Sciaretta v. Lincoln National Life Insurance

899 F. Supp. 2d 1318, 2012 WL 5195944
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Florida
DecidedFebruary 15, 2012
DocketCase No. 9:11-cv-80427
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 899 F. Supp. 2d 1318 (Sciaretta v. Lincoln National Life Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sciaretta v. Lincoln National Life Insurance, 899 F. Supp. 2d 1318, 2012 WL 5195944 (S.D. Fla. 2012).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING IN PART PLAINTIFF STEVEN A. SCIARETTA’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT; DENYING THIRD PARTY DEFENDANT SANFORD MUCHNICK’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT; AND GRANTING IN PART DEFENDANT! COUNTERCLAIM PLAINTIFF/THIRD PARTY PLAINTIFF THE LINCOLN NATIONAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

DONALD M. MIDDLEBROOKS, District Judge.

THIS CAUSE comes before the Court upon the parties’ following Motions: (1) Plaintiff Steven A. Sciaretta’s Motion for Summary Judgment (“Plaintiffs Motion”) (DE 54) filed on December 5, 2011; (2) Third Party Defendant Sanford Muchnick’s Motion for Summary Judgment (“Muchnick’s Motion”) (DE 72) filed on January 6, 2012; and (3) Defendant/Counterclaim Plaintiff/Third Party Plaintiff The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company’s (“Lincoln”) Motion for Summary Judgment (“Lincoln’s Motion”) (DE 75) filed on January 6, 2012. I have reviewed the matter and am advised in the premises.

I. BACKGROUND

Plaintiff Steven Sciaretta, as trustee of the Barton Cotton Irrevocable Trust (“Cotton Trust”) filed suit in this Court against The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company (“Lincoln”) on April 21, 2011 to recover death benefits on an insurance policy insuring the life of Cotton (“Policy”). (DE 1). On May 25, 2011, Lincoln filed its Answer and Counterclaim alleging that the Policy was void ab initio for lack of an insurable interest and asserting counterclaims against Plaintiff and [1321]*1321Sanford Muchnick, a previous trustee of the Cotton Trust, for fraud, negligent misrepresentation and civil conspiracy. (DE 7 at 6). Lincoln alleges that the instant case is a stranger-originated life insurance (“STOLI”), in which a life insurance policy is applied for and issued at the behest of individuals or entities with no insurable interest in the life of the insured who later acquire some, if not all, of the interest in the death benefit payable upon the death of the insured. (Id.). Lincoln alleges that in May 2008, Sciarretta and Muchnick executed a STOLI scheme to procure a $5 million insurance policy on Cotton’s life. (Id. at 8). As part of the scheme, Lincoln alleges that the policy was applied for on Cotton’s life and a Trust was set up nominally in his name to be designated as the owner and beneficiary of the policy to conceal the intent to sell the policy and/or beneficial interest in the Trust on the secondary market. (Id. at 10-11).

The following facts are uncontested by the parties. On April 1, 2008, Mr. Cotton entered into an Exclusive Rights Agreement (“ERA”) with Wealthmodes, LLC. (DE 110 at 7). In the ERA, Wealthmodes paid Mr. Cotton an “Exclusive Rights Fee,” which was equal to the initial premiums owed to Lincoln for the life insurance policy that is the subject of this lawsuit, in exchange for certain exclusive rights. (Id.). Thereafter, on May 8, 2008, Cotton signed the Barton Irrevocable Trust. (Id.). The parties are unaware of the identity of the person or entity that drafted the Trust agreement, but the original Trustee of the Trust was Mr. Muchnick. (Id. at 7-8). The day after the Cotton Trust was formed, Cotton and Muchnick signed an Application (“Application”) that was submitted to Lincoln seeking an $8 million life insurance policy (“Policy”). (Id. at 8). In the Application, Cotton and Muchnick answered “No” to the following questions:

Have you, you, the proposed [insured or owner], been involved in any discussion about the possible sale or assignment of this policy or a beneficial interest in a trust, LLC or other entity created or to be created on your behalf?
Is this policy being funded via a premium financing loan or with funds borrowed, advanced or paid from another person or entity?
Will you, the proposed [insured or owner] and/or beneficiary, and/or any entity on your behalf, receive any compensation, whether via the form of cash, property, an agreement to pay money in the future, a percentage of the death benefit, or otherwise, if this policy is issued?

(Id.). The Application also represented that Cotton’s annual income was $730,000, although his tax return from the 2007 tax year reflected that his income was only $170,999. (Id. at 8-9).

On June 6, 2008, Lincoln issued a $5 million policy to the Trust as the owner and beneficiary, insuring the life of Cotton. (Id. at 9). Lincoln paid $268,501.83 in commissions to Dennis Felcher, who was the broker of record for the Policy, and Madison Brokerage, a broker general agency, in connection with the issuance of the Policy. (Id.). The Policy contained a clause providing that the Policy would take effect “only when: 1) the Policy has been delivered to and accepted by me/us; 2) the initial premium has been paid in full during the lifetime of the Proposed Insured(s); and 3) the Proposed Insured(s) remain in the same state of health and insurability as described in each part of the application at the time conditions 1) and 2) are met.” (Id.).

On June 12, 2008, Wealthmodes forwarded $55,825.00 to Cotton, which was intended, as per the ERA, to be used to pay the first premium payment for the Policy. (Id.). Cotton deposited the money [1322]*1322into his bank account and then wrote a personal check for the same amount to Lincoln for the initial premium payment for the Policy. (Id.). On August 1, 2008, Cotton deposited a check from Simba Group, LLC (“Simba”) into his bank account for $12,125.00 and then wrote a check for the same amount the next day payable to Lincoln as premiums for the Policy. (Id. at 10). On October 8, 2010, Simba wired $6,717.52 to Cotton’s bank account and then Cotton wrote a check for the same amount the next day payable to Lincoln as premiums for the Policy. (Id.).

On October 16, 2008, the Trust signed an Application and Loan Agreement for the purpose of obtaining a premium finance loan with Imperial Premium Finance, LLC (“Imperial”). (Id. at 11). Pursuant to the loan, the Trust borrowed $335,066.67 from Imperial to finance premium payments on the Policy through August 6, 2012. (Id.). The loan had a floating interest rate of 11.5-16% and fees and charges totaling more than $110,000. (Id.). To protect its interest in the Policy, Imperial had Cotton and the Trust sign three irrevocable powers of attorney. (Id.). On September 1, 2010, Imperial informed the Trust that $521,887.39 must be repaid to satisfy the loan and retain the Policy. (Id.). Offers to purchase the Policy were extended by two different companies: Abacus Settlements, LLC and Habersham Funding, LLC. (Id.).

Cotton was diagnosed with terminal esophageal cancer on May 19, 2010 and died shortly thereafter on October 18, 2010. (Id.). Plaintiff submitted a claim to Lincoln for payment of the Policy’s death benefit on October 29, 2010, although Lincoln has not paid the death benefit under the Policy. (Id.).

II. PARTIES’ARGUMENTS

Plaintiff, Lincoln, and Muchnick each filed separate Motions for Summary Judgment in this action. In his Motion, Plaintiff first argues that the Policy was not issued in violation of Florida’s insurable interest laws and therefore is not void ab initio. (DE 54 at 7). Second, Plaintiff argues that Lincoln’s material misrepresentation and fraud claims and defenses are barred by Florida’s incontestability statute. (Id.

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

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
899 F. Supp. 2d 1318, 2012 WL 5195944, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sciaretta-v-lincoln-national-life-insurance-flsd-2012.