FOR PUBLICATION
ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT: ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE:
THOMAS M. WEINLAND ROBERT A. SMITH
Frazier & Associates PETER G. WENZL
Indianapolis, Indiana Smith & Wade
Carmel, Indiana
IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF INDIANA
RMJ ENTERPRISES, INC., )
)
Appellant-Plaintiff, )
)
vs. ) No. 49A02-0309-CV-796
)
SCOTTSDALE INSURANCE CO., )
)
Appellee-Defendant. )
APPEAL FROM THE MARION SUPERIOR COURT
The Honorable Gary L. Miller, Judge
Cause No. 49D05-0008-CP-1244
May 17, 2004
OPINION - FOR PUBLICATION
SHARPNACK, Judge
Id. at 28.
RMJ filed a complaint against Scottsdale, alleging that the policy limits were $270,000
and that Scottsdale had refused to pay RMJs damages in excess of $135,000.
Scottsdale filed a motion for summary judgment, arguing that the coverage limit
on the policy was $135,000. RMJ responded to Scottsdales motion for summary
judgment and filed a cross-motion for summary judgment, arguing that the coverage limit
on the policy was $270,000. The trial court granted Scottsdales motion for
summary judgment as follows:
The fire insurance coverage facts are undisputed.
As a matter of law, the policy of insurance in question provided fire
coverage in the amount of $135,000, not $270,000 as [RMJ] contends.
Scottsdale has fully paid the limit of the fire insurance coverage on RMJs
building in the amount of $135,000 and Scottsdale has no further contractual liability
on said claim.
There is no just reason for delay and the Court directs entry of
judgment for [Scottsdale].
Id. at 114. RMJ filed a motion to reconsider/ motion to correct
error and submitted an affidavit from Rita Raymond, president of RMJ. In
the affidavit, Raymond alleged that she had been advised that she needed to
obtain separate insurance coverage for the apartment and had requested separate insurance for
the two parts of the building. The trial court denied RMJs motion.
Our standard of review for a trial courts grant of a motion for
summary judgment is the same as that used in the trial court: summary
judgment is appropriate only where the designated evidence shows that there is no
genuine issue of material fact and that the moving party is entitled to
judgment as a matter of law. Corr v. Am. Family Ins., 767
N.E.2d 535, 537-538 (Ind. 2002). The moving party must designate sufficient evidence
to eliminate any genuine factual issues, and once the moving party has done
so, the burden shifts to the nonmoving party to come forth with contrary
evidence. Shambaugh & Son, Inc. v. Carlisle, 763 N.E.2d 459, 460-461
(Ind. 2002). The court must accept as true those facts alleged by
the nonmoving party, construe the evidence in favor of the nonmoving party, and
resolve all doubts against the moving party. Id. The fact that
the parties made cross-motions for summary judgment does not alter our standard of
review. Hartford Accident & Indem. Co. v. Dana Corp., 690 N.E.2d 285,
291 (Ind. Ct. App. 1997), trans. denied. Instead, we must consider each
motion separately to determine whether the moving party is entitled to judgment as
a matter of law. Id.
The sole issue is whether the limit of coverage on the insurance policy
provided to RMJ by Scottsdale was $135,000 or $270,000. Consequently, this case
requires us to interpret an insurance policy. Insurance policies are governed by
the same rules of construction as other contracts. Bosecker v. Westfield Ins.
Co., 724 N.E.2d 241, 243 (Ind. 2000). When interpreting an insurance policy,
our goal is to ascertain and enforce the parties intent as manifested in
the insurance contract. Burkett v. Am. Family Ins. Group, 737 N.E.2d 447,
452 (Ind. Ct. App. 2000). We construe the insurance policy as a
whole and consider all of the provisions of the contract and not just
individual words, phrases, or paragraphs. Id. If the language is clear
and unambiguous, we give the language its plain and ordinary meaning. Id.
An ambiguity exists where a provision is susceptible to more than one
interpretation and reasonable persons would differ as to its meaning. Bosecker, 724
N.E.2d at 244. However, [a]n ambiguity does not exist merely because the
parties proffer differing interpretations of the policy language. Burkett, 737 N.E.2d at
452. The proper interpretation of an insurance policy, even if it is
ambiguous, generally presents a question of law that is appropriate for summary judgment.
Bosecker, 724 N.E.2d at 243.
RMJ argues that the policy unambiguously provided for $270,000 in coverage. Scottsdale
also argues that the policy is unambiguous but contends that the policy clearly
provided for a limit of $135,000 of insurance coverage. Appellees Brief at
2. Neither partys brief was particularly helpful, as neither party offered an
analysis of the pertinent language of the policy or even quoted the pertinent
language. We are constrained to give the policys language its plain and
ordinary meaning unless the language is ambiguous. Although a review of the
parties previous policies, premiums, and RMJs application for the policy at issue here
makes it reasonably clear that only $135,000 of coverage was intended, if the
language of the policy at issue is unambiguous, we cannot consider such extrinsic
evidence.
See footnote
In attempting to review the language of the policy, we note that RMJ
did not attach a copy of the policy at issue to its complaint.
See Ind. Trial Rule 9.2(A) (When any pleading allowed by these rules
is founded on a written instrument, the original, or a copy thereof, must
be included in or filed with the pleading.). Thus, we are left
only with the copy of the supplemental declarations sheet that was submitted as
Exhibit H to the Affidavit of Surplus, which was designated in support of
Scottsdales motion for summary judgment and redesignated by RMJ in opposition to Scottsdales
motion and in support of its cross-motion for summary judgment. The supplemental
declarations sheet described the coverages in two separate tables. The first table
described the coverage as on approved roof, frame bldg., owner occupied as office
with an insurance limit of $135,000. The second table described the coverage
as upstairs apartment with an insurance limit of $135,000. Id. at 66.
However, on the copy of the supplemental declarations sheet designated by the
parties during the summary judgment proceedings, a handwritten line was drawn through the
upstairs apartment table and the words & apt. were handwritten after on approved
roof, frame bldg., owner occupied as office. Id. Neither party designated
evidence as to when or by whom the revisions were made to the
policy. Although Scottsdale designated a letter that it sent to RMJs counsel
wherein it noted that due to a typographical error, the limit was shown
twice on the policy declaration sheets and that error has been corrected, this
letter does not indicate when the error was corrected. Id. at 28.
If the policy was issued without the handwritten revisions, then the policy could
be read to provide for $135,000 in coverage for the approved roof, frame
bldg., owner occupied as office and for $135,000 in coverage for the upstairs
apartment for a total of $270,000 in coverage. Id. at 66.
However, if the policy was issued with the handwritten revisions, then the policy
unambiguously provides for $135,000 in coverage for the approved roof, frame bldg., owner
occupied as office & apt. Id. Consequently, we conclude that there
are genuine issues of material fact that preclude summary judgment in this case.
See footnote
For the foregoing reasons, we reverse the trial courts grant of summary judgment
to Scottsdale and remand for proceedings consistent with this opinion.
Reversed and remanded.
MATHIAS, J. and VAIDIK, J. concur