inter-Continental” or “defendant”), a Delaware corporation. Plaintiffs aver that during Leslie Naghiu’s (“Naghiu” or “plaintiff’) stay as a guest of defendant’s hotel in Zaire, Africa in March, 1993, he was attacked in his room, causing him to suffer personal bodily injury and a loss of $146,000 in property. Laverne Naghiu claims a loss of consortium flowing from her husband’s injuries.

Inter-Continental has moved for dismissal under Rule 12(b)(6) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, arguing that plaintiff is not the real party in interest in this case as to the loss of personal property. D.I. 27. In addition, Inter-Continental has moved for summary judgment under Rule 56 on the issue of whether it is liable in tort for the events that allegedly occurred on its premises. Id

Jurisdiction is invoked pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1332. For the reasons stated below, the Court will grant defendant’s motions as to both issues.

II. FACTUAL BACKGROUND

The Court views the facts in this case, which are rich with intrigue, in the light most favorable to the plaintiffs. Naghiu, an employee of the Christian Broadcast Network, Inc. (“CBN”), serves as the director of executive protection for Dr. Pat Robertson (“Robertson”).1 Deposition of Leslie Naghiu, D.I. 31 at 10. In this capacity, Naghiu coordinates security arrangements for Robertson on his trips abroad. Id Naghiu is an employee of CBN but is not an officer or director of CBN; he has no ownership or voting control in the affairs of CBN. Id at 24-25. Naghiu’s employment with CBN is based out of Virginia Beach, Virginia. Id at 104.

In March 1993, on behalf of Robertson, Naghiu traveled to Zaire to purchase diamonds and render humanitarian aid. Id at 86-87. To that end, Naghiu estimates that he carried on his person approximately $100,-000 in cash, kept in an attaché case. Id at 77, 86. He describes the “street” environment in Zaire as follows:

There is very little street crime in Zaire. The crime in Zaire is perpetrated nine out of ten times by the military. But that doesn’t keep CBN away from performing the humanitarian tasks and the businesses that [Robertson] is there for. As CBN likes to put it, if you don’t like the heat in the kitchen you can leave.

Id at 45. Naghiu further delineated the risks of travel abroad to Zaire:

[I]t is a risk to anyone who is involved in the international arena from the standpoint of a security person. We are not talking about a security guard at the K-Mart. We are talking about someone that works the international arena and knows what the circumstances and consequences can be in a volatile continent. I am not trying to earmark Zaire. I happen to enjoy working in Zaire. What I am saying is that the continent itself, today there are 23 countries in that continent that are under military strife.

Id at 46-47. From 1992-93, Naghiu traveled numerous times to Zaire on behalf of CBN. Id at 42-43. Out of concern for Robertson’s safety and welfare, Naghiu twice recommended that Robertson not personally travel to Zaire when Naghiu perceived conditions as too dangerous. Id at 136. Roberta son followed Naghiu’s advice on those occasions. Id

As of the March, 1993 CBN expedition to Zaire, Robertson’s corporation had rendered [417]*417approximately two million dollars in humanitarian aid to that country. Id. at 164. With this legacy of prior aid, CBN’s March, 1993 return to Zaire was covered by the Zaire media, including television. Id. at 165. During all of this, Naghiu was charged with the security of the attaché case containing the money. The Robertson entourage booked its stay at defendant’s Inter-Continental Hotel Kinshasa (“hotel”), the only suitable lodging for business travelers in Kinshasa, Zaire. Id. at 48. Inter-Continental admits that it routinely advised all paying guests to give their valuables, including cash, to the hotel staff for safe-keeping. D.I. 4, ¶ 6.

Upon arrival at the Inter-Continental Kinshasa, Naghiu asked the night personnel to procure a safe deposit box for the cash. D.I. 31 at 126. The night clerk told Naghiu there were no accessible boxes available until the following morning. Id. at 138. From his vantage point at the registration desk, Naghiu could see the boxes and perceived them to be in a state of “disarray.” Id. at 131.

Naghiu claims that the following morning he again approached Inter-Continental’s front desk clerk and requested a safe deposit box, but was told to “come back later.” Id. at 143. Naghiu retained the attaché case containing the cash. Id. at 145. A short time later in his stay, Naghiu complained to the hotel’s General Manager that there were prostitutes roaming the hotel’s elevators and corridors soliciting business from the hotel’s guests. Id. at 146-48. Although he had the opportunity, Naghiu did not mention to the General Manager about his inability to obtain a safe deposit box for his valuables. Id. at 145. At some point during the CBN trip, $46,000 was added to the attaché as proceeds of a diamond transaction. Id. at 106.

On the evening of March 23, 1993, Naghiu supped at a private residence that was “... 45 minutes outside of Kinshasa in an- area where soldiers and military types have stopped vehicles, accosted foreigners and even Zaireans, manhandled them. Shot them.” Id. at 173. Consequently, as Naghiu has testified, he left the attaché case and its contents in his hotel room while he left the premises. Id at 175. He did not consider making another effort at obtaining a hotel safe deposit box. Id. Naghiu hid the attaché case behind a couch and set of heavy drapes in his hotel room on the 19th floor. Id. at 175-76.

According to Naghiu, he returned from dinner to his hotel door and used his key to enter his room. Id. at 177. He remembers now that the door appeared to have been unlocked, although it did not strike him at the time as out of the ordinary. Id. Upon gaining entry, he attempted to turn on the overhead light, without success. Id. Naghiu finally located a floor lamp that lit and then immediately witnessed a man going through his large suitcase, strSwing clothing on the floor. Id. at 179. Naghiu yelled at the man, who brandished a “long, very thin bladed Belgian sabre” and lunged at Naghiu. Id. at 180. The man missed Naghiu and instead impaled the hotel room wall, leaving “a tremendous indentation.” Id. Naghiu then claims the man assaulted him with the knife, cutting him above the ear on the left side of his head and on the right forearm. Id. at 182-83. Naghiu says he fought his assailant when another man approached from the bathroom; that is the last thing Naghiu remembers before being knocked unconscious. Id. at 185.

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Bluebook (online)
165 F.R.D. 413, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2263, 1996 WL 118277, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/naghiu-v-inter-continental-hotels-group-inc-ded-1996.