Nationwide Mutual Fire Ins. Co. v. Kasey McDermott

603 F. App'x 374
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
DecidedFebruary 24, 2015
Docket14-1623
StatusUnpublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 603 F. App'x 374 (Nationwide Mutual Fire Ins. Co. v. Kasey McDermott) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Nationwide Mutual Fire Ins. Co. v. Kasey McDermott, 603 F. App'x 374 (6th Cir. 2015).

Opinion

ROGERS, Circuit Judge.

This case involves a dispute about whether defendant-appellant Kasey McDermott’s Nationwide Homeowner Policy covers her for fire loss caused by the intentional acts of a co-insured. On January 13, 2012, McDermott’s then-husband, Brien Mathews, accidentally started a fire — while manufacturing and smoking marijuana in their basement — that burned down their home. McDermott’s insurer, Nationwide Mutual Fire Insurance Company, paid McDermott $160,209.50 for the loss. After learning that Mathews’ mari *375 juana lab caused the fire, however, Nationwide challenged its liability through a declaratory action filed in district court. Following discovery, the district court held: (1) that the policy did not cover McDermott’s loss; and (2) that Nationwide was entitled to subrogation for payments made to McDermott following the fire before it learned of the fire’s cause. On appeal, McDermott challenges the denial of her insurance coverage and her liability to Nationwide for payments made. Because McDermott failed to notify Nationwide of a change in use of her residence, namely that Mathews had set up a marijuana growing operation in the basement of her home, McDermott cannot recover under the terms of the policy, and Nationwide is entitled to subrogation.

In September 2005, McDermott purchased the residence located at 202 South Woodbridge Street in Bay City, Michigan, obtained a mortgage through Chase, and entered into a homeowner-insurance agreement with Nationwide. The insurance policy, which had been renewed annually, was in full force and effect on January 13, 2012, the date of the fire.

In 2010, Brien Mathews, McDermott’s then-husband, became a licensed .medical marijuana patient and caregiver pursuant to M.C.L. § 333.26421 et seq. After obtaining his “registry identification card,” Mathews worked “up to eight hours a day” to operate and expand his marijuana operation, an operation that, at the time of the fire, served four patients, including himself. From 2010 to 2012, Mathews spent upwards of $20,000 on lab equipment, purchasing dirt, fertilizer, and “[tjons of lighting.” The operation took place almost' exclusively in two rooms in the basement of McDermott’s home, though occasionally Mathews stored marijuana in the garage.

After Mathews began growing and distributing marijuana, he learned of a process known as “butane extraction,” 1 which involves drawing liquid butane through chopped marijuana leaves to extract THC 2 and produce “honey oil,” a THC-rich substance users smoke. Honey oil would sell for four to eight times as much as marijuana. Mathews understood that butane extraction was risky, because “butane was highly flammable.” He knew that he “didn’t want to have any source of ignition around the butane.” He also knew “not to smoke” when he was using butane, and to keep it away from “open flame” and “any object that sparks.”

On January 13, 2012 — the day of the fire — Mathews was performing butane extractions when a flame he had lit to smoke some of. the honey oil ignited butane that had not yet evaporated. The resulting fire consumed the house and most of their possessions. Though McDermott knew that Mathews had been growing marijuana in the basement, she claims that she did *376 not know about the butane extractions or-that butane was flammable.

At the time of the fire in January 2012, McDermott had a Nationwide Homeowner Policy that provided coverage for “accidental direct physical loss to [the] property5’ described therein. The policy specified which types of losses were not covered, such as those caused by an intentional act of the insured or those “occurring while hazard [was] increased by a means within the control and knowledge of an insured.” Further, in a Michigan Amendatory Endorsement to the policy, Nationwide informed McDermott that she had “a duty to notify [Nationwide] as soon as possible of any change which may affect the premium risk under th[e] policy,” including “changes ... in the occupancy or use of the residence premises.” Nationwide reserved the right to

void this policy, deny coverage under this policy, or at [Nationwide’s] election, assert any other remedy available under applicable law, if [McDermott], or any other insured person seeking coverage under this policy, knowingly or unknowingly concealed, misrepresented or omitted any material fact or engaged in fraudulent conduct at the time the application was made or at any time during the policy period.

Should Nationwide void McDermott’s policy under this clause, McDermott would have to reimburse Nationwide for any claim payments previously made.

After the January 2012 fire, McDermott filed a claim for coverage. Nationwide issued checks totaling $160,209.50 to pay for McDermott’s losses and to provide for temporary accommodations. However, once investigators discovered that Mathews had been “operating an illegal marijuana and THC manufacturing facility in the basement” and had started the fire while performing butane extractions, Nationwide informed McDermott that her claim was not covered under the policy.

Nationwide subsequently sought relief in district court, requesting that the district court issue a declaration “that [Nationwide] has no duty to provide coverage to Kasey McDermott” pursuant to the policy, and a judgment against McDermott in the amount of $160,209.50 for payments already rendered on her behalf. McDer-mott, in response, alleged that Nationwide breached the parties’ insurance contract and violated Michigan’s fire insurance policies, Mich. Comp. Laws § 500.2883, by failing to cover her claims.

On March 29, 2013, Nationwide filed a motion for summary judgment. The district court, in two separate opinions, granted Nationwide’s motion, finding that: (1) the policy did not cover McDermott’s losses because the fire was not an accident, and, in any event, McDermott was barred from recovery under the Increased Hazard exclusion; and (2) as a result, Nationwide was entitled to subrogation in the amount of $139,841.04 for payments made on McDermott’s behalf. On this appeal, McDermott challenges the district court’s ruling, arguing that, as an innocent co-insured under Michigan law, she is entitled to recover under the policy despite her then-husband’s conduct, and should not be “required to reimburse Nationwide.” In response, Nationwide offers numerous grounds for denying coverage to McDer-mott, including that: (1) the policy only covers accidental fires, and the fire started by Mathews was not accidental; (2) McDermott failed to report a change in the use of the residence premises as required by the policy; (3) the “increased hazard” exclusion bars coverage; (4) the “intentional acts” exclusion bars coverage because McDermott is not an innocent co-insured; and (5) the “Michigan wrongful conduct rule” bars coverage. However, we *377 need not reach most of Nationwide’s arguments because McDermott’s failure to report a change in the use of her residence premises independently requires affir-mance.

Because McDermott failed to notify Nationwide of the change in use of her basement — notification expressly required by the policy — the district court correctly denied coverage.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
603 F. App'x 374, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/nationwide-mutual-fire-ins-co-v-kasey-mcdermott-ca6-2015.