Court Opinion

ID: 9745172
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 22:39:56.69964+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:24:57.237052
License: Public Domain

OPINION
STATON, Judge.
Margaret Chance appeals the trial court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of State Auto Insurance Companies. She presents three issues for our review which we consolidate and restate as: Whether her son, Shane Clem, was a resident of her household for purposes of coverage under her insurance policy with State Auto.
We affirm.
The facts most favorable to Chance, the non-movant, reveal that she and her husband, Shane’s stepfather, moved from Marion to Fort Wayne. When it became apparent that Shane was not performing well in the Fort Wayne school system, Chance and her husband decided to move back to Marion. In February 1993, while his parents were attempting to sell their house, Shane moved to Marion to live with his brother Steven and to attend school. So that Shane could attend the Marion schools without paying tuition, Chance executed a Third Party Custodial Statement and Agreement.1 However, Chance states that she continued to provide support for Shane and he usually returned to Fort Wayne for the weekends.
On June 29, 1993, Shane was a passenger in a car driven by William Dils. Dils lost control of the ear, left the road and hit a tree. Shane was killed in the accident. Dils, who is not a party to this appeal, did not have automobile insurance. Chance made a claim under Steven’s automobile .insurance uninsured motorists provision. In that claim, she stated that Shane was a resident of Steven’s household. Chance’s husband also had an insurance policy issued by State Auto. After receiving the proceeds from Steven’s insurance policy, Chance attempted to file a claim under the State Auto policy. The uninsured motorist provision of the State Auto policy provides coverage for family members of the insured. A family member is defined as “a person related .to you by blood, marriage or adoption who is a resident of your household. This includes a ward or foster child.” Record at 120. When State Auto refused to pay the claim beeaüse Shane was a resident of Steven’s household, rather than Chance’s household, Chance filed this declaratory judgment action. Upon State Auto’s motion, the trial court granted summary judgment in its favor on the issue of Shane’s residence.
Summary judgment is appropriate only when there is no genuine issue of material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment'"as a matter of law. Ind.Trial Rule 56(C). The burden is on the moving party to prove there are no genuine issues of material fact and he is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Once the movant has sustained this burden, the opponent must respond by setting forth specific facts showing a genuine issue for trial; he may not simply rest on the allegations of his pleadings. Stephenson v. Ledbetter, 596 N.E.2d 1369, 1371 (Ind.1992). At the time of filing the motion or response, a party shall designate to the court all parts of pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, admissions, matters of judicial notice, and any other matters on which it relies for purposes of the motion. T.R. 56(C).
When reviewing an entry of summary judgment, we stand in the shoes of the trial court. We do not weigh the evidence but will consider the facts in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party. Reed v. Luzny, 627 N.E.2d 1362, 1363 (Ind.Ct.App.1994), reh. denied, trans. denied. We may sustain a sum*571mary judgment upon any theory supported by the designated materials. T.R. 56(C).
Chance argues that Shane was a resident of both her household and Steven’s household for purposes of coverage under the insurance contract. The term residence has no fixed or precise meaning in Indiana law. Johnson v. Payne, 549 N.E.2d 48, 50 (Ind.Ct.App.1990), trans. denied. However, the term residence is given a broad meaning in cases in which it must be determined whether coverage should be extended to someone other than the named insured. Aetna Casualty & Surety Co. v. Grafton, 551 N.E.2d 893, 895 (Ind.Ct.App.1990). To establish a residence, more than mere physical presence is necessary. Id. A party’s subjective intent is an important consideration. Id.
Here, Chance attempts to argue that her intent was not to give Steven full custody over Shane, but to only give him limited custody for the purpose of allowing Shane to attend school in Marion. In her affidavit, she states that she still provided support to Shane and that he would stay with her on the weekends. In addition, she states that it was only a temporary situation and that when she and her husband moved, Shane would again be living with them. However, Chance is estopped from stating that she only intended to give Shane custody for school purposes and that she still provided for his support. The Custodial Agreement she signed to allow Shane to attend Marion Schools stated that the arrangement was not solely for the purpose of allowing Shane to attend school in Marion. In addition, in the statement she said that Steven was supporting Shane. A party cannot create an issue of material fact for summary judgment purposes by contradicting a prior sworn statement. Keesling v. Baker & Daniels, 571 N.E.2d 562, 568 (Ind.Ct.App.1991), trans. denied (citing Gaboury v. Ireland Road Grace Brethren, Inc., 446 N.E.2d 1310 (Ind.1983), reh. denied). This is exactly what Chance is attempting to do. Moreover, she stated in her claim under Steven’s insurance policy that Shane was a resident of Steven’s household. The actions of the parties and the prior statements of the parties lead inescapably to the conclusion that Chance gave temporary custody of Shane to Steven and that Shane had relocated his residence to Steven’s house.2 Accordingly, we conclude that the trial court properly granted summary judgment in favor of State Auto.
Affirmed.
GARRARD, J., concurs.
ROBERTSON, J., dissents with separate opinion.

. The custodial agreement provided, inter alia:
The student was placed with the custodian by the student's parent(s). The custodian is supporting and caring for the student. The student was not placed with the custodian for the primary purpose of attending school in the school corporation of the custodian's residence.
Record at 197. The portion of the agreement signed by Steven provided:
I am supporting and caring for the student. The. primary purpose of the student residing with me is not to attend school in the school corporation of my residence.

Id.

. Chance also attempts to argue that Shane resided in her household because an unemanci-pated minor's residence is the sáme as that of his parents. To support that .argument, she cites State Election Board v. Bayh, 521 N.E.2d 1313, 1317 (Ind.1988). However, that holding is based on the assumption that the parent had not relinquished custody of the child to a third parly as Chance had done. Moreover, this is distinguishable from situations -where a child's parents are divorced and the child resides with both parents. In that case, it is possible, given the circumstances, for the child ’to be a resident of both parents’ households.