Court Opinion

ID: 9519427
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 01:16:20.117363+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:44:21.802067
License: Public Domain

MESCHKE, Justice,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent. I believe that there is a material issue of fact about which definition controls.
If the main policy definition of “non-owned car” applies, summary judgment was improper. There is a material issue of fact about whether White Tail’s ,car was *242“furnished or available for the regular or frequent use of” LaRoque.
If the definition in the claimed Amend-atory Endorsement controls, the majority opinion is correct. That definition is unambiguous. Since White Tail’s car was clearly owned by a “person residing in the same household as” LaRoque, the Amendatory Endorsement would exclude coverage.
The majority states that “the uncontro-verted affidavit of the company’s claim superintendent says that Amendatory Endorsement 6025J was effective July 7, 1988, and was attached to the policy form issued by State Farm to LaRoque.” However, the claim superintendent did not attach either the policy or the Amendatory Endorsement to his affidavit, but only attached several forms. One form shows LaRoque’s signature acknowledging changes to the policy effective on 5/31/88, but that form does not refer to the Amend-atory Endorsement. The other form, without LaRoque’s signature and labeled “AUTO POLICY TRANSACTIONS— STREAMED,” shows changes to the same policy. Among the changes stated is “6025J AMENDATORY ENDORSEMENT: CHANGE NON-OWNED COVERAGE-EFF JUL-07-88.” However, this latter form displays various dates on it, including “05-31-88,” “06-02-90,” “06-08-90,” and “06-15-90.” One inference may be that the Amendatory Endorsement was issued to the insured effective July 7, 1988, but that certainly is not the only inference to be made.
NDRCivP 56(e) on summary judgment directs that “[supporting and opposing affidavits must be made on personal knowledge, set forth such facts as would be admissible in evidence, and show affirmatively that the affiant is competent to testify to the matters stated therein." I’m doubtful that a claim superintendent has the position or personal knowledge to testify about policies without producing unequivocal records. Furthermore, I’m not satisfied that this equivocal and circumstantial evidence about a claimed Amend-atory Endorsement makes summary judgment appropriate. We should not decide, as a matter of law, the applicability of an Amendatory Endorsement that is disputed.
Other summary judgment standards apply here.
Under Rule 56, N.D.R.Civ.P., a movant for summary judgment must show that there is no dispute as to either the material facts or the inferences to be drawn from undisputed facts and that he is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. If the movant fails to meet this initial burden, summary judgment is inappropriate even if the adverse party fails to respond with proof in opposition to the motion. In considering a motion for summary judgment, the evidence must be viewed in the light most favorable to the party opposing the motion and that party must be given the benefit of all favorable inferences which can reasonably be drawn from the evidence.
Marsh v. Binstock, 462 N.W.2d 172, 174 (N.D.1990). (Citations omitted). These standards should control here.
Moreover, when State Farm first moved for summary judgment on October 1, 1990, it relied solely on the policy definition, not the definition in the claimed Amendatory Endorsement. Later, on November 15, 1990, State Farm claimed that the definition in the Amendatory Endorsement supported summary judgment. State Farm filed an attorney’s affidavit that attached a proposed form of the Amendatory Endorsement with an intercompany letter, dated December 18, 1987, enclosing a “suggested agency release,” and suggesting “this release should be reproduced and released as soon as possible.” The claim superintendent’s affidavit came still later on December 3, 1990. An Amendatory Endorsement attached to the policy was never produced. As White Tail argued to this court, (Appellant’s Brief, p. 19), “[although [State Farm] has argued the policy is clear and easily interpreted, it has been confused as to the correct definition.” If an insurance company cannot readily understand its own policy, certainly an insured cannot be expected to do so.
Because I believe that there is a material issue of fact about whether the Amend-*243atory Endorsement was issued and attached to the policy before the automobile accident, I respectfully dissent.