QBE Ins. Corp. v M&R European Constr. Corp.

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QBE Ins. Corp. v M&R European Constr. Corp. 2012 NY Slip Op 31851(U) July 10, 2012 Supreme Court, New York County Docket Number: 602293/00 Judge: Marcy S. Friedman Republished from New York State Unified Court System's E-Courts Service. Search E-Courts (http://www.nycourts.gov/ecourts) for any additional information on this case. This opinion is uncorrected and not selected for official publication. ANNED ON 711612012 [* 1] SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK NEW YORK COUNTY PART Justice . . ... .. I Index Number - 602293/2009 QBE INSURANCE. CORPORATION vs . M&R EUROPEAN CONSTRUCTION SEQUENCE N U M B E R . 002 INDEX NO. MOTION DATE MOTION SEP. NO. SUMMARY JUDGMENT The followlng papers, numbered Ito ,were read on this motlon tolfor Notlce of MotlonlOtder to Show Cause -Affidavits 1 No(s). , , / - , I INo($). -. 7 7 ' INo(s). T - Exhiblts Answerlng Affldavlts - Exhibits 'y-- _ J Replylng Affldavlts ..................................................................... [ -1 CASE DISPOSED DENIED CHECK AS APPROPRIATE: ........................... MOTION IS: 1-1 GRANTED CHECK IF APPROPRIATE: ................................................ I SETTLE ORDER ? 1. CHECK ONE: 2. 3. 0DO NOT POST ,/&ON-FINAL 0GRANTED IN PART DISPOSITION [ 1 OTHER SUBMIT ORDER FIDUCIARY APPOINTMENT nREFERENCE [* 2] ., 143-145 I,I+~XIN(i'I'ON AVENIIE, LLC, GREEN (.' I RC' E C' 0N S I 'I< IJ 1 I (.) .I , I j C . JOHN LAY TON, I., N ' (.I' ' ~ CiTIEA'l' AMERICAN INSII IiANC'II C O M P A N Y atid AMERIC'AN (.~LIARAN'I'l<I< ANI) I ,IAHII ,I I'Y INS 1.1 RANC E C Y )M PAN Y ~ -1- [* 3] ;ti1 unclerpiiiniiig subconhxtor on ;L coristruction pro-ject at 143- I45 Lexington Avenue. Q n E insured M&R under ;I gencral 1i;ibili~y policy for the period liom I;cbi.uary 8, 2006 to Fcbruary 8, 2007. Gi-c:it American i n s u r d M&R uiiclcr 3 general liability policy li)r thc pcriod liom l ebriiary 8, 3005 lo 1;ebruary 8, 2006. In the main action. (,)HE sccks a judgiiiciit declaring that i t has no diity to clcfcnci o r inclcmnil y M L W o r its allegccl ndditiorial insur-cds 143-145 Lexington Avcnuc. l,l,C ( 14.;- 145). thc owner of tlic uons(ructio1i sil.0, GI-ccii (. ir-clc (:~onstriiction,T ,I L (C;i-cciiClii-clc). tlic genur;il contractor, and ils iiieinhci-. .lohn I ,ayton. In thc third 13ilrtY Laction, 141-1iCS, C.;rccn (. iixlc*aiicl I ,aytoii sccli I jirclgment declaring thal they are entilled 10 clt.li.nsc and indcninilication I under the policy issued to M&li by lhird-party d~f~11di11it Great American. Great American moves lbr summary .j iidgmcnt dismissing the third-party complaint on the groiind, among others, that third-party plaintiffs hilccl to comply with the timely notice requirements 01. its policy. fhir&party oppose the motion. plaiiitiffs aiicl (>T<I< [* 4] tioli tied M&R s insiirniicc broker, BNC Insiirancc Agcncy (HNC ), 01 the thircl-lwly claii-ns. The leltcr statcd: I 17rovide you w-iih ;r copy of this I liird-P:irty Siimiiioiis aiid C omplaiiit so ihat you call place Greai American Insurance C ornpnny who issued a gciicrnl liability policy iinclcr iiuniber GL0584908 I policy period 2/8/05 2/8/06 with umbrella coverage with Anicrican (.haranlee lindcr policy number A11(. 53274Sh;MIi on rioticc ofthis litigatioii so that tlicy caii interposc a i ;Lllswcr thcrclo. Plcase bear i n rniiicl that failure ul M & I [sic] Ihropcau C onstructioii I.. orp. to rcspond to this third-party acljon will ~esull a clcfaiilt .iiiclgnient in I~iiig taken. (Ex. to I .iiidemann A IT.) Grcal Amcric;iii achnowledges that it rcccivcd this Icttcr iii N o v m b e r 1 dcniccl coveragc to M&R bascd on its lirilurt: to provide tirucly notice o f the occui-rciicc, claim, d s o rcscrvcd the riglit to disclniin on llic gr-oiind that tlic ciniiiiige 10 thc Mni-bi11;i propcrty did not take place during the Great Aiiioi-icaii policy period On (11about April 0. 20 1 (1, third-party plaintil t:.,filccl Ihe instatit tliircl-party dccliirutory ,iiidgnicnt xlioii against Circat Amcrican, allcgiiig entitlement 1 -3- to cover~igc additional naiiiul ns [* 5] [* 6] [* 7] [* 8] -7- [* 9] Tiosncr tcsti lictl thal 1,nyton Iixl prctiy much, li-cc 3cccss to thc kui Iding nt any and all Ilicy r-epaii.cdthe roof. (M.t 98.) Li Tlic rosiclclitiid tenants 1 1 all ~ inovccl ~ out of the b~iilcliiig,and tlic Marbilla, I.,LC s insiu-aiice compnny has clccined the buildiiig p in inhabit ah lo (Id.at 122.) covcriige. I lic policy provides in pertinent part: Seclion I V ( 3 ) a, You must w e to i t that we arc notilied ;IS so011as practicable of an Locciii.rciice 01 ofli.nsc which may result In ;I claini. 1 0 Ihe extent an puss i h 1c , I i c) ti ce s ho ~1I d i I i c I uclc : ( 1 ) I-low, Wllt.11 and whcl-c Ilic Lc)ccIIrI.cIIcc r oll ensc took 1 h c e ; o (2) I he n;inics aiicl addresses ol any iiij iii*ed persniis :itid wi tncsscs; I: nd (3) I he nature aiid location ol any ir-i-jul-y o r daiiiage arising out o r thc occlIl-l.t rlcc o r of fcnsc. 13. l f a claim is maclc or suit is brouglii against a n y insurccl, yo11 must: ( I ) Immcdj;~ielyrecord the speciilics o f thc claini o r suit and the datc received; arid ( 3 )Notify LIS ;IS soon a s prxticable. Y o u must scc to i t ilia1 wc rcccivc written iioticc o T the claiin o i + suit ;IS soon ;IS pixcticxible. c. You m d nriy other involvccl iilsiired must: ( 1 ) Immediately scncl LIS copies o f m y demiincls. iioticos, suiiinioiiscs or legid I X I ~ J ~ I rccoived in coiirieclion wilh 11x claim S .. o r suit . . . . It i s well scttled h u t prompt notice is ;I condition precoclciil to covci~age, that an ;ind -8- [* 10] [* 11] [* 12] . .. . [* 13] occLirrciicc. I liey oI li.r no explanalion For tlicir failure to proviclc (;rent Amcrican with tlic S I ~ I I ~ I I Kand~ complaint ~I S cl copy ol in the Marbilln nctioii until o w ycnl- after its tiling. he court has consiclcrccl third-ixirty pliiititillk reriiaining conlentions and linds thcm lo be without merit. Q H t also Liils t o raisc ;1 triable issue ol L i d . It submits no support Ibr its asscrtioii that Greal Amcrioail was a co-insurer under these circumstances in which QHF: and Insui-ancc c o. (incorrcctly succl as C h a t Arncrican Insurance C ompnny) is grantccl to the cslc~ll of dismissing the thild-party coniplaint; and it is further . . C > K D E i m ) ihat the rcma~l-i~tig chiliis arc scvcl-cd and s1i:ill continue. I hisconstitutes h c decision and orclcr of the court. - 13-

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