ROSEMARY LEDET, Judge.
This is an insurance agent malpractice case coupled with an insurance coverage dispute. The insured, Emmett B. Chapital, Jr., M.D., and his wife, Jovita Marie Chapital, brought this suit against the insured's agent, Harry Kelleher & Co., Inc. ("Kelleher"); the insurer of the insured's agent, Westport Insurance Corporation ("Westport"); and the insured's own insurer, Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation ("Citizens"). From the trial court's judgment granting all three defendants' peremptory exceptions of peremption and motions for summary judgment and dismissing all the plaintiffs' claims, the plaintiffs, Dr. Chapital and Mrs. Chapital, appeal. For the reasons that follow, we affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand to the trial court for further proceedings.
In 1989 or 1990, Dr. Chapital purchased rental property located at 3106 Republic Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70119 (the "Property").
On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the New Orleans area and caused extensive damage to the Property. Citizens paid Dr. Chapital's Hurricane Katrina damage claim, and Dr. Chapital began repairs on the Property. During the repairs, the Property was vacant. From 2006 through 2011, Dr. Chapital paid the premiums to insure the Property; and Citizens annually renewed the Policy.
On May 18, 2011, Dr. Chapital reported to Kelleher both a theft and a fire claim. The theft claim was that, in March 2011, a theft of copper occurred at the Property. The fire claim was that, in May 2011, a neighbor's residence caught fire and caused damage to the Property. On the dates of the reported theft and fire, Dr. Chapital had not yet completed the repair of the Hurricane Katrina damage; thus, the Property was still vacant.
On January 16, 2012, Dr. Chapital filed a petition for damages against Kelleher and Citizens. In his petition, Dr. Chapital asserted multiple causes of action against both Kelleher and Citizens, including negligence by agent (agent malpractice), breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, bad faith, and unjust enrichment.
In June 2013, Kelleher filed a motion for summary judgment and a peremptory exception of peremption.
Citizens filed a separate motion for summary judgment. In its motion, Citizens argued that it was not liable for the fire loss given the undisputed fact that the Property had been vacant since Hurricane Katrina (August 2005) — in excess of 60 days. Citizens contended that the 60-day vacancy clause precluded coverage. In the alternative, Citizens joined in Kelleher's motion for summary judgment and exception of peremption. In so doing, Citizens contended that if it is found liable for any of Kelleher's actions, it too should receive the benefit of peremption under La. R.S. 9:5606.
In opposing the exception of peremption, Dr. Chapital contended that the peremptive period did not commence to run until July 2011 when Citizens, by letter, informed him that it was denying the fire claim because it was enforcing the 60-day vacancy clause.
On August 6, 2013, the trial court rendered judgment in the defendants' favor, granting the motions for summary judgment and exception and dismissing all of the plaintiffs' claims with prejudice. This appeal followed.
The standard of review of a trial court's ruling granting a motion for summary judgment, pursuant to La. C.C.P. arts. 966 and 967, and the jurisprudence, is well-settled. As this court has noted, it can be summarized as follows:
Mandina, Inc. v. O'Brien, 13-0085, p. 5 (La.App. 4 Cir. 7/31/13), ___ So.3d ___, ___, 2013 WL 3945030 (collecting cases).
"Whether an insurance policy provides for, or precludes, coverage as a matter of law is an issue that can be resolved within the framework of a motion for summary judgment." Orleans Parish Sch. Bd. v. Lexington Ins. Co., 12-1686, p. 9 (La.App. 4 Cir. 6/5/13), 118 So.3d 1203, 1212 (citing Sumner v. Mathes, 10-0438, p. 6 (La.App. 4 Cir. 11/24/10), 52 So.3d 931, 935). As a general rule, "the interpretation of an insurance policy is a question of law." Lexington, 12-1686 at p. 9, 118 So.3d at 1212 (citing Armenia Coffee Corp. v. American Nat'l Fire Ins. Co., 06-0409, p. 6 (La.App. 4 Cir. 11/21/06), 946 So.2d 249, 253).
Likewise, the peremptory exception of peremption "involves the interpretation of a statute, which is a legal question." Robert v. Robert Mgmt. Co., LLC, 11-0406, p. 3 (La.App. 4 Cir. 12/7/11), 82 So.3d 396, 398. "Legal questions are reviewed utilizing the de novo standard of review." Id. (citing Cleco Evangeline, LLC v. Louisiana Tax Comm'n, 01-2162, p. 3 (La.4/3/02), 813 So.2d 351, 353). Finally, we review a trial court's factual findings under the manifestly erroneous or clearly wrong standard of review. Robert, 11-0406 at p. 3, 82 So.3d at 398 (citing Dahan Novelties & Co., LLC v. Ohio Cas. Ins. Co., 10-0626, p. 2 (La.App. 4 Cir. 10/20/10), 51 So.3d 129, 132).
For purposes of analysis, we divide Dr. Chapital's arguments on appeal into the following four categories: (i) peremption, (ii) the 60-day vacancy clause, (iii) judicial confession and fraud, and (iv) unjust enrichment.
Peremption is defined as "a period of time fixed by law for the existence of a right." La. C.C. art. 3458. "Unless timely exercised, the right is extinguished upon the expiration of the peremptive period." Id. In this case, the governing periods of time are set forth in La. R.S. 9:5606, which provides both one-year and three-year peremptive periods for bringing any action, in tort or contract, against an insurance agent arising out of an engagement to provide insurance services. La. R.S. 9:5606(D) (providing that "[t]he one-year and three-year periods of limitation provided in Subsection A of this Section are peremptive periods within the meaning of Civil Code Article 3458 and, in accordance with Civil Code Article 3461, may not be
The only exception to the peremptive period provided in La. R.S. 9:5606 is fraud. La. R.S. 9:5606(C) (providing that "[t]he peremptive period provided in Subsection A of this Section shall not apply in cases of fraud, as defined in Civil Code Article 1953."). The continuing tort doctrine, which is a suspensive principle, is inapplicable to claims governed by La. R.S. 9:5606. Sitaram, Inc. v. Bryan Ins. Agency, Inc., 47,337, p. 6 (La.App. 2 Cir. 9/19/12), 104 So.3d 524, 530. "Generally, subsequent renewals of insurance policies do not operate to restart peremption." Sitaram, 47,337 at p. 7, 104 So.3d at 530. "However, renewals can be the basis of separate torts, if the complained of conduct constitutes separate and distinct acts, which give rise to immediately apparent damages." Id. The test is "whether the actions of the insurance agent at the time of renewal can be construed to constitute an act separate from the initial policy procurement." Id. The one-year peremptive period commences to run when the insured receives a copy of the policy. See Seruntine v. State Farm Fire and Cas. Co., 10-1108 (La. 9/3/10), 42 So.3d 968. This is because it is an "insured's obligation to read the policy when received, since the insured is deemed to know the policy contents." Isidore Newman School v. J. Everett Eaves, Inc., 09-2161, p. 12 (La.7/6/10), 42 So.3d 352, 359.
In this case, Dr. Chapital contends that the peremptive period in La. R.S. 9:5606 did not begin to run until July 2011 when Citizens, by letter, denied coverage on the fire claim and informed him that it was enforcing the 60-day vacancy provision. According to Dr. Chapital, his suit, filed less than a year later (on January 16, 2012), was timely.
Kelleher counters that all of Dr. Chapital's claims are perempted by the one-year and three-year periods set forth in La. R.S. 9:5606. Kelleher notes that after Hurricane Katrina, there was no action on its part separate and apart from the initial procurement of the Policy. It further notes that each year Citizens renewed the Policy; and each year Dr. Chapital received a copy of the Policy, which included the 60-day vacancy clause. Kelleher points out that a review of the Policy would have revealed that Dr. Chapital needed a vacancy or builder's risk policy; however, he never requested such a policy. Kelleher contends that it had no duty to recommend or to provide such a policy.
Agreeing with Kelleher's contentions, we find that all of Dr. Chapital's negligence claims — agent malpractice claims — against Kelleher are barred by peremption. Both of Kelleher's alleged negligent acts occurred in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina — no later than 2006. Dr. Chapital annually received a copy of the Policy, which contained the 60-day vacancy provision. Dr. Chapital should have discovered the alleged negligent acts when he received a copy of the Policy the first year after Hurricane Katrina. Dr. Chapital's negligence claims against Kelleher prescribed either one year after he received the Policy the first year after Hurricane Katrina — sometime in 2006 or 2007 — or three years after the alleged negligent acts — sometime in 2008 or 2009. Dr. Chapital did not file suit until January 16, 2012. Thus, Dr. Chapital's negligence claims against Kelleher are barred by peremption.
As noted, Citizens contends that to the extent Dr. Chapital's claims against it are based on the imputation of Kelleher's actions, such claims are likewise perempted. In support, Citizens cites Halmekangas v. ANPAC Louisiana Ins. Co., 11-1293, pp. 6-7 (La.App. 4 Cir. 6/8/12), 95 So.3d 1192, 1196-97, writ denied, 12-1542 (La. 10/12/12), 98 So.3d 873, which held that when an insurer's errors are derivative of claims against its insurance agent, the insurer receives the benefit of peremption under La. R.S. 9:5606. Citizens' reliance on Halmekangas, supra, is misplaced.
Both Citizens and Kelleher state in their appellate briefs that there is no evidence of an agency relationship between them.
In sum, we find that Dr. Chapital's negligence claims against Kelleher are barred by peremption and that Citizens is not entitled to the benefit of peremption.
The Policy at issue contains a statutorily mandated 60-day vacancy clause. See La. R.S. 22:1311(F)(2). As Citizens points out, the statutory requirement that this clause be included in the Policy belies Dr. Chapital's argument that the clause violates public policy. Citizens also points out that the clause is not ambiguous. The clause plainly states that the "Company shall not be liable for a loss occurring ... [w]hile a described building, whether intended for occupancy by owner or tenant, is vacant or unoccupied beyond a period of sixty consecutive days." As both Citizens and Kelleher point out, an insured, such as Dr. Chapital, is presumed to know the contents of his policy. Isidore Newman School, 09-2161 at p. 12, 42 So.3d at 359. Thus, knowledge of the 60-day vacancy clause in the Policy is imputed to Dr. Chapital. The narrow issue is whether there was a valid waiver of the 60-day vacancy clause.
Simply stated, Dr. Chapital's position is that the 60-day vacancy clause was waived because one of Kelleher's adjustors advised him that there were no time constraints for repairs of property damaged by Hurricane Katrina and that the 60-day vacancy clause was waived for such properties. According to Dr. Chapital, he was never informed that the 60-day vacancy clause had been reinstated until Citizens denied his fire claim. Dr. Chapital's sole support for his position is his own affidavit, quoted earlier in this opinion, in which he attests to these facts.
Kelleher, joined by Citizens, contends that Dr. Chapital's affidavit should be disregarded because it is inconsistent with his earlier deposition testimony. See Row v. Pierremont Plaza, L.L.C., 35,796, p. 15 (La. App. 2 Cir. 4/3/02), 814 So.2d 124, 131 (citation omitted) (holding that "a deposition is the time for the plaintiff to make a record capable of surviving summary judgment — not a later filed affidavit."). In his deposition, Dr. Chapital testified that he did not know about the 60-day vacancy clause. Particularly, when asked whether he knew that the Policy stated that if nobody lives there within sixty days, the policy had to be changed, he answered no. Given the contradiction between Dr. Chapital's affidavit and his deposition testimony, Kelleher contends that the affidavit should be disregarded. Kelleher further contends that even if the affidavit is considered and its averments assumed to be true for purposes of summary judgment, the trial court did not err in granting summary judgment. In support, Kelleher cites the express requirement in the Policy that any waiver be in writing.
According to the terms of the Policy, any change or waiver of a policy provision must be in writing. As Citizens points out, the Policy contains the following standard provision, required by La. R.S. 22:1311(F)(2), providing that a change or a waiver of a policy provision must be in writing:
Based on the above provision, a waiver of the 60-day vacancy clause was required to be in writing to be effective. Given the only alleged waiver was oral, it was not effective. Thus, Citizens was entitled to rely on the 60-day vacancy clause to deny Dr. Chapital's fire claim. For this reason, the trial court correctly granted Citizens' motion for summary judgment as to Dr. Chapital's contractual coverage claim against it. As discussed below, we reach a different result as to Dr. Chapital's unjust enrichment claim against Citizens.
A judicial confession is defined as "a declaration made by a party in a judicial proceeding. That confession constitutes full proof against the party who made it. A judicial confession is indivisible and it may be revoked only on the ground of error of fact." La. C.C. art. 1853.
To state a cause of action for fraud, the following three elements must be alleged: "(1) a misrepresentation of material fact, (2) made with the intent to deceive, (3) causing justifiable reliance with resultant injury." Becnel v. Grodner, 07-1041, p. 3 (La.App. 4 Cir. 4/2/08), 982 So.2d 891, 894. Moreover, fraud must be alleged with particularity. La. C.C.P. art. 856 (providing that "[i]n pleading fraud or mistake, the circumstances constituting fraud or mistake shall be alleged with particularity.").
Dr. Chapital's judicial confession and fraud claims against Citizens and Kelleher are identical. He contends that their actions in renewing the Policy for the 2011-12 term, with knowledge that the Property had been vacant since Hurricane Katrina, were both a judicial confession and fraud. In support, Dr. Chapital relies on the following chronology of events:
Simply stated, Dr. Chapital characterizes Citizens' and Kelleher's actions of requesting and accepting the premium payment as a judicial confession of the waiver of the 60-day vacancy clause and fraud.
Neither Kelleher nor Citizens made any statements in a judicial proceeding that could be classified as a judicial confession of the waiver of the 60-day vacancy clause. Thus, by definition, neither Kelleher nor Citizens made a judicial confession of that fact.
Nor is there any evidence of fraud on the part of Citizens or Kelleher. Kelleher points out that the Policy was issued and annually renewed by Citizens. Citizens points out that on June 27, 2011 its underwriting department sent out an automatic notice of renewal. At that juncture, Citizens was still investigating the fire claim; and Dr. Chapital had not yet filed this suit. Thereafter, Citizens discovered that the Property had been vacant since Hurricane Katrina.
The jurisprudence has enumerated the following five factors that are required to establish an unjust enrichment claim: "(1) an enrichment, (2) an impoverishment, (3) a connection between the enrichment and resulting impoverishment, (4) an absence of "justification" or "cause" for the enrichment and impoverishment, and (5) no other remedy at law available to plaintiff." Dugas v. Thompson, 11-0178, p. 13 (La.App. 4 Cir. 6/29/11), 71 So.3d 1059, 1067-68 (citing JCD Marketing Co. v. Bass Hotels and Resorts, Inc., 01-1096, p. 13 (La.App. 4 Cir. 3/6/02), 812 So.2d 834, 842 (citing Baker v. Maclay Properties Co., 94-1529, p. 18 (La.1/17/95), 648 So.2d 888, 897)). The Louisiana Legislature has codified the principle of unjust enrichment in La. C.C. art. 2298, which provides: "[a] person who has been enriched without cause at the expense of another person is bound to compensate that person." La. C.C. art. 2298. Article 2298 also states that "[t]he remedy declared here is subsidiary and shall not be available if the law provides another remedy for the impoverishment." Id.
Dr. Chapital contends that Citizens and Kelleher have been unjustly enriched by his payments of premiums from 2006 through 2011 because he had no coverage under the Policy during that period. In support, he cites the following deposition testimony of Citizens' corporate representative:
Dr. Chapital also contends that the trial judge did not dismiss his unjust enrichment claims. The basis for this contention is the trial court judge's statement that was made at the close of the motion hearing. In response to the request for a specific ruling as to the unjust enrichment claim, the trial court judge stated: "It's on the record, but I don't know how I can rule on it. There's not anything in front of me." Based on this statement, Dr. Chapital contends that the unjust enrichment claims were not addressed. He therefore seeks a remand for the trial court to address his unjust enrichment claims.
Dr. Chapital's contention that the trial court did not address his unjust enrichment claims is belied by the trial court's issuance of a written, final judgment. The final judgment, which granted the defendants' motions for summary judgment and peremptory exceptions of peremption, dismissed all of Dr. Chapital's claims — including his unjust enrichment claims — against all of the defendants with prejudice. The trial court's issuance of a final judgment dismissing all of the claims is inconsistent with its statement that the unjust enrichment claim was not part of the motions for summary judgment that it
Nonetheless, Dr. Chapital's unjust enrichment claim against Kelleher is barred by peremption. See Vagelos v. Abramson, 12-1235, p. 22 (La.App. 4 Cir. 10/2/13), 126 So.3d 639, 652 (agreeing with trial court's finding that "' [o]ne cannot use the theory of unjust enrichment to revive a claim that has already been prescribed or been [perempted]'");
Once the 60-day vacancy period elapsed in 2005 (60 days after Hurricane Katrina), Citizens had no obligation under the Policy to provide coverage to Dr. Chapital for the Property. Despite the total cessation of coverage before the end of 2005, Citizens continued to collect premiums from Dr. Chapital annually from 2006 through 2011. Based on these circumstances, a dispute exists as to whether Dr. Chapital can satisfy two of the five elements required for his unjust enrichment claim — (4) an absence of "justification" or "cause" for the enrichment and impoverishment, and (5) no other remedy at law available to plaintiff. For this reason, we find the trial court erred in granting Citizens' motion for summary judgment as to Dr. Chapital's unjust enrichment claim. On this basis, we find that Dr. Chapital is entitled to a remand for the trial court to address his unjust enrichment claim against Citizens.
For the foregoing reasons, the trial court's judgment is reversed insofar as it grants Citizens' motion for summary judgment as to Dr. Chapital's unjust enrichment claim. In all other respects, the trial court's judgment is affirmed. This case is remanded to the trial court for consideration of Dr. Chapital's unjust enrichment claim against Citizens.