Court Opinion

ID: 9476815
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 06:06:09.588885+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:45:31.441346
License: Public Domain

WELLFORD, Circuit Judge,
concurring in part and dissenting in part.
I concur in the court’s judgment that the district court properly denied appellant’s motion to dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. Our recent decision in Allstate Insurance Co. v. Green, 825 F.2d 1061 (6th Cir.1987), establishes that jurisdiction is within the discretion of the district judge.
I also agree that the case should be remanded to the district court for a determination, under Michigan law, whether Donald D. Robertson (the son) could be held responsible for the victim’s injury on a negligence theory. The facts presented in this procedural posture show that Donald D. Robertson allowed the victim to enter his house without warning her that it was occupied by unsupervised male friends. My reading of Michigan law at least suggests that the son could be held liable in negligence. Cf. Klimek v. Drzewiecki, 135 Mich.App. 115, 352 N.W.2d 361 (1984) (child social guests may create a higher standard of care for homeowners). If the district court finds no duty owed in these circumstances, I would affirm the judgment in favor of Allstate.
I would affirm the district court’s finding that Allstate had no obligation to defend *149Donald R. Robertson (the father) under the policy. Here the father did not know the girl was in the house, that his son’s friends were in his home, or of any propensity of his son to be involved in a rape in his home. There has been no allegation that the father was aware or should have been aware of the situation; therefore I can see no basis for recovery against him under Michigan law. See American States Insurance Co. v. Albin, 118 Mich.App. 201, 324 N.W.2d 574 (1982) (liability of parent for acts of child will follow where he knows or has reason to know of child’s acts).
I recognize that Michigan law imposes a duty upon the insurer to defend if allegations of liability against the insured would arguably come within the policy provisions. See Detroit Edison Co. v. Michigan Mutual Insurance Co., 102 Mich.App. 136, 301 N.W.2d 832 (1980). I do not feel that the claim against the insured parent comes within these standards.
Because I feel it could be possible to recover against the son for negligence, as an additional insured under the policy, I would remand the case for further proceedings. I would not, however, remand based on the claim against the father.