RISK MANAGEMENT DIV. v. Farmers Ins. Co.

75 P.3d 404, 134 N.M. 188
CourtNew Mexico Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 30, 2003
Docket22,161
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 75 P.3d 404 (RISK MANAGEMENT DIV. v. Farmers Ins. Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Mexico Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
RISK MANAGEMENT DIV. v. Farmers Ins. Co., 75 P.3d 404, 134 N.M. 188 (N.M. Ct. App. 2003).

Opinion

75 P.3d 404 (2003)
134 N.M. 188
2003-NMCA-095

RISK MANAGEMENT DIVISION OF THE GENERAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT OF THE STATE of New Mexico ex rel. James APODACA and Kathy Apodaca, Plaintiff-Appellant,
v.
FARMERS INSURANCE COMPANY OF ARIZONA, Defendant-Appellee.

No. 22,161.

Court of Appeals of New Mexico.

May 30, 2003.

*405 Carol J. Ritchie, Felker, Ish, Ritchie & Geer, P.A., Santa Fe, NM, for Appellant.

Lawrence M. Glenn, Daniel J. O'Brien, Daniel J. O'Brien & Associates, P.C., Albuquerque, NM, for Appellee.

OPINION

CASTILLO, Judge.

{1} This case presents an issue of first impression: whether a foster child is a "resident" of the foster home for the purposes of the resident exclusion in a homeowner's insurance policy. The district court, determining that foster child Emeterio Garcia was a resident of the home of his foster parents, James and Kathy Apodaca (Apodacas), granted summary judgment to the insurance carrier, Farmers Insurance Company of Arizona (Farmers). We reverse the summary judgment and remand for further proceedings.

I. BACKGROUND

{2} The undisputed facts in the record are that: (1) on October 30, 1996, the Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD), which had legal custody of two-year-old Emeterio, placed the child in the licensed foster home of the Apodacas for "long term" care with a plan to return Emeterio home to his parents; (2) the child died on May 13, 1997, by drowning in a hot tub at the foster home; (3) the Apodacas were named insureds under a homeowner's policy issued by Farmers; (4) the policy provides liability coverage for the Apodacas for certain damages they become legally liable to pay and excludes coverage for "bodily injury to any resident of the residence premises" or for injury resulting from home care services provided by the insured; and (5) as licensed foster parents, the Apodacas were "public employees" of the State of New Mexico. The Risk Management Division (RMD) extends insurance coverage under the Public Liability Fund for certain claims brought against public employees.

{3} On May 12, 1999, JoAnn Martinez (Martinez), Emeterio's grandmother, individually and as personal representative of Emeterio's estate, brought a wrongful death suit against the Apodacas, CYFD, and certain of CYFD's employees, alleging 42 U.S.C. § 1983 violations, negligence, and breach of fiduciary duty. Farmers and RMD disagree as to whether (1) Emeterio was a resident of the Apodacas' home, (2) Emeterio's death was excluded from coverage, and (3) Farmers or RMD has the duty to defend or indemnify the Apodacas for any judgment entered against them.

{4} On September 1, 1999, RMD brought a declaratory judgment action against Farmers and others, seeking a determination that Farmers is primarily liable for any liability of the Apodacas to Martinez and Emeterio's estate. Farmers moved for summary judgment on the grounds that resident and home care exclusions applied to this case. RMD opposed summary judgment arguing that the *406 circumstances of the case give rise to a factual dispute as to whether Emeterio was a resident and whether the home care services exclusion applies to foster care. Martinez also filed a memorandum in opposition to summary judgment, but was dismissed from the action by stipulation before the summary judgment hearing. Following a hearing on January 24, 2001, the district court granted summary judgment to Farmers concluding that Emeterio was a resident and that the resident exclusion applied to deny coverage for his death. The order did not address the home care exclusion.

{5} RMD argues on appeal that the district court's ruling on the resident exclusion was in error, and that it would be improper to grant summary judgment on the home care services exemption. Since the district court has not ruled on the home care services exclusion, we address only the resident exclusion on appeal. See In re Termination of Parental Rights Eventyr J., 120 N.M. 463, 471, 902 P.2d 1066, 1074 (Ct.App.1995) (declining to consider an issue that the district court had not considered in reaching its decision).

II. DISCUSSION

A. Standard of Review on Summary Judgment

{6} Summary judgment is proper when no issues exist as to any material fact and "only the legal effect of the undisputed facts remains to be decided." Ruiz v. Garcia, 115 N.M. 269, 272, 850 P.2d 972, 975 (1993); see Rule 1-056 NMRA 2003. "[S]ummary judgment is not appropriate when the facts before the court are insufficiently developed or where further factual resolution is essential for determination of the central legal issues involved." Brown v. Taylor, 120 N.M. 302, 307, 901 P.2d 720, 725 (1995) (internal quotation marks and citation omitted). We review de novo whether there are genuine issues of material fact justifying summary judgment. Self v. United Parcel Serv., Inc., 1998-NMSC-046, ¶ 6, 126 N.M. 396, 970 P.2d 582.

B. Contract Interpretation

{7} We must determine whether the district court had before it sufficiently developed facts to conclude as a matter of law that Emeterio was a resident of the Apodacas' home and that the resident exclusion applies. The relevant portions of the Apodacas' policy read as follows:

DEFINITIONS
. . . .
9. Insured—means you and the following persons if permanent residents of your household:
a. your relatives,
b. anyone under the age of 21.
. . . .
SECTION II—LIABILITY
. . . .
We will pay those damages which an insured becomes legally obligated to pay because of bodily injury ... resulting from an occurrence to which this coverage applies.
. . . .
SECTION II EXCLUSIONS
. . . .
We do not cover:
. . . .
6. Bodily injury to any resident of the residence premises except a residence employee who is not covered under Workers' Compensation or Employers' Liability Coverage.

The policy does not define "resident."

{8} In interpreting the undefined "resident," the district court is guided by general principles of contract law. See Rummel v. Lexington Ins. Co., 1997-NMSC-041, ¶ 18, 123 N.M. 752, 945 P.2d 970 ("[I]nsurance contracts are construed by the same principles which govern the interpretation of all contracts.") (internal quotation marks and citations omitted). The district court must ultimately decide what coverage the parties agreed to under the policy. See Safeco Ins. Co. of Am., Inc. v. McKenna, 90 N.M. 516, 520, 565 P.2d 1033, 1037 (1977) ("Under New Mexico law the obligation of a liability insuror *407 is contractual and is to be determined by the terms of the policy."). In doing so, the district court considers the policy as a whole. Knowles v. United Servs. Auto. Ass'n, 113 N.M. 703, 705, 832 P.2d 394

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
75 P.3d 404, 134 N.M. 188, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/risk-management-div-v-farmers-ins-co-nmctapp-2003.