OLD REPUBLIC NATIONAL TITLE INSURANCE COMPANY, ETC., PETITIONER,
v.
HOMEAMERICAN CREDIT, INC., ETC., RESPONDENT
AI-generated. These summaries, headnotes, and key points are machine-generated and may contain errors or omissions. Always verify against the full opinion text below. Not legal advice.
A discovery order compelling production of an insurer's claims files and business practices documents is premature and a departure from the essential requirements of law if the insured's liability and damages under the policy have not yet been determined.
[1] A claim for statutory bad faith against an insurer is premature unless liability and the extent of damages owed under the insurance policy have been determined.
[2] Discovery of an insurer's claim file or documents relating to its business practices for handling claims is not permitted in an action for insurance benefits combined wit…
Previewing 2 of 3 headnotes on this case. FLexlaw’s editorially structured points of law — every proposition, pinpointed — are reserved for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceHomeAmerican sued its title insurer, Republic, for failing to discover an encumbrance. HomeAmerican also alleged bad faith and sought discovery of Rep…
The full statement of facts, procedural history, and disposition for this case are member content.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence© FLexlaw, Inc. — AI-generated enrichments are proprietary. All rights reserved.
Explore caselaw by topic → Browse Certiorari Review Of Discovery Orders cases and more on FLexlaw
SAWAYA, J.
Old Republic National Title Insurance Company (Republic) seeks certiorari review of the trial court’s order requiring Republic to produce certain documents to HomeAmerican Credit, Inc., d/b/a Upland Mortgage (HomeAmerican).
We grant the petition for writ of certiorari and quash, in part, the trial court’s order. Republic, a corporation licensed and authorized to issue title insurance in Florida, issued a title insurance policy insuring Ho-meAmerican’s interest as mortgagee in a certain parcel of real property situated in Orange County, Florida. After the mortgagors defaulted on the mortgage loan and HomeAmerican acquired the property via a deed in lieu of foreclosure, HomeAmeri-can attempted to sell the property. A title search uncovered a recorded encumbrance that Republic had previously failed to discover. HomeAmerican asserted that the encumbrance was a defect in title that rendered title to the property unmarketable and demanded that Republic pay damages under the policy. Home-American’s complaint alleges that Republic refused to pay damages under the policy and that the failure to pay was done in bad faith. HomeAmerican reserved the right to plead for punitive damages upon a proper showing of statutory bad faith by Republic. In the answer to the complaint, Republic denies that HomeAmerican is entitled to coverage under the policy.
HomeAmerican sought production of documents from Republic including, inter alia, documents relating to Republic’s business policies and practices regarding its handling of claims and documents which “relate to any title claim litigation filed against OLD REPUBLIC from January 1,1999 to the present date, in the state of Florida.” Republic objected on the grounds that the discovery request was overbroad, vague, burdensome, and not reasonably calculated to lead to discoverable or admissible evidence. The trial court granted, in part, HomeAmerican’s motion to compel discovery ordering Republic to produce the policy and business practice documents and the title claim litigation documents.
When reviewing the propriety of a discovery order by certiorari, “the applicable standard of review is whether the challenged order is a departure from the essential requirements of the law, which causes material injury throughout the law suit [sic], leaving the petitioner with no other adequate remedy to review the alleged erroneous order.” Beverly Enterprises-Florida, Inc. v. Ives, 832 So. 2d 161, 162 (Fla. 5th DCA 2002) (citing Allstate Ins. Co. v. Langston, 655 So. 2d 91 (Fla.1995); Combs v. State, 436 So. 2d 93 (Fla.1983)).
Under the facts and circumstances of this particular case, we find the discovery order departs from the essential requirements of the law. A cause of action for statutory bad faith pursuant to section 624.155(l)(b)l., Florida Statutes (2000), is premature unless there has been a determination of liability and extent of damages owed the insured under the first-party insurance policy. See Vest v. Travelers Ins. Co., 753 So. 2d 1270, 1276 (Fla.2000).
Hence, a party is not entitled to discovery of an insurer’s claim file or documents relating to the insurer’s business policies or practices regarding the handling of claims in an action for insurance benefits combined with a bad faith action until the insurer’s obligation to provide coverage has been established. See Liberty Mut. Ins. Co. v. Farm, Inc., 754 So. 2d 865 (Fla. 3d DCA 2000) (holding that a discovery order in a bad faith action requiring disclosure of the insurer’s business practices was premature without a determination of the coverage issue); American Bankers Ins. Co. of Fla. v. Wheeler, 711 So. 2d 1347 (Fla. 5th DCA 1998) (holding that in a bad faith action, when the issue of coverage has not been determined, it is a departure from the essential requirements of the law to order disclosure of the insurer’s claims file and the insurer’s claims handling manuals and materials); State Farm Fire & Cas. Co. v. Martin, 673 So. 2d 518 (Fla. 5th DCA 1996); see also Blanchard v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 575 So. 2d 1289 (Fla.1991).
Therefore, because Republic’s obligation to provide coverage has yet to be determined, the trial court departed from the essential requirements of the law in ordering production of Republic’s title claim'litigation files and the documents relating to its business policies and practices regarding the handling of claims, leaving Republic with no adequate remedy to review the erroneous order. Accordingly, we grant the petition and quash the portion of the order compelling production of documents contained in Republic’s litigation files and the documents relating to its business policies and practices.
PETITION GRANTED; ORDER QUASHED in part.
THOMPSON, C.J., and PETERSON J., concur.
Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus
Citator
Cited By (16 total)
-
Allstate Indem. Co. v. Ruiz, 899 So. 2d 1121 (Fla. 2005)…actions simultaneously must recognize that certain documentation relevant to the bad faith action may not be available for discovery until after resolution of the underlying matter. See Old Republic Nat’l Title Ins. Co. v. HomeAmerican Credit, Inc., 844 So. 2d 818, 819 (Fla. 5th DCA 2003) (holding that a party is not entitled to discovery of an insurer’s claim file in an action for insurance benefits combined with bad faith until the insurer’s obligation to provide coverage has been established); Allstate Ins…
-
State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co. v. O'Hearn, 975 So. 2d 633 (Fla. 2d DCA 2008)…tablished both a departure from the essential requirements of the law and irreparable harm. The Fifth District explained the proper analysis for addressing this type of order in Old Republic National Title Insurance Co. v. HomeAmerican Credit, Inc., 844 So. 2d 818, 819-20 (Fla. 5th DCA 2003): When reviewing the propriety of a discovery order by certiorari, “the applicable standard of review is whether the challenged order is a departure from the essential requirements of the law, which causes material injury…
-
Gov't Emps. Ins. Co. v. Edelmida Rodriguez, 960 So. 2d 794 (Fla. 3d DCA 2007)…etition and quash the portion of the order compelling production of documents contained in Republic’s litigation files and the documents relating to its business policies and practices. Old Republic Nat. Title Ins. Co. v. HomeAmerican Credit, Inc., 844 So. 2d 818, 819-20 (Fla. 5th DCA 2003). The argument that GEICO somehow opened the door to inquiry regarding its claims handling procedures by interposing the defense of settlement is without merit. Either the case was settled, or it was not. The content of G…
Previewing 3 of 16 citing cases — full citator treatment, depth of discussion, and citing context are member features.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAuthorities Cited
- Combs v. State, 436 So. 2d 93 (Fla. 1983)
- Allstate Ins. Co. v. Langston, 655 So. 2d 91 (Fla. 1995)
- Blanchard v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 575 So. 2d 1289 (Fla. 1991)
- Vest v. Travelers Ins. Co., 753 So. 2d 1270 (Fla. 2000)
- Beverly Enterprises-Florida, Inc. v. Ives, 832 So. 2d 161 (Fla. 5th DCA 2002)
- White v. State, 711 So. 2d 1347 (Fla. 5th DCA 1998)
- State Farm Fire & Cas. Co. v. Martin, 673 So. 2d 518 (Fla. 5th DCA 1996)
- Liberty Mut. Ins. Co. v. The Farm, Inc., 754 So. 2d 865 (Fla. 3d DCA 2000)