State Farm Fire & Casualty Co. v. Price Ex Rel. Moya

684 P.2d 524, 101 N.M. 438
CourtNew Mexico Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 3, 1984
Docket7329
StatusPublished
Cited by54 cases

This text of 684 P.2d 524 (State Farm Fire & Casualty Co. v. Price Ex Rel. Moya) 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
State Farm Fire & Casualty Co. v. Price Ex Rel. Moya, 684 P.2d 524, 101 N.M. 438 (N.M. Ct. App. 1984).

Opinion

OPINION

NEAL, Judge.

This insurance case raises issues concerning coverage, the duty of the insurance company to defend, and cooperation of the insured. We also discuss the insured’s claim against the insurance company for negligent failure to procure insurance, bad faith, the Unfair Practices Act, and other minor issues.

State Farm Fire and Casualty Company (State Farm) brought this declaratory judgment action to establish that it had no obligation to pay its insured, David Price (Price). Bessie and Reuben Moya (the Moyas) were also named as defendants along with Price because Price assigned, or attempted to assign, his rights against State Farm to the Moyas. We discuss the assignment later in this opinion. The defendants answered and counterclaimed. The counterclaim generally alleged breach of contract.

At the request of the defendants the case was tried to a jury. After all of the evidence was presented, the trial court directed a verdict in favor of State Farm, ruling that Price had no coverage. The trial court directed a verdict against the defendants on their counterclaim and they appeal.

On November 3, 1979, Price and his girlfriend, Karen Herndon (Herndon), were driving south on Interstate 25. Price was driving Herndon’s car. The car struck Denise Moya (the Moya’s daughter) as she was getting off a school bus near Socorro. Price’s negligence is not an issue in this appeal, nor is notification of the accident; State Farm admits it was notified.

In July 1980, the Moyas filed suit for personal injury against Price. Because Price was driving his girlfriend’s car with her permission he was covered under her insurance policy with United States Automobile Association (USAA). On August 25, 1980, the law firm of Civerolo, Hansen & Wolf entered an appearance on behalf of Price and USAA in the personal injury suit. Two days later Wayne Wolf filed an answer.

It is undisputed that neither Price nor anyone acting for him ever forwarded the personal injury complaint to State Farm.

Price also talked to an Alamogordo attorney, S. Thomas Overstreet. On May 6, 1981, Overstreet sent a letter to Ed Scarbrough, a State Farm agent in Alamogordo. This letter, which we will set out later in this opinion, stated the caption of the personal injury case in which Price was a defendant. State Farm raises an issue concerning the admissibility of this letter. We address that issue in our discussion of State Farm’s duty to defend.

On May 12, 1981, State Farm had Price sign a Request for Claim Service and Non-Waiver of Rights. This form stated: “It is questionable whether coverage applies because the vehicle you were driving was apparently available for your regular and frequent use. * * * [State Farm] may have no obligation to defend or indemnify * * * ))

On May 22, 1981, Overstreet sent another letter to Alberto Munoz, a State Farm field claim representative in Las Cruces. This letter referred to a lawsuit against Price but did not contain a case caption or number. It states that the plaintiffs are willing to settle their claim and that “[o]n behalf of David Price, we recommend that you accept this offer.” The plaintiffs are not named in the letter. On August 19, 1981, a Stipulation and Settlement Agreement was entered into by Price, USAA and the Moyas. USAA settled with the Moyas for $50,000, the amount of its coverage. Price and the Moyas agreed that judgment would be entered against Price for $210,-000. Price was given a $50,000 credit for USAA’s settlement; his exposure was $160,000. Price also assigned his rights against “State Farm Mutual Automobile Association” to the Moyas. State Farm was not a party to the personal injury suit nor did it participate in or consent to this settlement.

On November 6, 1981, State Farm filed the declaratory judgment action which is the subject of this appeal. The case was tried to a jury and on March 31, 1983, following trial, the trial court granted State Farm a directed verdict and directed a verdict against the defendants on their counterclaim. At the request of the defendants the trial court entered findings and conclusions in support of its directed verdict.

A directed verdict is proper only when the jury could not reasonably and legally reach any other conclusion. See NMSA 1978, Civ.P.R. 50 (Repl.Pamp.1980); Strickland v. Roosevelt County Rural Electric Cooperative, 94 N.M. 459, 612 P.2d 689 (Ct.App.1980). If reasonable minds cannot differ the court has a duty to take the case from the jury and direct a verdict. Owen v. Burn Construction Co., 90 N.M. 297, 563 P.2d 91 (1977). In reviewing the motion for a directed verdict the trial court is to review the evidence and all reasonable inferences in the light most favorable to the party resisting the directed verdict, and the same standard applies to an appellate court. Archuleta v. Pina, 86 N.M. 94, 519 P.2d 1175 (1974).

1. Coverage .Under the “Non-Owned Automobile” clause.

At the time of the accident Price was driving Herndon’s car. State Farm’s position was that Karen was living with Price, that Price could and did use her car whenever he wanted to, and therefore under the “non-owned automobile” clause in Section I of the policy State Farm did not cover Price when he was driving Karen’s car. “Non-owned automobile” is defined in the policy:

Non-Owned Automobile means an automobile, trailer or detachable living quarters unit, not
(1) owned by,
(2) registered in the name of, or
(3) furnished or available for the frequent or regular use of the named insured or any resident of the same household, other than a temporary substitute automobile[.]

The purpose of this clause is to protect an insurer against a situation where an insured purchases a policy covering one car and could then be covered as to all automobiles he frequently uses. See 1 R. Long, The Law of Liability Insurance § 4.07 (1983).

The trial court ruled that Karen’s car was furnished or available for the regular and frequent use of Price and directed a verdict in favor of State Farm.

Price testified that Karen had lived with him since early July, 1979. Karen testified that between July 4, 1979 and November 3, 1979, the date of the accident, Price drove her car twenty times. This is approximately once every six days.

Under the “furnished or available” clause, the test is the availability of an automobile for regular use, not the frequency of the use. 1 Long § 4.07. The evidence supports the directed verdict. Further, on appeal the defendants have not cited any evidence to contradict the clear inference that Karen’s car was available for Price’s use, nor have they argued that coverage under this policy provision was a jury question.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
684 P.2d 524, 101 N.M. 438, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-farm-fire-casualty-co-v-price-ex-rel-moya-nmctapp-1984.