PENNSYLVANIA HLT. & LIFE INS. GUARANTY ASS'N v. Superior Ct.

22 Cal. App. 4th 477, 27 Cal. Rptr. 2d 507
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedFebruary 10, 1994
DocketD018453
StatusPublished

This text of 22 Cal. App. 4th 477 (PENNSYLVANIA HLT. & LIFE INS. GUARANTY ASS'N v. Superior Ct.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
PENNSYLVANIA HLT. & LIFE INS. GUARANTY ASS'N v. Superior Ct., 22 Cal. App. 4th 477, 27 Cal. Rptr. 2d 507 (Cal. Ct. App. 1994).

Opinion

22 Cal.App.4th 477 (1994)
27 Cal. Rptr.2d 507

PENNSYLVANIA HEALTH & LIFE INSURANCE GUARANTY ASSOCIATION, Petitioner,
v.
THE SUPERIOR COURT OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Respondent; KATHLEEN A. LAUGHLIN et al., Real Parties in Interest.

Docket No. D018453.

Court of Appeals of California, Fourth District, Division One.

February 10, 1994.

*479 COUNSEL

Viviano & Bradley, Elizabeth Franco Bradley and Daniel A. Martorella for Petitioner.

Lord, Bissell & Brook, Jeri Rouse Looney and C. Guerry Collins as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioner.

Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch, Gary Kennedy, Thomas R. Laube, Paul B. Wells, Gray, Cary, Ames & Frye, Terri P. Durham, Harvey, Pennington, Herting & Renneisen and James M. Brogan for Real Parties in Interest.

OPINION

NARES, J.

Plaintiff Kathleen A. Laughlin (Kathleen) brought this action against petitioner Pennsylvania Health & Life Insurance Guaranty Association (PHLIGA) and others,[1] seeking to recover as a beneficiary of her deceased husband David Laughlin's (David) life insurance policy issued by a Pennsylvania insurance company which later became insolvent. PHLIGA seeks a writ of mandate directing the respondent court to grant PHLIGA's motion to quash service of summons for lack of personal jurisdiction. Because PHLIGA does not have minimum contacts with California, did not consent to be sued in this state, and stands in a different position from its failed insurer for jurisdictional purposes, California cannot constitutionally exercise jurisdiction over PHLIGA. We therefore grant the petition.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

In 1983, the Life Assurance Company of Pennsylvania (LACOP) issued a $100,000 life insurance policy to David, a California resident. From 1985 through January 1991, David paid his monthly premiums through an automatic bank draft, by which the payments were automatically withdrawn from his California checking account. In January 1991, LACOP became insolvent. Pursuant to the Pennsylvania Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association Act (40 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 1801 et seq.) (Pennsylvania Act),[2] PHLIGA assumed LACOP's obligations with respect to certain policies, including David's policy, pending PHLIGA's transferring the obligations to another insurer.

*480 On January 21, 1991, PHLIGA[3] sent a letter to David at a California address, where David had not lived for six years.[4] The letter stated LACOP would no longer accept premiums through the automatic bank draft procedure and instead required insureds to make direct monthly payments to the insurance company in Pennsylvania. David allegedly never received this letter and believed his premiums continued to be paid automatically through his bank account. PHLIGA subsequently sent another notice to the same California address stating David's policy had "lapsed" for lack of payment. On June 1, 1991, PHLIGA entered into an assumption reinsurance agreement by which Jackson National Life Insurance Company (Jackson) agreed to assume certain of PHLIGA's obligations with respect to LACOP.

David died in September 1991. Jackson rejected Kathleen's claim for coverage on the ground the policy had lapsed for nonpayment of premiums. Kathleen sued LACOP, Jackson, and PHLIGA, alleging breach of contract and breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. PHLIGA appeared specially to move to quash service of process based on the lack of in personam jurisdiction. After examining papers submitted by both parties and hearing argument, the court denied the motion.

DISCUSSION

I

(1) When a defendant moves to quash out-of-state service for lack of personal jurisdiction, the plaintiff has the burden of establishing by a preponderance of the evidence jurisdiction is proper. (Bruns v. DeSoto Operating Co. (1988) 204 Cal. App.3d 876, 880 [251 Cal. Rptr. 462]; A.I.U. Ins. Co. v. Superior Court (1986) 177 Cal. App.3d 281, 285 [222 Cal. Rptr. 880].) Where there is a conflict in the evidence, the findings of the trial court will not be disturbed on appeal if supported by substantial evidence. (Ibid.) Thus, in reviewing an order denying a motion to quash, we examine the jurisdictional facts in the light most favorable to the plaintiff. When the evidence of jurisdictional facts is not conflicting, the question of whether a defendant is subject to personal jurisdiction is one of law. (Great-West Life Assurance Co. v. Guarantee Co. of North America (1988) 205 Cal. App.3d *481 199, 204 [252 Cal. Rptr. 363]; Felix v. Bomoro Kommanditgellschaft (1987) 196 Cal. App.3d 106, 111 [241 Cal. Rptr. 670, 69 A.L.R.4th 1].)

II

(2) A California court may exercise jurisdiction on any basis not inconsistent with the federal or state Constitution. (Code Civ. Proc., § 410.10.) In Burger King Corp. v. Rudzewicz (1985) 471 U.S. 462 [85 L.Ed.2d 528, 105 S.Ct. 2174], the United States Supreme Court reiterated the fundamental principles guiding the determination whether a state may constitutionally exercise personal jurisdiction over a nonresident defendant. In so doing, the court made clear the critical test is whether the defendant "purposefully established `minimum contacts' in the forum State." (Id. at p. 474 [85 L.Ed.2d at pp. 541-542], citing International Shoe Co. v. Washington (1945) 326 U.S. 310, 316 [90 L.Ed. 95, 101-102, 66 S.Ct. 154, 161 A.L.R. 1057], italics added.) To show such minimum contacts, "`it is essential ... [the plaintiff establish] some act by which the defendant purposefully avail[ed] itself of the privilege of conducting activities within the forum State, thus invoking the benefit and protections of its laws.'" (471 U.S. at p. 475 [85 L.Ed.2d at p. 542], quoting Hanson v. Denckla (1958) 357 U.S. 235, 253 [2 L.Ed.2d 1283, 1297-1298, 78 S.Ct. 1228].) Additionally, the defendant's contacts with the forum must be "`such that he should reasonably anticipate being haled into court there.'" (Id. at p. 474 [85 L.Ed.2d at p. 542], quoting World-Wide Volkswagen Corp. v. Woodson (1980) 444 U.S. 286, 297 [62 L.Ed.2d 490, 501-502, 100 S.Ct. 559].)

Where, as here, "the defendant's activities in the forum are not so pervasive as to justify the exercise of general jurisdiction over him, then jurisdiction depends upon the quality and nature of his activity in the forum in relation to the particular cause of action." (Cornelison v. Chaney (1976) 16 Cal.3d 143, 148 [127 Cal. Rptr. 352, 545 P.2d 264].) The question whether jurisdiction exists depends on the particular facts of each case and cannot be decided by applying a mechanical test or a precise formula. (Burger King Corp. v. Rudzewicz, supra, 471 U.S. at pp. 478-479 [85 L.Ed.2d at pp. 544-545]; Cornelison v. Chaney, supra, 16 Cal.3d at p. 150.)

III

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

International Shoe Co. v. Washington
326 U.S. 310 (Supreme Court, 1945)
McGee v. International Life Insurance
355 U.S. 220 (Supreme Court, 1957)
Hanson v. Denckla
357 U.S. 235 (Supreme Court, 1958)
World-Wide Volkswagen Corp. v. Woodson
444 U.S. 286 (Supreme Court, 1980)
Burger King Corp. v. Rudzewicz
471 U.S. 462 (Supreme Court, 1985)
Olivier v. Merritt Dredging Company
979 F.2d 827 (Eleventh Circuit, 1992)
Cornelison v. Chaney
545 P.2d 264 (California Supreme Court, 1976)
Isaacson v. California Insurance Guarantee Ass'n
750 P.2d 297 (California Supreme Court, 1988)
Bell Ex Rel. Bell v. Senn Trucking Co.
418 S.E.2d 310 (Supreme Court of South Carolina, 1992)
Sibley v. Superior Court
546 P.2d 322 (California Supreme Court, 1976)
Georgia Insurers Insol. Pool v. Brewer
602 So. 2d 1264 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1992)
Rhulen Agency, Inc. v. Alabama Insurance Guaranty Ass'n
715 F. Supp. 94 (S.D. New York, 1989)
Felix v. Bomoro Kommanditgesellschaft
196 Cal. App. 3d 106 (California Court of Appeal, 1987)
A.I.U. Insurance v. Superior Court
177 Cal. App. 3d 281 (California Court of Appeal, 1986)
Great-West Life Assur. v. Guar. Co. of N. America
205 Cal. App. 3d 199 (California Court of Appeal, 1988)
In Re the Marriage of Martin
207 Cal. App. 3d 1426 (California Court of Appeal, 1989)
Bruns v. DeSoto Operating Co.
204 Cal. App. 3d 876 (California Court of Appeal, 1988)
Pennsylvania Health & Life Insurance Guaranty Ass'n v. Superior Court
22 Cal. App. 4th 477 (California Court of Appeal, 1994)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
22 Cal. App. 4th 477, 27 Cal. Rptr. 2d 507, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pennsylvania-hlt-life-ins-guaranty-assn-v-superior-ct-calctapp-1994.