JANE TRICHE MILAZZO, District Judge.
Before the Court is a Motion to Dismiss Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) filed by Defendant-in-Cross-Claim Twin City Fire Insurance Company ("Twin City") (Doc. 211). For the following reasons, the motion is GRANTED IN PART.
This is a declaratory judgment action on a promissory note that was removed from the 29th Judicial District Court for the Parish of St. Charles. On November 11, 2013, Defendants KCI Investments, LLC ("KCI"), Kenneth Antos, and David Becklean executed a Secured Promissory Note (the "Note") with Plaintiff Magnolia Financial Group, LLC, ("Magnolia") for the principal sum of $2,000,000 with an interest rate of 15% per annum. Defendant Becklean also executed a Pledge and Security Agreement (the "Security Agreement") in favor of Magnolia, wherein he pledged his interest in the proceeds of a Settlement Agreement dated September 22, 2012 among Twin Towers Trading Site Management, LLC ("Twin Towers"), Jeffrey Brandon, Eric Scholer, Becklean, and SMG Group (the "Settlement Agreement"). This pledge was recorded. Subsequently, on January 13, 2015, Defendants entered into a second agreement to borrow an additional $100,000 from Magnolia (the "Second Note"). Plaintiff contends that no principal payments were paid on the Notes by the maturity dates and that $2,457,805.60 of principal and interest remains due and owing on the Notes. On November 20, 2015 Plaintiff filed the instant suit seeking a declaratory judgment recognizing its rights under the Notes and the Security Agreement.
The Court granted Plaintiff summary judgment recognizing Plaintiff as attorney-in-fact for the purposes of carrying out the Security Agreement and establishing Plaintiff's right to collect attorneys' fees at the termination of the litigation.
Twin Towers intervened in this action and filed an interpleader complaint relative to a portion of the Settlement Agreement proceeds. Plaintiff responded, averring that Twin Towers is not entitled to interpleader relief. Plaintiff also brought cross claims against, inter alia, Twin Towers, Donald Porges, and Porges & Eisenberg CPA, LLC (collectively the "Porges Defendants") for tortious interference with contractual relations, fraud, bad faith breach of conventional obligation, negligent breach of contract, negligent misrepresentation, and general negligence.
On motions by the Porges Defendants, the Court dismissed Plaintiff's claims for tortious interference with contractual relations and denied summary judgment as to the remaining claims against the Porges Defendants.
Plaintiff's Cross-Claim also alleges that Defendant-in-Cross-Claim Twin City has one or more insurance policies providing coverage to Twin Towers and its officers, directors, members, agents, or employees, including Donald Porges, for Plaintiff's claims against it. Pursuant to Louisiana's direct action statute, Plaintiff asserts those claims against Twin City as a solidary obligor. Defendant Twin City now moves to dismiss the claims against it under Rule 12(b)(6).
To survive a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss, a plaintiff must plead enough facts "to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face."
To be legally sufficient, a complaint must establish more than a "sheer possibility" that the plaintiff's claims are true.
Plaintiff's Amended and Supplemental Cross-Claim alleges that, "at all times material herein [Twin City] had in force and effect a policy of insurance bearing number 21HUSS3602 (or other policy) which provided or extended coverage to . . . Twin Towers."
This Court has already determined that, as a matter of law, Twin City policy number 21HUSS3602 does not provide coverage. However, because Plaintiff alleges in the Cross-Claim that another policy may exist, Plaintiff has pleaded enough facts to survive a 12(b)(6) motion. Furthermore, without summary-judgment-type evidence that policy number 21HUSS3602 was the only policy Defendant Twin City issued to Twin Towers, the Court cannot at this time convert Defendant Twin City's Motion to Dismiss to a motion for summary judgment.
For the foregoing reasons, Defendant-in-Cross-Claim Twin City's Motion to Dismiss Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) is GRANTED IN PART. Plaintiff's claims against Defendant Twin City are dismissed relative to policy 21HUSS3602 only, but remain otherwise.