Seals v. Hygrade Distribution & Delivery Systems, Inc.

549 S.E.2d 412, 249 Ga. App. 574, 2001 Fulton County D. Rep. 1615, 2001 Ga. App. LEXIS 560
CourtCourt of Appeals of Georgia
DecidedMay 9, 2001
DocketA01A0716
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 549 S.E.2d 412 (Seals v. Hygrade Distribution & Delivery Systems, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Seals v. Hygrade Distribution & Delivery Systems, Inc., 549 S.E.2d 412, 249 Ga. App. 574, 2001 Fulton County D. Rep. 1615, 2001 Ga. App. LEXIS 560 (Ga. Ct. App. 2001).

Opinion

Mikell, Judge.

Seals Enterprise Corporation (“SEC”) and Hygrade Distribution & Delivery Systems, Inc. (“Hygrade”) had a contractual relationship whereby SEC delivered freight for Hygrade, for which Hygrade paid SEC delivery commissions. SEC filed a complaint against Hygrade, alleging, among other things, that Hygrade wrongfully deducted SEC’s insurance premiums from SEC’s commissions. The parties filed cross-motions for summary judgment. The trial court granted Hygrade’s motion, ruling that it was entitled to deduct the insurance premiums and to retain certain administrative fees. SEC and Ralph D. Seals, SEC’s owner, appeal. We affirm.

[575]*575“In reviewing a grant or denial of summary judgment, this Court conducts a de novo review of the evidence.”1 To prevail at summary judgment under OCGA § 9-11-56 (c), the moving party must demonstrate that there is no genuine issue of material fact and that the undisputed facts, viewed in the light most favorable to the nonmovant, warrant judgment as a matter of law.2

Viewed most favorably to SEC, the evidence shows that from 1986 to 1998, SEC and Hygrade were parties to an Independent Trucking Agreement (the “Agreement”) whereby SEC hauled freight for Hygrade and Hygrade paid SEC delivery commissions for all loads hauled.3 The Agreement provided that SEC was an independent contractor.4 As such, SEC was responsible for obtaining workers’ compensation insurance for its employees.

Initially, SEC obtained its own workers’ compensation insurance. Once the premiums became too expensive, however, SEC enrolled in Hygrade’s voluntary group insurance plan. Seals executed a consent form dated August 25, 1995, which authorized Hygrade to withhold $405 per week from SEC’s gross commissions.

The consent form listed the rates for four different types of insurance: occupational accident ($48.50 per week), which applied only to owners; partnership ($75 per week); fleet owner ($110 per week), which was the workers’ compensation insurance; and active contractor and employee ($90 per week), which applied to contractors that owned and operated one truck. Hygrade deducted $405 per week from SEC’s commissions for workers’ compensation insurance for each of three drivers at $110 per week and for one full-time partner (either Ralph Seals or his son, Darrell Seals) at $75 per week.5 Seals deposed that after a short time, the amount was decreased to $378, which covered workers’ compensation insurance and occupational accident insurance for Ralph Seals at $48.50 per week.6

By affidavit, Jane Quan-Shau, Hygrade’s vice-president of safety, compliance, and risk management, stated that the contractors were notified that Hygrade charged an administrative fee for the operation of the insurance plan that was built into the insurance [576]*576rates. The purpose of the fee was to offset the administrative costs Hygrade incurred to process the weekly settlement deduction, prepare the monthly reconciliation, and transmit the application and premiums to the insurance broker, Specialty Risk.7

The contractor’s premiums were based upon a flat rate schedule. However, the portion of the premium that Hygrade received for its administrative fee varied with the cost of each contractor’s insurance, which was dependent upon the state in which they were insured. Hygrade was able to offer a flat rate schedule because it absorbed the varying insurance costs among the different states. In other words, in states where the insurance was more expensive, Hygrade would receive a smaller fee, if any, than in those states where the insurance was less costly.

Quan-Shau deposed that the contractors paid Hygrade, then Hygrade paid Specialty Risk the cost of the premiums and Specialty Risk’s commission. Specialty Risk then submitted the insurance premiums to the insurer, Reliance Insurance Company. Reliance issued the policy directly to the contractors.

On summary judgment, SEC argued that Hygrade wrongfully deducted $94,681.43 from its delivery commissions for insurance premiums. Further, SEC contended that 49 percent of that amount constituted a commission or profit, which Hygrade was not entitled to collect since it is not a licensed insurance broker. In response thereto and in its cross-motion for summary judgment, Hygrade argued that it had not profited from SEC’s payment of the insurance premiums and that it was entitled to retain the administrative fee it charged for the costs it incurred to administer the policy. The trial court agreed.

1. In their first enumeration of error, appellants argue that the trial court erred because the consent form authorizing the deductions from SEC’s gross commissions was void pursuant to OCGA § 33-23-4 (e), which prohibits any entity “other than a duly licensed adjuster, agent, subagent, or counselor” from accepting any commission.

Contrary to appellants’ contention, Hygrade’s administrative fee does not constitute a “commission,” as the term is used in OCGA § 33-23-4 (e). Thus, OCGA § 33-23-4 (e) does not void the consent form.

OCGA § 33-23-1 provides a list of definitions for certain words used in Article 1 of Chapter 23 of Title 33.8 It does not define “commission” as it is used in the article. “In the absence of words of limita[577]*577tion, words in a statute should be given their ordinary and everyday meaning.”9 Black’s Law Dictionary (5th ed.) defines commission as

[t]he recompense, compensation or reward of an agent, salesman, executor, trustee, receiver, factor, broker, or bailee, when the same is calculated as a percentage on the amount of his transactions or on the profit to the principal. [Cit.] Compensation to an administrator or other fiduciary for the faithful discharge of his duties.

In this case, Hygrade did not charge SEC a percentage of SEC’s gross commissions to administer the insurance program. Instead, an administrative fee was built into each insurance rate. The amount of the administrative fee received by Hygrade varied. The evidence shows that in some instances, the insurance premiums paid to Reliance exceeded that paid to Hygrade, and in some instances, they were less.

SEC does not dispute that Hygrade completed all of the paperwork necessary for SEC’s participation in the group plan. Yet, SEC argues, and wants us to conclude summarily, that 49 percent of the amount it tendered to Hygrade was profit or commission. “Allegations, conclusory facts, and conclusions of law cannot be utilized to support or defeat motions for summary judgment.”10

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
549 S.E.2d 412, 249 Ga. App. 574, 2001 Fulton County D. Rep. 1615, 2001 Ga. App. LEXIS 560, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/seals-v-hygrade-distribution-delivery-systems-inc-gactapp-2001.