Reynolds, J. v. Pennsylvania National Mutual

Superior Court of Pennsylvania·Decided March 13, 2018·No. 1286 EDA 2017·Unpublished

Opinion

J-A31020-17

NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37

JOHN REYNOLDS : IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF : PENNSYLVANIA Appellant : : : v. : : : PENNSYLVANIA NATIONAL MUTUAL : No. 1286 EDA 2017 CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY : A/K/A PENN NATIONAL INSURANCE : COMPANY :

Appeal from the Order Entered March 16, 2017 In the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County Civil Division at No(s): 150602031

BEFORE: PANELLA, J., OLSON, J., and STEVENS*, P.J.E.

MEMORANDUM BY OLSON, J.: FILED MARCH 13, 2018

Appellant, John Reynolds, appeals from the order entered on March

16, 2017. The subject order granted the motion for summary judgment that

was filed on behalf of Pennsylvania National Mutual Casualty Insurance

Company a/k/a Penn National Insurance Company (hereinafter “Penn

National”) and dismissed the action. We affirm.

The trial court has ably summarized the underlying facts and

procedural posture of this case. As the trial court explained:

[Penn National] issued [Appellant] an all-risk business insurance policy (the “Policy”) . . . , with a limit of [$2,403,226.00], on December 7, 2013. This policy was in effect at the time of the water damage occurrence in this case. The Policy contains exclusions for damage to the interior of the structure caused by rain, except where the rain entered as a result of damage caused by a covered

____________________________________ * Former Justice specially assigned to the Superior Court. J-A31020-17

cause of loss; and for loss or damage caused by water, interior or exterior. However, there is an endorsement allowing coverage of up to [$100,000.00] for water damage caused by a backed up sewer, drain, or sump pump.[1]

On July 15, 2014, there was a significant rainstorm in Philadelphia. The next day, [Appellant] filed for first-party benefits for flooding damage to the interior of the building. [Appellant] made a claim for water damage to all four floors and the basement of the property, along with computers in the building. On July 24, 2014, Michael Danilla, an adjuster working for [Penn National] inspected the premises.

On July 27, 2014, [Penn National] sent a reservation of rights letter to [Appellant], stating that [Penn National] would investigate the cause of loss and assign an expert to examine the roof. On August 4, 2014, Keith Bergman, P.E., inspected the roof. His report, dated August 7, 2014, stated that the roof appeared to be in good condition with no evidence of water penetration into the building. Accordingly, on August 26, 2014, [Penn National] sent [Appellant] a denial letter.

An employee of [Appellant] by the name of Ray Griffiths subsequently reported that he had gone to the building during the storm and saw flooding inside. Griffiths said that he went upstairs on the roof and saw a blocked drain that had accumulated approximately 18 inches of water around it. Griffiths removed the debris that had clogged the roof and the water drained away.

In [October 2014, Appellant] requested reconsideration of the claim denial. [Appellant] advised [Penn National] that [he] would be hiring [his] own engineer to examine the property. In correspondence, [Griffiths’] report was disclosed. On October 28, 2014, [Appellant’s] expert, Charles Penza, examined the roof and issued a report stating that the plugged drain caused a backup of rainwater on the roof, resulting in water penetration through a ____________________________________________

1We quote the relevant portions of the Policy in the Appendix to this memorandum.

-2- J-A31020-17

shingled party wall. There was no finding of physical damage to the roof or party wall.

Based on this new information, on January 29, 2015, [Penn National] reconsidered its denial of coverage and granted limited coverage in the amount of [$100,000.00] under the Policy’s Businessowners Pennpac Deluxe Endorsement. This coverage was for damage caused by backed up sewers and drains.

[Appellant] was not satisfied and filed an initial complaint on July 16, 2015. He filed a Second Amended Complaint on November 21, 2015.

Trial Court Opinion, 3/16/17, at 1-3 (some internal citations and

capitalization omitted).

Appellant’s complaint contained two claims: breach of contract and

bad faith. In essence, Appellant claimed that Penn National breached the

Policy by failing to pay for all of the losses he sustained and that Penn

National’s refusal to pay under the Policy constituted bad faith. See

Appellant’s Second Amended Complaint, 11/21/15, at 3-5.

At the conclusion of discovery, Penn National filed a summary

judgment motion and requested that the trial court grant it summary

judgment on both of Appellant’s claims and dismiss Appellant’s complaint.

According to Penn National, there was no genuine issue of material fact in

this case, as it was undisputed that Appellant’s loss was caused by rainwater

“backing up from the [roof] drain and seeping through the shingled party

wall.” See Penn National’s Motion for Summary Judgment, 9/6/16, at ¶ 36.

Therefore, Penn National claimed, it fulfilled its contractual obligations when

it paid Appellant the $100,000.00, in accordance with the “Businessowners

-3- J-A31020-17

Pennpac Deluxe Endorsement.” Penn National claimed it was not liable for

the remainder of Appellant’s losses, as the Policy’s “rainwater limitation” and

“water exclusion” provisions limited Penn National’s liability to the

$100,000.00 it had already paid. See id. at 1-9.

On October 6, 2016, Appellant filed a cross-motion for summary

judgment, where he requested judgment in his favor on both of his claims.

See Appellant’s Answer and Cross-Motion for Summary Judgment, 10/6/16,

at 1-7.

On March 16, 2017, the trial court entered an order, which denied

Appellant’s cross-motion for summary judgment, granted Penn National’s

summary judgment motion, and dismissed Appellant’s complaint. Trial

Court Opinion and Order, 3/16/17, at 1-6.

Appellant filed a timely notice of appeal. Appellant raises two claims:

[1.] Whether the trial court erred in granting summary judgment in favor of [Penn National] when the undisputed evidence showed the damage to the insured premises for which [Appellant] made claim under [Penn National’s] insurance policy was caused by water damage caused by a clogged roof drain that was not excluded under [Penn National’s] insurance policy it issued to [Appellant?]

[2.] Whether the trial court erred in not granting summary judgment in favor of [Appellant] when the undisputed evidence showed the damage to the insured premises for which [Appellant] made claim under [Penn National’s] insurance policy was caused by water damage caused by a clogged roof drain that was not excluded under [Penn National’s] insurance policy it issued to [Appellant?]

Appellant’s Brief at 2-3.

-4- J-A31020-17

We have reviewed the briefs of the parties, the relevant law, the

certified record, and the opinion of the able trial court judge, the Honorable

Ramy I. Djerassi. We conclude that there has been no error in this case and

that Judge Djerassi’s opinion, entered on March 16, 2017, meticulously and

accurately disposes of Appellant’s issues on appeal. Therefore, we affirm on

the basis of Judge Djerassi’s thorough opinion and adopt it as our own. In

any future filing with this or any other court addressing this ruling, the filing

party shall attach a copy of Judge Djerassi’s opinion.

Order affirmed. Jurisdiction relinquished.

Panella, J., concurs in the result.

Stevens, P.J.E., concurs in the result.

Judgment Entered.

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