Court Opinion

ID: 1001642
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2013-07-04 17:58:29.472937+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:43:04.850892
License: Public Domain

UNPUBLISHED

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT

WESTFIELD INSURANCE COMPANY,
Plaintiff-Appellant,

v.
                                                                  No. 99-1574
IRMGARD T. CIMINO; JOSEPH P.
CIMINO,
Defendants-Appellees.

Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Northern District of West Virginia, at Wheeling.
Frederick P. Stamp, Jr., Chief District Judge.
(CA-97-97-5)

Argued: February 29, 2000

Decided: May 16, 2000

Before WILKINS, WILLIAMS, and KING, Circuit Judges.

_________________________________________________________________

Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion.

_________________________________________________________________

COUNSEL

ARGUED: Ellen R. Archibald, KESNER, KESNER & BRAMBLE,
Charleston, West Virginia, for Appellant. John Porco, SCHRADER,
BYRD & COMPANION, P.L.L.C., Wheeling, West Virginia, for
Appellees. ON BRIEF: Brent K. Kesner, KESNER, KESNER &
BRAMBLE, Charleston, West Virginia, for Appellant. Ray A. Byrd,
SCHRADER, BYRD & COMPANION, P.L.L.C., Wheeling, West
Virginia, for Appellees.

_________________________________________________________________
Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit. See
Local Rule 36(c).

_________________________________________________________________

OPINION

PER CURIAM:

Westfield Insurance Company ("Westfield") appeals the district
court's award of summary judgment to Irmgard T. Cimino in this
diversity action for declaratory relief authorized by 28 U.S.C. § 2201.
Westfield filed suit to determine its obligations, if any, under a home-
owners' insurance policy it issued to Mrs. Cimino and her husband,
Joseph.

On December 17, 1996, Joseph Cimino set fire to the couple's
house, causing substantial damage to the structure and its contents.
Mrs. Cimino, having separated from her husband, was not then resid-
ing at the marital home; it is undisputed that she was wholly unin-
volved with the arson. Mrs. Cimino subsequently filed a claim under
the homeowners' policy for the resultant loss. Westfield denied the
claim, citing a policy provision excluding coverage in toto for losses
intentionally caused by "an" insured.

The district court observed that Westfield's policy was not in com-
pliance with West Virginia law, which permits only those losses
deliberately caused by "the" insured to be excluded. See W. Va. Code
§ 33-17-2 (Michie 1996) (requiring policies of fire insurance to con-
form to the "West Virginia standard fire policy"). Upon examining the
relevant authorities, see Liberty Mut. Ins. Co. v. Triangle Indus., Inc.,
957 F.2d 1153, 1156 (4th Cir. 1992), the district court predicted that
the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia would construe the
standard policy to require that Westfield pay Mrs. Cimino the value
of her undivided one-half interest in the insured property. The court
thus granted Westfield's motion for summary judgment against
Joseph Cimino, but denied the same with regard to Mrs. Cimino,
instead entering judgment on her behalf.

We have considered the briefs and arguments of the parties, and we
agree with the district court that, pursuant to the law of West Virginia,

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Mrs. Cimino is entitled to recovery under the policy. We therefore
affirm the judgment below for the reasons stated by the district court
in its memorandum opinion. Westfield Ins. Co. v. Cimino, No. CA-97-
97-5 (N.D. W. Va., March 29, 1999).

AFFIRMED

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