Glasscock, Inc. v. US Fidelity & Guar.
Decision Date | 03 December 2001 |
Docket Number | No. 3413.,3413. |
Citation | 348 S.C. 76,557 S.E.2d 689 |
Court | South Carolina Court of Appeals |
Parties | GLASSCOCK, INC., Respondent, v. UNITED STATES FIDELITY AND GUARANTY COMPANY, Appellant. |
Andrew F. Lindemann, of Davidson, Morrison & Lindemann, of Columbia, for appellant.
John E. Miles, of Miles Law Firm; and Kristi F. Curtis, of Bryan, Bahnmuller, Goldman & McElveen, both of Sumter, for respondent.
Glasscock, Inc. ("Glasscock") brought a declaratory judgment action against its insurer, United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company ("USF & G"), seeking coverage for loss of use damages under the underinsured motorist ("UIM") portion of its insurance policy. Both parties filed motions seeking summary judgment. The trial court originally ruled for USF & G, but reversed its ruling upon Glasscock's motion to alter or amend the judgment. In response, USF & G filed two motions, one to vacate the ruling, and the other to alter or amend the judgment. Both motions were denied. USF & G appeals these denials. We affirm.
On November 19, 1997, a truck owned and operated by Glasscock was involved in an accident with John Vereen. Vereen maintained an insurance policy with property damage limits of up to $25,000. Glasscock had an insurance policy in effect with USF & G, with $1,000,000 in liability coverage and $1,000,000 in UIM coverage. Glasscock contended that the amount of property damage to the truck and loss of use damages exceeded the $25,000 property damage limit under Vereen's policy and brought a claim for recovery under the UIM portion of its policy with USF & G. USF & G denied Glasscock's claim for UIM benefits, stating that loss of use damages were not covered under the "property damage" definition of the UIM endorsement contained in the policy. The language of the endorsements defining "property damage" under the liability and UIM sections of the policy is different. The liability endorsement reads: "`Property damage' means damage to or loss of use of tangible property." The UIM endorsement reads: "`Property damage' as used in this endorsement means injury to or destruction of your covered `auto.'" Glasscock commenced a declaratory judgment action to determine whether loss of use damages were covered under the UIM portion of the policy. Both parties conceded that there were no material issues of fact in dispute and filed motions seeking summary judgment. On March 12, 1999, the trial court granted USF & G's motion for summary judgment stating that loss of use damages were not covered under the UIM provision of the policy. Subsequent to this decision, Glasscock filed a motion for reconsideration pursuant to Rule 59(e), SCRCP. On April 23, 1999, the trial court granted Glasscock's motion and ordered that the UIM policy be reformed to cover loss of use damages under the property damage endorsement. In response to the April 23, 1999, order, USF & G filed two motions, one to vacate pursuant to Rule 60, SCRCP and one for reconsideration pursuant to Rule 59(e) & (f), SCRCP. The trial court denied both motions on November 30, 1999, and this appeal ensued.
Summary judgment is appropriate when it is clear there is no genuine issue of material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Rule 56(c), SCRCP; Olson v. Faculty House of Carolina, Inc., 344 S.C. 194, 544 S.E.2d 38 (Ct.App.2001), cert. granted; Baird v. Charleston County, 333 S.C. 519, 511 S.E.2d 69 (1999); Vermeer Carolina's, Inc. v. Wood/Chuck Chipper Corp., 336 S.C. 53, 518 S.E.2d 301 (Ct.App.1999); Young v. South Carolina Dep't of Corrections, 333 S.C. 714, 511 S.E.2d 413 (Ct.App.1999); see also Wells v. City of Lynchburg, 331 S.C. 296, 501 S.E.2d 746 (Ct.App.1998)
(. )
In determining whether any triable issue of fact exists, the evidence and all inferences reasonably drawn therefrom must be viewed in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party. Strother v. Lexington County Recreation Comm'n, 332 S.C. 54, 504 S.E.2d 117 (1998); Pye v. Aycock, 325 S.C. 426, 480 S.E.2d 455 (Ct.App.1997). Summary judgment is not appropriate where further inquiry into the facts of the case is desirable to clarify the application of the law. Tupper v. Dorchester County, 326 S.C. 318, 487 S.E.2d 187 (1997); Moriarty v. Garden Sanctuary Church of God, 334 S.C. 150, 511 S.E.2d 699 (Ct.App.1999), aff'd, 341 S.C. 320, 534 S.E.2d 672 (2000). All ambiguities, conclusions, and inferences arising from the evidence must be construed most strongly against the moving party. Young v. South Carolina Dep't of Corrections, 333 S.C. 714, 511 S.E.2d 413 (Ct.App.1999). Even when there is no dispute as to evidentiary facts, but only as to the conclusions or inferences to be drawn from them, summary judgment should be denied. Id.
On appeal, this Court reviews the grant of summary judgment using the same standard applied by the trial court. Bray v. Marathon Corp., 347 S.C. 189, 553 S.E.2d 477 (Ct. App.2001); see also Estate of Cantrell, 302 S.C. 557, 559, 397 S.E.2d 777, 778 (Ct.App.1990)
() (citations omitted).
In its brief, USF & G frames the procedural reformation issue as follows: "Did the lower court err in reforming the underinsured motorist endorsement to include coverage for loss of use damages where no cause of action for reformation was pled by the Respondent?" While the substantive reformation issue was fully discussed and argued in USF & G's brief, the procedural reformation issue was addressed solely in a footnote contained within the text of the argument relating to substantive reformation. The text of the footnote reads:
345 S.C. 626, 550 S.E.2d 304 (2001), we held that a one sentence paragraph raised in an appellant's brief was insufficient to preserve the issue for appeal: (citation omitted). In this case, USF & G's footnote was conclusory and cited no supporting authority. It is insufficient to preserve the argument for review. Additionally, even though USF & G more fully addressed the issue in its reply brief, an argument made in a reply brief cannot present an issue to the appellate court if it was not addressed in the initial brief. See Jackson v. Bi-Lo Stores, Inc., 313 S.C. 272, 277, 437 S.E.2d 168, 171 (Ct.App.1993) () (citation omitted). Accordingly, we find that USF & G's argument was not properly presented to this Court and is deemed abandoned.
Even if the issue were properly presented to this Court, we find the reformation action was sufficiently stated in the complaint. Glasscock's complaint alleges, in pertinent part:
Sandy Island Corporation v. Ragsdale, 246 S.C. 414, 419, 143 S.E.2d 803, 806 (1965) states: "The law requires a plaintiff to state...
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