Atl. Specialty Ins. Co. v. Karl's Boat Shop, Inc., CIVIL ACTION NO. 19-11219-WGY

• Decision Date: 20 August 2020
• Docket Number: CIVIL ACTION NO. 19-11219-WGY
• Citation: 480 F.Supp.3d 322
• Parties: ATLANTIC SPECIALTY INSURANCE COMPANY, Plaintiff, v. KARL'S BOAT SHOP, INC., KBS Realty Trust, and Karl E. Anderson, Defendants.
• Court: U.S. District Court — District of Massachusetts

480 F.Supp.3d 322

ATLANTIC SPECIALTY INSURANCE COMPANY, Plaintiff,

v.KARL'S BOAT SHOP, INC., KBS Realty Trust, and Karl E. Anderson, Defendants.

CIVIL ACTION NO. 19-11219-WGY

United States District Court, D. Massachusetts.

Filed August 20, 2020

Robert J. Murphy, Samuel P. Blatchley, Daniel C. Kelley, Holbrook & Murphy, Boston, MA, for Plaintiff.

Paul Revere, III, Law Offices of Paul Revere, III, Centerville, MA, for Defendants.

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

YOUNG, D.J.

I. INTRODUCTION

This case concerns the duties owed by the owner of a business to its insurer under maritime and Massachusetts law. Before the Court is Atlantic Specialty Insurance Company's ("Atlantic Specialty") motion for summary judgment. Pl.’s Mot. Sum. J., ECF No. 24; Pl.’s Mem. Supp. Mot. Summ. J. ("Pl.’s Mem."), ECF No. 25. The defendants, Karl's Boat Shop, Inc. ("Karl's"), KBS Realty Trust (the "Trust") and Karl E. Anderson ("Anderson") (collectively "KBS") oppose the motion, and cross-move for summary judgment. See Defs.’ Mem. Opp'n Pl.’s Mot. Summ. J. ("Defs.’ Opp'n") 2, ECF No. 28.

On May 31, 2019, Atlantic Specialty, an insurance underwriter, brought the present action for declaratory relief against KBS for Misrepresentation of Material Fact (Count I) and Violation of the Doctrine of Uberrimae Fidei (Count II). See generally Compl., ECF No. 1.

Anderson, the owner of Karl's Boat Shop and the trustee of KBS, operates a boat yard and marina that offers the storage of vessels as a service. Compl. ¶¶ 5-7. Atlantic Specialty alleged that it issued an insurance contract to KBS, under which KBS was required to cause all owners of vessels stored at its facility to execute a waiver indemnifying it (and thus Atlantic Specialty) from claims. Compl. ¶¶ 8-9, 18-19. Atlantic Specialty then alleged that KBS routinely failed to require vessel owners to sign the waivers, a material breach of their contract. Id. ¶¶ 21-25. When a fire broke out at a KBS storage barn damaging the vessels stored therein, multiple third parties threatened KBS with claims, Answer to Compl. Karl E. Anderson ("Answer") ¶ 29, ECF No. 9,¹ and KBS in turn requested that Atlantic Specialty defend and indemnify it. Compl. ¶¶ 26-32. Atlantic Specialty therefore requests a Declaratory Judgment that would allow it to void its contract with KBS, and thus deny coverage of these third-party claims. Id. 10-11.

Both parties have filed Statements of Material Fact. Pl.’s Statement Material Fact L.R. 56.1 ("Pl.’s SOF"), ECF No. 26; Defs.’ Opp'n, Attach. 3, Statement of Disputed and Undisputed Facts ("Defs.’ Disputed Facts") and ("Defs.’ SOF"), ECF No. 28-3. Atlantic Specialty has filed a Reply and a response disputing KBS's characterization of the facts. See Pl.’s Reply, ECF No. 31; Pl.’s Statement Material Facts L.R. 56.1 re Mot. Sum. J. ("Pl.’s Response SOF").

Based on the undisputed facts in the record, and taking all reasonable inferences in favor of the non-moving party KBS, Atlantic Specialty has met its burden of showing that KBS breached its insurance contract under the maritime doctrines of uberrimae fidei and the warranty of truthfulness. Accordingly, this court GRANTS summary judgment in favor of Atlantic Specialty, and DENIES KBS's cross-motion for summary judgment.

II. UNDISPUTED FACTS

Atlantic Specialty is an insurance company organized under the laws of New York, with its principal place of business in Plymouth, Minnesota. Pl.’s SOF ¶ 1. Karl Anderson is the sole officer of Karl's as well as the trustee of KBS Realty, and all entities are organized and operate in Massachusetts. Id. at ¶¶ 2-4.

Karl's is located at 50 Great Western Road, Harwich, Mass., about two miles from any navigable waterway. Defs.’ Opp'n, Ex. 1, Affidavit of Karl Anderson ("Anderson Affidavit") ¶¶ 1-2. The focus of the business is the maintenance and repair of recreational boats, including painting, cleaning, and hull and deck repair, and annual launching and hauling of some boats from moorings or docks. Id. ¶¶ 3-5. Karl's stores boats at a barn at 411 Upper County Road ("the Barn") and must haul boats overland to transport them to both locations. Id. ¶¶ 6-7.

KBS applied for insurance from Atlantic Specialty (under its trademark "International Marine Underwriters") on January 15, 2015, see Defs.’ Opp'n, Attach. 5, National Marina Program Application ("2015 Application"), ECF No. 28-2, and Atlantic Specialty issued the original insurance policy between these parties in February 2015, id., Attach. 6, Insurance Policy B5JH54698 ("2015 Insurance Policy"), ECF No. 28-2. Atlantic Specialty renewed the policy for 2016, 2017, and 2018 without requiring reapplication. See Defs.’ Opp'n, Ex. 1, Affidavit of Karl Anderson ("Anderson Affidavit") ¶¶ 17-18. The policy at issue in the current case ran from January 16, 2018 to January 16, 2019. See Compl., Ex. A, Insurance Policy B5JH54698 ("2018 Insurance Policy"), ECF No. 1-1. KBS had also received insurance from International Marine Underwriters from 2010 to 2014. Anderson Affidavit ¶¶ 8-9, 14-15.

On February 9, 2016, Atlantic Specialty sent a loss control specialist, Robert Loring, to conduct a survey of KBS. Pl.’s SOF ¶ 9; id., Attach. 1, Decl. of Russell Bond ("Bond Decl.") ¶¶ 15-16, ECF No. 26-1. Loring identified six areas for improvement and provided them to KBS, which faxed back a document to International Marine Underwriters in June of 2016, acknowledging its receipt and its plans for improvement. Bond Decl. ¶¶ 19-20; Anderson Affidavit ¶ 19; Pl.’s SOF, Ex. A., Loss Control Survey Recommendations ("2016 Loss Fax"), ECF No. 26-2. The heading of the loss control recommendation states, "[f]ailure to respond may jeopardize your insurance coverage." Id. at 2. It makes six recommendations, each of which is labelled "Recommendation Grade: Necessary," all using language indicating a particular change "should be" implemented. Id. at 3-4. One of these recommendations was for a Boat Storage Agreement, stating:

A boat storage agreement should be instituted. The agreement should require that boat owners provide proof of insurance and the agreement should have hold harmless and indemnification language. Legal counsel should be consulted for proper wording to ensure that it complies with state and local statutes.

Id. KBS stated for this recommendation "Enclosed," id. at 3, and included in the fax two documents, a waiver ("Waiver") and short-term storage contract ("Storage Contract"), id. at 5-6.

The Waiver states in pertinent part:

In contracting with Karl's Boat Shop, Inc., I recognize and accept that there are certain elements of risk that exist ... I will in no way hold Karl's Boat Shop, Inc. responsible for any such damage that may occur during the handling of my boat.

Id. at 5. The Storage Contract similarly states:

Karl's Boat Shop, Inc. assumes no responsibility for loss or damage to vessels, engines, or articles left onboard in case of fire, theft, rodents, damage, exposure to the elements, acts of God, or any other cause however arising.

Id. at 6.

KBS had once before completed a similar loss control compliance form, in 2010. See Anderson Dep. ¶¶ 8-14. The 2010 loss control survey, directed by International Marine Underwriters, also recommended the implementation of a boat storage agreement, and KBS included a similar Waiver and Storage Agreement in its response to that survey that contained an identical disclaimer. See Defs.’ Opp'n, Attach. 2, Loss Control Survey Recommendations ("2010 Loss Fax"), 4-6, ECF No. 28-2.

At his deposition, Karl Anderson testified that the 2010 fax was actually sent by his employee Heather Brown, that she had filled out the responses to the recommendations, and that he was unsure whether he had authorized her to sign his name on it. Pl.’s SOF, Ex. 23, Dep. of Karl Anderson 47:10-50:5, ECF No. 26-26. He also stated that he specifically instructed her in 2010 to have all customers execute the waiver and storage agreements. Id., Ex. 24, Dep. of Karl Anderson 67:9-67:20. He did not, however, periodically check to ensure she was actually complying. Id., Ex. 24, Dep. of Karl Anderson 67:23-68:9, ECF No 26-29. Anderson does not specify if he signed the 2016 response, but this Court infers that he did so because the handwriting is different than the 2010 response, and Anderson acknowledges intentionally sending that fax. See 2016 Loss Fax; Pl.’s SOF, Ex. 5, Dep. of Karl Anderson at 64:3-64:20, ECF No. 26-7.

On or about June 2, 2018, a fire occurred at the Barn. Pl.’s SOF ¶¶ 32-33. Atlantic Specialty eventually paid KBS $221,347 for damage to the property and related expenses. Pl.’s Reply, Ex. 1, Decl. Russell Bond ("Second Bond Decl.") ¶¶ 7-8, ECF No. 31-1.

Multiple vessels owned by third parties also were damaged in the fire. Id. ¶¶ 33-34. Several of these third parties communicated to KBS that they intended to seek compensation, and one of these parties filed suit. See Pl.’s SOF, Ex. 14, Wianno Senior # 184 Claim of Compensation, ECF No. 26-16; id., Ex. 15, Kennedy Letter, ECF No. 26-17; id., Ex. 16, Chubb Insurance Letter, ECF No. 26-18; id., Ex. 17, Complaint, ACE American Insurance Company et al. v. Karl's Boat Shop, Inc. ("ACE Complaint"), 19-cv-12521, ECF No. 26-19. KBS requested that Atlantic Specialty provide it with defense and indemnity regarding these third-party claims, pursuant to the 2018 Insurance Policy. Pl.’s SOF ¶ 36.

Atlantic Specialty investigated. In response to interrogatories by Atlantic Specialty, KBS admitted it had no records indicating the parties who brought third party claims for fire damage had executed the Waiver or Storage Agreements. Pl.’s SOF, Ex. 19, Def.’s Responses Request Admission ("Def.’s Admissions") Responses 6, 10, ECF No. 26-21. KBS stated that Heather Brown was the one responsible for ensuring that KBS obtained these executed documents, but that she "was terminated from employment under circumstances which suggest she will not be cooperative with KBS in determining whether customers signed the relevant documents." Pl.’s SOF, Ex....