WILLIAM M. ACKER, Jr., District Judge.
On November 11, 2015, defendants Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and Nationwide Mutual Fire Insurance Company filed a joint motion to dismiss (Doc. 7) and an amended motion on November 12, 2015 (Doc 9). Plaintiffs Ibrahim Sabbah and Sabbah Brothers Enterprises Inc. d/b/a 14th Street BP filed a response on November 25, 2015. (Doc. 11). Defendants replied on December 9, 2015. (Doc. 12). Having been fully briefed, the motion is now under submission. For the reasons stated below, the motion to dismiss will be denied.
Under the Federal Rules, a pleading must make "a short and plaint statement of the claim," Fed. R. Civ. Proc. 8(a)(2), and such claims must be "limited as far a practicable to a single set of circumstances . . . [to] promote clarity," Fed. R. Civ. Proc. 10(b). "These rules, working together, require a plaintiff `to present his claims discretely and succinctly, so that his adversary can discern what he is claiming and frame a responsive pleading' and allow the court to determine which facts supported which claims and whether the plaintiff had stated any claims upon which relief can be granted." Washington v. Bauer, 149 F. App'x 867, 869-70 (11th Cir. 2005) (quoting Fikes v. City of Daphne, 79 F.3d 1079, 1082 (11th Cir. 1996)).
In their complaint, plaintiffs improperly conflate Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and Nationwide Mutual Fire Insurance Company into what they call "NMIC", alleging various facts and Counts I, II, and III against "NMIC." (Doc. 1). Despite their conflation, plaintiffs admit to "separate policy numbers" and "separate coverages from separate companies" (Doc. 11 at 6) where National Mutual Insurance Company issued a businessowners policy (77 BO 762-940-3001) to Sabbah Brothers Enterprises Inc. (Doc. 1-1 at 2) and National Mutual Fire Insurance Company issued a blanket policy (77 PR 762-940-3007) to Sabbah Brothers Enterprises Inc. (Doc. 1-1 at 85).
"The very basic and long settled rule of construction of [Alabama] courts is that a statute of limitations begins to run . . . as soon as the party in whose favor it arises is entitled to maintain an action thereon." Wheeler v. George, 39 So.3d 1061, 1084 (Ala. 2009)(italics omitted). "[A] cause of action arising out of a failure to settle a third-party claim made against the insured does not accrue unless and until the claimant obtains a final judgment in excess of the policy limits." Evans v. Mut. Assur., Inc., 727 So.2d 66, 67 (Ala. 1999). However, a cause of action for "a first-party claim wherein . . . the insurer had, in bad faith, refused to pay a legitimate claim made by the insured on his own policy . . . accrues the moment the insurer refuses, in bad faith, to honor the claim, and that the insurer cannot absolve itself of liability by subsequently tendering payment." Id. at 68. Under both tort theories, the applicable statute of limitations is two years. Ala. Code. § 6-2-38.
In this case, plaintiffs argue
For the reasons explained above, by separate order defendants' motion to dismiss will be granted but with leave to amend on or before January 8, 2016.