JAMES C DAHLKE V HOME OWNERS INS CO
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STATE OF MICHIGAN
COURT OF APPEALS
UNPUBLISHED
December 23, 2003
JAMES C. DAHLKE and KATHLEEN H.
DAHLKE,
Plaintiffs-Appellees,
v
No. 239128
Ingham Circuit Court
LC No. 01-093003-CK
HOME OWNERS INSURANCE COMPANY,
Defendant-Appellant.
Before: Whitbeck, C.J., and Hoekstra and Donofrio, JJ.
PER CURIAM.
In this suit in which plaintiffs, James and Kathleen Dahlke, claimed breach of contract
and violations of the Uniform Trade Practices Act (UTPA), and the Michigan Consumer
Protection Act (MCPA), defendant, Home Owners, appeals by leave granted the trial court’s
denial of its motion for summary disposition pursuant to MCR 2.116(C)(10). More specifically,
Home Owners argues that summary disposition should have been granted for the following
reasons: the exclusionary provision in the parties’ insurance policy that excludes coverage for
losses caused by mold operates to preclude coverage of the Dahlkes’ claim; failure to provide
adequate proof of loss within the sixty-day time limit provided by the policy operates to preclude
coverage of the Dahlkes’ claim; the claim was “reasonably in dispute” so as to relieve Home
Owners of liability for its refusal to pay the Dahlkes’ claim and consequent interest on the claim
under the UTPA; and principles of waiver and estoppel were inappropriate to expand coverage in
the instant case. Because we agree with Home Owners on the controlling issues, we reverse and
remand.
The instant case arises out of Home Owners’ denial of coverage to the Dahlkes based on
an exclusionary provision in the parties’ insurance policy. The facts relevant to the resolution of
this appeal are that in January 1999, melting ice and snow on the Dahlkes’ roof leaked into their
house causing the ceiling to collapse, and causing damage to the walls. Various contractors and
adjusters examined the house and determined that in addition to the ceiling and wall damage, the
leaking water fostered mold growth which caused the house to be a total loss.1 Before
1
There is some indication that the mold damage developed from water leaking into the Dahlkes’
house before the water buildup that resulted in the ceiling and wall damage. However, because
(continued…)
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discovering the extent of the damages to the house caused by mold, Home Owners agreed to pay
for repairs, provide temporary housing, and even pay for some remediation of the mold problem
by applying a standard milicide. But after further investigation revealed the full extent of the
mold damage, Home Owners denied the Dahlkes’ claim for mold damages, relying on an
exclusionary provision of the parties’ insurance policy that provides in pertinent part:
We do not cover loss to covered property caused directly or indirectly by any of
the following, whether or not any other cause or event contributes concurrently or
in any sequence to the loss:
(12)(c) Rust, corrosion or electrolysis, mold or mildew, or wet or dry rot.
The denial letter also maintained that the Dahlkes failed to protect the property from further loss.
The Dahlkes filed the instant suit against Home Owners, alleging breach of contract,
violation of the UTPA, MCL 500.2006, and violations of the MCPA, MCL 445.903. Home
Owners moved for summary disposition pursuant to MCR 2.116(C)(10), arguing that no genuine
issue of material fact existed that losses caused by mold damage were excluded under the terms
of the policy regardless of how or when they were caused; that the Dahlkes failed to timely file a
proof of loss; that the Dahlkes failed to pursue a declaration of rights or to request statutory
appraisal; that the Dahlkes failed to state a claim under the MCPA; and that since the claim was
in reasonable dispute, no claim existed under the UTPA.
The trial court denied Home Owners’ motion for summary disposition, stating:
My opinion is that this insurance policy covers losses and damages that flow from
those losses. And I believe that, also, in this particular case, the situation is, is
that the evidence here at least gives a question as to whether this mold was caused
by this water flowing into the house. And that it was – and if it was a
consequential event from that it should be covered.
And I also think that it’s ridiculous to send out letters wanting to pay for things
and then claiming that they are not covered and then claiming you need proof of
loss on things that you’re already paying for.
This Court granted Home Owners delayed application for leave for appeal.
We review a trial court’s grant or denial of summary disposition de novo. Spiek v Dep’t
of Transportation, 456 Mich 331, 337; 572 NW2d 201 (1998). A motion brought under MCR
2.116(C)(10) tests the factual sufficiency of a claim. Maiden v Rozwood, 461 Mich 109, 120;
597 NW2d 817 (1999). “Summary disposition is appropriate under MCR 2.116(C)(10) if there
(…continued)
review of the denial of a motion for summary disposition under MCR 2.116(C)(10) requires us to
resolve all reasonable inferences in favor of the non-moving party, Hall v McRea Corp, 238
Mich App 361, 369-370; 605 NW2d 354 (1999), we assume that the mold damage at issue
resulted from the water leaks that occurred just before the event that caused the Dahlkes to make
this claim.
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is no genuine issue regarding any material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a
matter of law. A genuine issue of material fact exists when the record, giving the benefit of
reasonable doubt to the opposing party, leaves open an issue upon which reasonable minds might
differ.” West v General Motors Corp, 469 Mich 177, 182; 665 NW2d 468 (2003).
On appeal, Home Owners argues that the trial court erred in denying its motion for
summary disposition. Specifically, Home Owners claims that the policy language that provides
that losses caused “directly or indirectly” by mold, “whether or not any other cause or event
contributes concurrently or in any sequence to the loss” excludes coverage for the mold damage
to the Dahlkes house. We agree.
Generally, “an insurance policy is a contract that should be read as a whole to determine
what the parties intended to agree on.” McKusick v Travelers Indemnity Co, 246 Mich App 329,
332; 632 NW2d 525 (2001). “In interpreting insurance policies, we are guided by wellestablished principles of construction.” Id. “The policy must be enforced in accordance with its
terms; therefore, if the terms of the contract are clear, we cannot read ambiguities into the
policy.” Id. “It is axiomatic that if a word or phrase is unambiguous and no reasonable person
could differ with respect to application of the term or phrase to undisputed material facts, then
the court should grant summary disposition to the proper party pursuant to MCR 2.116(C)(10).
Henderson v State Farm Fire & Casualty Co, 460 Mich 348, 353; 596 NW2d 190 (1999).
With respect to exclusions, it is well settled that “exclusionary clauses in insurance
policies are strictly construed in favor of the insured.” Auto-Owners Ins Co v Churchman, 440
Mich 560, 567; 489 NW2d 431 (1992). “However, coverage under a policy applies to an
insured’s particular claims.” Id. “Clear and specific exclusions must be given effect. It is
impossible to hold an insurance company liable for a risk it did not assume.” Id.
In Sunshine Motors, Inc v New Hampshire Ins Co, 209 Mich App 58, 59-60; 530 NW2d
120 (1995), this Court examined an insurance policy with an exclusionary clause virtually
identical to the exclusionary clause in the instant case, and determined that even where the
excluded loss was a direct result of a covered event, the insured could not recover if the policy
excluded the loss “regardless of any other cause or event that contributes concurrently or in any
sequence to the loss.” In that case, heavy rains flooded the plaintiff’s car dealership when the
local drainage system became partially blocked with a piece of wood. Id. The defendant
insurance company denied coverage for certain losses, relying on its policy provision that
excluded losses caused by flood, surface water, water backing up from a sewer or drain, or
certain other events or causes, “regardless of any other cause or event that contributes
concurrently or in any sequence to the loss.” Id. The plaintiff filed suit, and the trial court
granted the defendant’s motion for summary disposition pursuant to MCR 2.116(C)(10), holding
as a matter of law that the plaintiff’s losses were caused by surface water and therefore excluded
from coverage. Id. This Court reasoned:
It appears to us that plaintiff’s losses were the result of an unfortunate sequence or
concurrence of direct and indirect causes: heavy rainfall creating surface water
that failed to drain away because of debris blocking the drainage system.
Plaintiff’s claim that the blocked drainage system was “the proximate cause” of
its losses misses the point: Whether the blocked drainage system was a direct or
indirect cause of plaintiff’s water damage, or whether it was the principal factor or
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merely a contributing factor, the policy expressly excluded coverage.
Accordingly, plaintiff has failed to assert the existence of a genuine issue of
material fact, and the trial court did not err in finding that, as a matter of law,
plaintiff’s losses plainly were excluded from coverage. Summary disposition was
proper. [Sunshine, supra at 60 (emphasis in original).]
Similarly, in the instant case, the Dahlkes’ losses were the result of a winter thaw which
led to water damage and mold growth. The parties’ insurance policy expressly excluded
coverage for loss caused directly or indirectly by mold. Additionally, the policy expressly
excluded coverage for such losses “whether or not any other cause or event that contributes
concurrently or in any sequence to the loss.” Here, loss caused by mold was expressly excluded
regardless of the water damage that contributed concurrently or in any sequence to the loss.
There was no genuine issue of material fact as to whether the Dahlkes’ claimed losses caused by
mold were excluded under the terms of the insurance policy, and the trial court erred in denying
defendant’s motion for summary disposition on this basis.
We decline to adopt the interpretation of the exclusionary provision at issue that is argued
by the Dahlkes and amicus curie Michigan Association of Commercial Property Owners. In
essence, their argument is that even if damage is of a kind that is named in the exclusion, such as
the mold in this case, if the damage results from an otherwise covered event the exclusion does
not apply. In our opinion, this interpretation is contrary to the clear and unambiguous terms of
the insurance policy which excludes losses caused “directly or indirectly” by any of the named
conditions or events, “whether or not any other cause or event contributes concurrently or in any
sequence to the loss.” The language of the exclusion is typically referred to as “anticoncurrent
causation” because it expressly excludes coverage for losses directly or indirectly caused in
whole or in part by one of the listed causes of loss. As applied in this case, the “anticoncurrent
causation” language of the policy excludes coverage for damage resulting from mold even
though the mold itself may have formed as the result of a covered event.
We are not unmindful of the concerns expressed to us regarding the number and breadth
of listed causes of loss that are excluded by Home Owners’ policy. Our interpretation of the
exclusion would result in denial of coverage for damage to covered property that many insureds
would ordinarily expect to be covered. For example, section (12)(a) of the policy excludes
“wear and tear, marring, scratching or deterioration.” Presumably under this section, if the
Dahlkes’ kitchen cabinets and countertops were scratched or marred by the falling ceiling, they
would not be covered. Nevertheless, these concerns do not provide grounds upon which we may
rewrite the terms of the policy, and we must apply the unambiguous terms of the policy in this
case. McKusick, supra at 332; Henderson, supra at 353. Further, the Michigan Supreme Court
has recently held that an insured’s reasonable expectations, “clearly has no application when
interpreting an unambiguous contact because a policyholder cannot be said to have reasonably
expected something different from the clear language of the contract.” Wilkie v Auto Owners Ins
Co, 469 Mich 41, 62; 664 NW2d 776 (2003).
The Dahlkes also argue that Home Owners breached an implied covenant of good faith
and fair dealing by engaging in dilatory conduct prohibited by the insurance policy. While it is
true that there is an “implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing which arises from the
contract between the insurer and the insured,” we are not persuaded by the Dahlkes’ argument
that Home Owners breached any such duty. Commercial Union Ins Co v Medical Protective Co,
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426 Mich 109, 116; 393 NW2d 479 (1986). The Dahlkes argue that the insurance policy
required Home Owners to pay for covered losses, and that Home Owners’ refusal to authorize
proper remediation techniques amounted to a failure to perform its obligations under the
contract. However, losses caused by mold are specifically excluded from coverage, and Home
Owners was under no obligation to pay for corrective measures to remedy losses caused by
mold. Moreover, the policy places the onus of protecting the covered property from further
damage on the Dahlkes, and an implied covenant does not supersede an express obligation.
Eastway & Blevins Agency v Citizens Ins Co of America, 206 Mich App 299, 303; 520 NW2d
640 (1994).
Home Owners next argues that the trial court erred in denying its motion for summary
disposition and allowing the UTPA claim to proceed. We agree. MCL 500.2006 provides in
pertinent part:
“(1) * * * Failure to pay [insurance] claims on a timely basis or to pay interest on
claims as provided in subsection (4) is an unfair trade practice unless the claim is
reasonably in dispute.
***
“(4) When benefits are not paid on a timely basis the benefits paid shall bear
simple interest from a date 60 days after satisfactory proof of loss was received by
the insurer at the rate of 12% per annum, if the claimant is the insured or an
individual or entity directly entitled to benefits under the insured’s contract of
insurance.”
Therefore, “under the statute, an insurer may refuse to pay a claim and be relieved of paying
interest on the claim only when ‘the claim is reasonably in dispute.’” Siller v Employers Ins of
Wausau, 123 Mich App 140, 143-144; 333 NW2d 197 (1983). “Otherwise, an insured is entitled
to 12% interest where an insurer does not timely pay the benefits owed to the insured.” Id. at
144. Here, Home Owners declined to pay the Dahlkes’ claimed damages for losses caused by
mold based on the policy’s exclusionary provision. We believe that the Dahlkes’ claim was
reasonably in dispute when Home Owners refused to pay for losses caused by mold, based on the
clear and unambiguous exclusionary policy provision.
This Court has stated that “the purpose of the penalty interest statute is to penalize
insurers for dilatory practices in settling meritorious claims, not to compensate a plaintiff for
delay in recovering benefits to which the plaintiff is ultimately determined to be entitled.” Arco
Industries Corp v American Motorists Ins Co (On Second Remand, On Rehearing), 233 Mich
App 143, 148; 594 NW2d 74 (1998). We believe that the trial court erred in denying Home
Owners’ motion for summary disposition as to the UTPA claim, because it is evident that Home
Owners disputed its obligation to cover losses caused by mold in good faith, based on the
policy’s exclusionary provision. Home Owners covered the Dahlkes’ claimed losses caused by
water damage. Additionally, Home Owners paid for a place for the Dahlkes to live while their
house was being repaired. Home Owners clearly fulfilled its obligation under the terms of the
policy. Home Owners’ obligation to cover losses caused by mold was reasonably in dispute, and
the trial court erred in allowing plaintiffs’ UTPA claim to proceed.
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Finally, Home Owners argues that the trial court erred by employing principles of waiver
and estoppel to expand coverage. Apparently relying on Home Owners’ payment to the Dahlkes
to cover losses arising from the water damage, including its offer to pay for a standard milicide
to remedy losses caused by mold, the trial court in effect determined that defendant’s actions
superseded the exclusionary provision. The trial court stated that “it’s ridiculous to send out
letters wanting to pay for things and then claiming that they are not covered.” However, this
Court has held that “the fact that an insurer has paid some benefits to an insured party does not
preclude it from later asserting that it owes nothing when the insured party files suit.” Calhoun v
Auto Club Ins Ass’n, 177 Mich App 85, 89; 441 NW2d 54 (1989), abrogated on other grounds
Tousignant v Allstate Ins Co, 444 Mich 301; 506 NW2d 844 (1993). Further, Home Owners
expressly advised the Dahlkes that the policy may not cover all claimed damages, and expressly
relied on the exclusionary provision to deny coverage for losses caused by mold. Additionally,
Home Owners’ offer to pay for cleaning the mold with a standard milicide was rejected, thereby
precluding any claim of detrimental reliance. Consequently, we agree that the trial court erred
by employing principles of waiver and estoppel to expand their coverage under the terms of the
policy.
In light of our resolution of these issues, we need not address the remaining issues raised
on appeal by the parties.2 More specifically, because summary disposition is appropriate on the
basis that the exclusionary clause precludes coverage, it is unnecessary for us to address Home
Owners’ claim that plaintiffs failed to provide adequate proof of loss within the sixty-day time
limit provided by the policy.
In sum, we find that the trial court erred in denying Home Owners’ motion for summary
disposition. In light of our decision that the exclusionary provision for damages caused by mold
precludes coverage for the Dahlkes’ claim, that the claim was reasonably in dispute so as to
relieve Home Owners of liability under the UTPA, and that principles of waiver and estoppel
were inappropriate to expand coverage in the instant case, we believe that Home Owners is
entitled to summary disposition in its favor. Accordingly, we remand the case to the trial court
for entry of an order granting defendant’s motion for summary disposition.
Reversed and remanded with instructions to enter summary disposition in favor of
defendant consistent with this opinion. We do not retain jurisdiction.
/s/ William C. Whitbeck
/s/ Joel P. Hoekstra
/s/ Pat M. Donofrio
2
We note that defendant did not raise plaintiffs’ MCPA claim as an issue in the statement of
questions presented; therefore, defendant failed to properly present this issue for review and we
decline to address it. MCR 7.212(C)(5); Grand Rapids Employees Independent Union v Grand
Rapids, 235 Mich App 398, 409-410; 597 NW2d 284 (1999).
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