Selko v. Home Ins Co

CourtCourt of Appeals for the Third Circuit
DecidedMarch 12, 1998
Docket96-1702
StatusUnknown

This text of Selko v. Home Ins Co (Selko v. Home Ins Co) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Selko v. Home Ins Co, (3d Cir. 1998).

Opinion

Opinions of the United 1998 Decisions States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

3-12-1998

Selko v. Home Ins Co Precedential or Non-Precedential:

Docket 96-1702

Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.law.villanova.edu/thirdcircuit_1998

Recommended Citation "Selko v. Home Ins Co" (1998). 1998 Decisions. Paper 44. http://digitalcommons.law.villanova.edu/thirdcircuit_1998/44

This decision is brought to you for free and open access by the Opinions of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit at Villanova University School of Law Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in 1998 Decisions by an authorized administrator of Villanova University School of Law Digital Repository. For more information, please contact Benjamin.Carlson@law.villanova.edu. Filed March 12, 1998

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT

No. 96-1702

WILLIAM SELKO, Appellant

v.

HOME INSURANCE COMPANY, Appellee

On Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (D.C. Civil Action No. 95-cv-07653)

Argued May 5, 1997

BEFORE: STAPLETON, LEWIS and CAMPBELL* Circuit Judges.

(Opinion Filed March 12, 1998)

Jeremy T. Ross (Argued) Schiffman & Ross 1650 Market Street 50th Floor Philadelphia, PA 19103-7301 Attorney for Appellant

_________________________________________________________________

*Honorable Levin H. Campbell, Senior United States Circuit Judge for the First Circuit, sitting by designation. James W. Christie (Argued) Christie, Pabarue, Mortensen & Young 1880 JFK Boulevard 10th Floor Philadelphia, PA 19103 Attorney for Appellee

OPINION OF THE COURT

CAMPBELL, Senior Circuit Judge.

William Selko ("Selko"), who is the assignee of his former attorney's professional liability policy, appeals from the district court's grant of summary judgment denying recovery on this policy against Home Insurance Company ("Home").

I.

In 1982, at age 18, Selko was the passenger in a car that struck a telephone pole. The accident rendered him a quadriplegic. He and his father engaged Stephen R. Signore, Jr., a Pennsylvania attorney, who has since been disbarred, to represent him in obtaining compensation for his injuries. Signore prepared and Selko executed a power of attorney authorizing Signore to collect all sums due to Selko arising from the accident and to deposit them in banks and other depositories. Also included was an investment clause, giving Signore the authority

[t]o invest in my name, in any stock, shares, bonds, securities or other property, real or personal, and to vary such investments as he may, in his absolute discretion deem best, and to vote at meetings of any corporation or company and to execute any proxies or other instruments in connection therewith.

Signore stated in a deposition that he prepared the power of attorney in light of his discussion with Selko's father, during which Signore stated "that there were going to be a lot of no-fault checks and people that had to be paid and

2 checks were going to have to be signed and whatever . . . . [The father replied] you know, well, why don't you take care of all that?"

Between 1982 and 1991, Signore collected various sums on Selko's behalf from settlements and insurance claims. From these recoveries, Signore invested $300,000 without Selko's prior knowledge or further approval in real estate ventures of his own. Signore placed the collected sums in the bank account of a shell company wholly owned by him called Innovative Concepts, Inc. ("ICI"). He then caused ICI to issue "participation bonds" in Selko's name for the stated amounts as evidence of "loans" by Selko to ICI. The bonds, at least those of record, called for repayment of the original sum, together with accrued interest at ten percent per annum, after five years. (These bonds were due, respectively, in 1994, 1995, and 1996.) The monies for which the bonds were issued, consisting of Selko's $300,000 as well as sums from other purported lenders, were then used to purchase interests in Signore's sole name in real estate ventures. Selko's ICI participation bonds were "secured" by Signore's personal pledges of his real estate interests and by Signore's personal guarantees. ICI and Signore later defaulted on the bonds when they became due, beginning in 1994, and in 1995 Signorefiled for bankruptcy.

According to Selko, he did not learn that his personal injury proceeds were being utilized in this manner until he made inquiry of Signore in 1991. After Signore responded with some information, Selko wrote Signore on May 9, 1991, expressing concern about the investments' "illiquidity." Selko's letter also stated that he believed he should "diversify and reduce my 100 percent exposure to the vagaries of the local real estate market." Without replying right away, Signore continued to invest in the fashion described above. After further inquiries, Signore again responded to Selko on October 30, 1991. Reassuring him about the investments, Signore said that, for the "long term," they were sustaining a very fair return. Further correspondence between Selko and Signore led to Signore's assurances to work with Selko and "get for you some liquidity as soon as possible." (A building sale or

3 replacement of Selko by another investor were mentioned as possible ways to do this if the market improved.)

Selko later sought and received guidance from a retired attorney, Guy Gabrielson, who met with Signore in July of 1992. Gabrielson reported to Signore his understanding of that meeting in a letter dated July 17, 1992. In the letter, Gabrielson indicated the time was ripe to relieve Signore's office of further responsibilities. Gabrielson also said he believed Selko would like to divest himself as rapidly as possible of the real estate investments so that he could begin to diversify his investments under the guidance of an investment advisor, and that Gabrielson would advise Selko to do so. Signore testified in his deposition that he understood at about this time that he was being relieved of his representation of Selko.

Gabrielson's letter was quickly followed by a letter from Selko to Signore dated July 20, 1992, requesting that Selko receive "any part, or preferably all, of my interest payments currently" from the ICI participation bonds, and stating that he wished to divest himself of all bonds as rapidly as possible beginning with the last to mature. Signore was asked to make checks either for interest or principal payable to Selko's order and send them to him, so that he could begin the process of diversifying his portfolio into investments other than real estate.

On July 20, 1992, Selko also revoked Signore's 1982 power of attorney, substituting in its place a far more limited power of attorney. The new power contained no investment authority but merely authorized Signore to claim, demand and receive "any interest or principal payments which may be due or payable to me in investments heretofore made" under the old power of attorney and, after deduction of sums needed to prosecute the automobile accident claim, to remit the same to Selko. Any further funds received on Selko's behalf were to be deposited in a bank or other depository institution.

Signore neither acknowledged nor took any action to comply with the Selko's requests of July 20, 1992. He did not remit any interest nor did he take steps to liquidate Selko's investments as requested. No further

4 communication occurred between Signore and Selko until more than two years later, in September of 1994. In that month, the earlier of Selko's ICI participation bonds became due.

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

Related

Mt. Airy Insurance v. Thomas
954 F. Supp. 1073 (W.D. Pennsylvania, 1997)
First Pennsylvania Bank, N.A. v. National Union Fire Insurance
580 A.2d 799 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1990)
Rizzo v. Haines
555 A.2d 58 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1989)
Estate of Logan Ex Rel. Fink v. Northwestern National Casualty Co.
424 N.W.2d 179 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1988)
O'Brien Energy Systems, Inc. v. AMERICAN EMPLOYERS'INS. CO.
629 A.2d 957 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1993)
Standard Venetian Blind Co. v. American Empire Insurance
469 A.2d 563 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1983)
General Acc. Ins. Co. of America v. Trefts
657 F. Supp. 164 (E.D. Missouri, 1987)
Bateman v. Motorists Mutual Insurance
590 A.2d 281 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1991)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
Selko v. Home Ins Co, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/selko-v-home-ins-co-ca3-1998.