Spencer v. Hartford Cas.

556 S.W.3d 679
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedSeptember 25, 2018
DocketNo. ED 106337
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 556 S.W.3d 679 (Spencer v. Hartford Cas.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Spencer v. Hartford Cas., 556 S.W.3d 679 (Mo. Ct. App. 2018).

Opinion

Philip M. Hess, Presiding Judge

Introduction

Mary Spencer and thirteen of her classmates (collectively "Appellants") in the Applied Sciences of Practical Nursing Program at Saint Louis College of Health Careers ("SLCHC") sued SLCHC under the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act (the "MMPA"), Section 407.020,1 alleging unfair and deceptive practices in its representation of the program. SLCHC demanded coverage from its insurer Hartford Casualty Insurance ("Hartford") under its one-year Business Liability policy (the "Policy"). Hartford denied coverage and denied defense to SLCHC. A bench trial ensued and judgment was entered for each Appellant.

Appellants then brought this equitable garnishment action to recover the judgment from Hartford. The trial court granted Hartford's motion for summary judgment. The court held Appellants' petition did not allege a claim that was possibly or potentially within the Policy's coverage. We affirm.

Facts and Procedural Background

The following are the uncontroverted stipulated facts. Appellants' MMPA petition states SLCHC "sold them the program" as a sixty-hour degree program for Applied Sciences of Practical Nursing at SLCHC. The petition asserts SLCHC lacked approval to award a degree and could only provide a lesser diploma despite contrary claims. Appellants sought recovery of tuition, attorney's fees, and punitive damages.

SLCHC demanded coverage from Hartford upon service of the MMPA petition. Hartford denied SLCHC coverage and a defense, on the basis the petition did not allege property damage or any claim covered under the Policy.

Appellants and SLCHC entered an agreement not to execute under Section 537.065. The agreement provided that, in the event of a judgment against SLCHC, Appellants would seek to levy execution only against Hartford. A bench trial ensued. The trial court found SLCHC practiced deception and fraud in the inducement and entered judgment for each Appellant in the aggregate amount of $1,227,954 with post-judgment interest of 5.13% per annum.

Appellants then brought this equitable garnishment action against Hartford to recover the judgment. Appellants and Hartford both moved for summary judgment based on stipulated facts. Appellants argued Hartford breached its duty to defend because Appellants alleged "property damage" in the MMPA petition. Appellants argued the award of a diploma rather than a degree was a loss of property. Hartford *682argued that neither loss of property nor any allegation triggering the duty to defend under the Policy language was included in the MMPA petition.

The trial court granted Hartford's motion for summary judgment. It stated an insurer's duty to defend arises when there is the possibility or potential for coverage based on the initial petition. The Policy included coverage for loss of property that is not physically injured. However, the trial court highlighted the difference between the definition of tangible property and intangible property. Black's Law Dictionary defines "property" as possessing physical form while intangible property is without "intrinsic or marketable value" and is "merely the representative or evidence of value, such as certificates of stock, bonds, promissory notes, copyrights, and franchise." The trial court stated Missouri, as well as the majority of states, do not consider an educational degree "property." The failure to award a degree was not "property damage" and therefore not possibly or potentially within the Policy's coverage as a matter of law.

The trial court concluded Appellants' MMPA petition failed to allege any claim covered under the Policy. Accordingly, Hartford had no duty to provide coverage or defend. This appeal follows.

Standard of Review

"The propriety of summary judgment is purely an issue of law." ITT Comm. Fin. Corp. v. Mid-Am. Marine Supply Corp., 854 S.W.2d 371, 376 (Mo. banc 1993). A grant of summary judgment is reviewed de novo. Id. We consider an appeal from summary judgment in the light most favorable to the party against whom judgment was granted. E.O. Dorsch Electric Co. v. Plaza Const. Co., 413 S.W.2d 167, 169 (Mo. 1967).

Discussion

Appellants' sole point on appeal is that the trial court erred in granting Hartford's motion for summary judgment because Hartford had a duty to defend SLCHC. Appellants argue SLCHC's failure to deliver the promised degree was "property damage." They also claim the damages alleged in the MMPA petition related to tuition, which included books and supplies. They argue Hartford was charged with knowledge of facts that demonstrate the possibility of coverage because they were "known or reasonably ascertainable" at the outset of the case, citing Truck Insurance Exchange v. Prairie Framing, LLC , 162 S.W.3d 64, 79 (Mo. App. W.D. 2005). They assert books and supplies are known or reasonably ascertainable as needed to pursue a degree. They contend the books and supplies were rendered "useless" when SLCHC did not deliver its promised degree and therefore the MMPA petition alleged the "loss of use" of tangible property.

Hartford asserts the trial court did not err in granting summary judgment because the MMPA petition lacked allegations of property damage under the policy language. Rather, SLCHC failed to deliver the end-product it promised, the degree.2 Hartford also asserts there was no property to be damaged-the degree never existed and was never in Appellants' possession. We affirm.

An agreement not to execute permits plaintiffs with unliquidated claims and a tortfeasor to enter agreements under which the parties, in the event of a judgment against the tortfeasor, limit the assets the plaintiff(s) may obtain from the tortfeasor. See § 537.065. The parties' use *683of Section 537.065 is permitted only if an insurer is provided the opportunity to defend the tortfeasor and refuses. Id. Further, "[t]o establish an equitable garnishment claim, the plaintiff must prove that he obtained a judgment in his favor against the insurance company's insured, that the policy was in effect when the incident occurred and that the injury is covered by the insurance policy." Kotini v. Cenutry Sur. Co. , 411 S.W.3d 374 (Mo. App. E.D. 2013).

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Bluebook (online)
556 S.W.3d 679, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/spencer-v-hartford-cas-moctapp-2018.