ALLSTATE INSURANCE COMPANY, APPELLANT,
v.
ARVIDA CORPORATION, A DELAWARE CORPORATION AUTHORIZED TO DO BUSINESS IN FLORIDA, NATIONAL WEST, INC., F/K/A NATIONAL ROOFING COMPANY, INC., ET AL., APPELLEES
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Allstate Insurance Company appealed from an order granting partial summary judgment requiring it to defend its policyholder National West in a construction defect lawsuit. The court reversed, holding that genuine issues of material fact existed regarding whether National West provided timely notice under the insurance policy, precluding summary judgment.
Summary judgment was improper because National West failed to disprove or establish the legal insufficiency of Allstate's affirmative defense regarding timely notice. Genuine issues of material fact existed regarding whether National West provided timely notice and whether Allstate suffered prejudice, precluding summary judgment.
[1] An order requiring an insurance company to defend a policyholder, even if labeled as partial summary judgment, may be appealable as a final judgment, a mandatory injuncti…
[2] A party moving for summary judgment against an opponent who has asserted affirmative defenses must either disprove those defenses with evidence or establish their legal i…
Previewing 2 of 4 headnotes on this case. FLexlaw’s editorially structured points of law — every proposition, pinpointed — are reserved for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“[T]o obtain a summary judgment when the defendant asserts affirmative defenses, the plaintiff must either disprove those defenses by evidence or establish the legal insufficiency of the defenses.”
This rule establishes the standard National West had to meet to obtain summary judgment against Allstate's affirmative defense of lack of timely notice.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceArvida Corporation sued its roofing contractor National West for defective roofing work and subsequently named Allstate, National West's insurer, as a…
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HURLEY, Judge.
Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate) appeals from an order which purports to grant partial summary judgment, but which, in fact, requires Allstate to defend National West, Inc., an Allstate policy holder. Since we conclude that genuine issues of material fact remain for resolution, we are compelled to reverse.
In 1978 Arvida Corporation, a major housing developer, sued its roofing contractor, National West, Inc. Arvida claimed that National West performed defective roofing work at Arvida’s ‘Missionwood’ development. Subsequently, Arvida filed a second amended complaint which named Allstate as a co-defendant of National West. Arvida claimed that Allstate had issued an insurance policy to National West and that the policy provided coverage for the damage alleged in this case.
The next significant pleading was National West’s amended cross-claim against Allstate. Therein, National West claimed that Allstate breached its contract by refusing to defend National West in its suit with Arvida. Therefore, National West sued for damages. Allstate answered and, as an affirmative defense, asserted that National West had not complied with material requirements of the insurance contract. Apparently, this referred to Allstate’s contention that National West had failed to provide timely notice to Allstate and, thus, it was relieved of its duty to defend. Parenthetically, we note that National West never questioned the adequacy of this pleading and both parties have litigated on the assumption that it adequately asserted an affirmative defense.
National West then filed a motion for summary judgment against Allstate. Affidavits were filed in support of, and in opposition to the motion. In what can only be described as a curious order, the trial court held in favor of National West and proceeded to rule that “from the date of this Order hence, Allstate Insurance Company, shall assume the defense of this matter.... ” The court further noted that it had not reached a determination of whether Allstate’s policy provided coverage for the damages claimed by Arvida.
We begin by considering the issue of this court’s jurisdiction. Depending on how one chooses to classify the “partial summary judgment,” it suggests three independent bases for jurisdiction. First, although National West did not plead for specific performance, the order, in fact, requires Allstate to perform on the contract and, thus, the judgment could be construed as a final judgment, appealable under Rule 9.110, Fla.R.App.P. Alternatively, the order could be construed to be a mandatory injunction, appealable under Rule 9.130(a)(3)(B), Fla.R.App.P. Finally, and perhaps the weakest possibility, the order might be construed as one which determines the issue of liability in favor of a party seeking affirmative relief. Rule 9.130(a)(3)(C)(iv). Fla.R.App.P. Under any of these characterizations, we have jurisdiction.
Turning to the merits, the order must be reversed for two reasons. First, it grants a remedy not pled for nor supportable in light of National West’s request for money damages. Second, it violates an elemental rule governing summary judgments. “[T]o obtain a summary judgment when the defendant asserts affirmative defenses, the plaintiff must either disprove those defenses by evidence or establish the legal insufficiency of the defenses.” Bunner v. Florida Coast Bank, 390 So. 2d 126, 127 (Fla. 4th DCA 1980); see also Esteban v. Cordoba, 398 So. 2d 481 (Fla. 4th DCA 1981). National West did neither. If anything, the supporting and opposing affidavits in this case firmly indicate the existence of genuine issues of material fact regarding timely notice and resulting prejudice. See American Fire & Casualty Co. v. Collura, 163 So. 2d 784 (Fla. 2d DCA), cert. denied, 171 So. 2d 389 (Fla.1964); State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. v. Ranson, 121 So. 2d 175 (Fla. 2d DCA 1960). Accordingly, the judgment is reversed and the cause is remanded for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
LETTS, C.J., and DOWNEY, J., concur.
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Star Lakes Ests. Ass'n, Inc. v. Dory Auerbach and Hortense Auerbach, 656 So. 2d 271 (Fla. 3d DCA 1995)…sfully met this burden.” Holl v. Talcott, 191 So. 2d 40, 43-44 (Fla.1966); see Chihocky v. Crapo, 632 So. 2d 230, 233 (Fla. 1st DCA 1994); Bagley v. Western Cas. & Sur. Co., 505 So. 2d 678, 680 (Fla. 1st DCA 1987); Allstate Ins. Co. v. Arvida Corp., 421 So. 2d 741, 743 (Fla. 4th DCA 1982). To meet this initial burden the moving party is required to conclusively prove the absence of genuine issues of material fact, Holl, 191 So. 2d at 45, and “[t]he proof must be such as to overcome all reasonable inferences w…
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Terex Trailer Corp. v. McILWAIN, 579 So. 2d 237 (Fla. 1st DCA 1991)…a.R.App.P. 9.130(a)(3)(B).” Seigle v. Barry, 422 So. 2d 63, 64 (Fla. 4th DCA 1982), review denied, 431 So. 2d 988 (Fla.1983). See also City of St. Petersburg v. Competition Sails, Inc., 449 So. 2d 852 (Fla. 2d DCA 1984); Allstate Ins. Co. v. Arvida, 421 So. 2d 741, 742 (Fla. 4th DCA 1982); Padovano, Florida Appellate Practice, § 18.5 (1988). [*241] Similarly, there is broad authority to review non-final orders determining the right to immediate possession of property, under rule 9.130(a)(3)(C)(ii). The rule h…
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SAC Constr. Co., Inc. v. Eagle Nat'l Bank OF Miami, 449 So. 2d 301 (Fla. 3d DCA 1984)…he movant must disprove or establish the legal insufficiency of an affirmative defense, Puritan Insurance Co. v. Frank, 436 So. 2d 1140 (Fla. 3d DCA 1983); Wilson v. Pruette, 422 So. 2d 351 (Fla. 2d DCA 1982); Allstate Insurance Co. v. Arvida Corp., 421 So. 2d 741 (Fla. 4th DCA 1982), we note that the affirmative defenses were raised by Muller only. Neither SAC nor PAR-CAP filed any affirmative defenses and accordingly they must be deemed waived. Fla.R.Civ.P. 1.140. The second issue arguable by both appellan…
Previewing 3 of 10 citing cases — full citator treatment, depth of discussion, and citing context are member features.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAuthorities Cited
- Am. Fire & Cas. Co. v. Collura, 163 So. 2d 784 (Fla. 2d DCA 1964)
- State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co. v. Ranson, 121 So. 2d 175 (Fla. 2d DCA 1960)
- Bunner v. Fla. Coast Bank OF Coral Springs, N.A., 390 So. 2d 126 (Fla. 4th DCA 1980)
- City of Pompano v. Abc Bonding Agency, Inc., 171 So. 2d 389 (Fla. 1964)
- Esteban v. Cordoba, 398 So. 2d 481 (Fla. 4th DCA 1981)