ANGELA WHITE AND McKIMMEY ASSOCIATES, REALTORS, LLC v. GREAT AMERICAN ASSURANCE COMPANY, SABINA PRATT, AND RAYMOND PRATT , 2022 Ark. App. 86 ( 2022 )

Cite as 2022 Ark. App. 86ARKANSAS COURT OF APPEALS
DIVISION I
No. CV-20-627
ANGELA WHITE AND McKIMMEY Opinion Delivered February 23, 2022
ASSOCIATES, REALTORS, LLC
APPEAL FROM THE PULASKI
APPELLANTS COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT, FIFTH
DIVISION
V. [NO. 60CV-19-7559]
HONORABLE WENDELL L. GRIFFEN,
GREAT AMERICAN ASSURANCE JUDGE
COMPANY, SABINA PRATT, AND
RAYMOND PRATT
APPELLEES AFFIRMED
N. MARK KLAPPENBACH, Judge
The issue in this appeal is whether Great American Assurance Company (GAAC) has
a duty to defend a realtor, Angela White, and a realty company, McKimmey Associates,
Realtors, LLC, in relation to a lawsuit filed by Sabina and Raymond Pratt. The Pulaski
County Circuit Court considered cross-motions for summary judgment and found that
GAAC did not owe a duty to defend under the terms of the GAAC insurance policy issued
to McKimmey. McKimmey and White appeal the grant of summary judgment to GAAC
and appeal the denial of their motion for summary judgment. We affirm the grant of
summary judgment to GAAC.1
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We will not consider the arguments raised on appeal concerning the denial of
McKimmey and White’s motion for summary judgment. With certain exceptions not
applicable here, the denial of a motion for summary judgment is not reviewable or
The Pratts listed their home for sale. While the Pratts were out of town, White
showed the property on April 10, 2018. The Pratts returned home on April 17 to find that
many of the inside lights were on and the upstairs door that opened to the exterior balcony
from the master bedroom was wide open. Their home sustained extensive interior water
damage from rainstorms, and the home’s interior was exposed to wind, dust, dirt, bugs,
pollen, and extreme changes in temperatures for days. The necessary cleaning and repairs
deprived the Pratts of ideal real-estate market timing, and they were physically displaced to
make way for the cleaning and repairs. The Pratts are meticulous housekeepers, and they
both have physical ailments aggravated by dust, mold, and the like. Mr. Pratt sent two letters
to McKimmey to complain of their displeasure, explain the costly remedial measures that
would be required, express their expectation that the realty company would be responsible
to make things right, and demand a prompt response from McKimmey.
On April 22, Mr. Pratt sent his first letter (that included all the heretofore described
information in much greater detail) to McKimmey. The following portion of Mr. Pratt’s
letter is particularly relevant to this appeal:
I don’t know if you have an E & O policy, don’t know what your deductibles/co-pay
requirements are, but I am pretty sure if you don’t you will have a big out of pocket.
If you do, it may be smaller out of pocket now, but your risk assignment will change
and you will probably be paying increased premiums for a while.
If you have a carrier, I need the name of the carrier, phone number, point of contact
and an open claim number by 12 noon on Tuesday the 24th of April 2018. If you
appealable. See, e.g., Harris v. City of Fort Smith, 359 Ark. 355, 197 S.W.3d 461 (2004); C&R
Constr. Co. v. Woods Masonry & Repair, LLC, 2020 Ark. App. 105, 596 S.W.3d 35.
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don’t have a carrier, then you need to give written assurance that McKimmey
Associates, Realtors is taking responsibility before the deadline.
.…
I think that your company has a huge liability. If things don’t get on track quickly and
we have to find a lawyer, the exposure will probably go up.
Mr. Pratt received no response, so on May 2, he sent another letter to McKimmey
and White in which he described the efforts that had begun in the cleaning and restoration
of the home. In that letter, Mr. Pratt also wrote:
Due to your failure to provide insurance carrier and claim number information, I can
only conclude that it will require the actions of a regulatory agency or litigation to
secure your participation in the repair process.
While the formal complaints make their way through the system and as a precursor
to a lawsuit being filed; I am putting you on notice to preserve any and all materials
that could possibly relate to your actions, your company actions in the past or future,
concerning me, my wife Sabina, our broker, or our property.
Mr. Pratt listed documents and items that they should preserve, although this was not to be
taken as an exhaustive list.
McKimmey purchased a one-year “claims made” “Real Estate Professional Errors &
Omissions Insurance Policy” from GAAC, effective May 13, 2018, to May 13, 2019. The
Pratts filed a lawsuit against McKimmey and White on February 18, 2019. McKimmey
subsequently submitted a claim to GAAC in which it attached Mr. Pratt’s April and May
2018 letters as well as the Pratts’ lawsuit complaint. On April 25, 2019, GAAC denied the
claim, explaining that the claim was evident in the Pratt letters, which predated the effective
date of the GAAC policy. Thus, GAAC would not defend McKimmey and White in the
Pratt lawsuit.
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This led to the litigation at issue in this appeal. In October 2019, White and
McKimmey filed a complaint for declaratory judgment against GAAC and the Pratts. White
and McKimmey sought a declaration from the circuit court that GAAC had the contractual
duty under the insurance policy to defend them in the Pratt lawsuit. In December 2019,
White and McKimmey filed a motion for summary judgment asserting that there were no
material issues of fact and that they were entitled to judgment as a matter of law on their
demand that GAAC defend them because they made a claim shortly after the Pratt lawsuit
was filed, which was during the policy period. They attached Mr. Pratt’s two letters and a
copy of the GAAC insurance policy.
In January 2020, GAAC filed a cross-motion for summary judgment, agreeing that
there were no issues of material fact that remained to be determined but asserting that
GAAC was clearly correct to deny McKimmey’s claim. GAAC contended that this was a
“claims made” policy, which provides coverage only if a claim is presented during the policy
period. GAAC argued (1) that Mr. Pratt’s letters constituted a “claim” under the policy that
was made against McKimmey and White before the inception of the GAAC policy; and (2)
that Mr. Pratt’s letters constituted a basis for McKimmey and White to reasonably expect
that their acts or omissions would be the basis of a claim, which existed prior to the inception
of the GAAC policy. Under either of these scenarios, the GAAC policy language excluded
coverage.
The cross-motions were heard before the circuit court in July 2020. McKimmey and
White’s attorney argued the Pratt letters contained “a litany of complaints,” but the letters
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were not specific and did not express a “demand for any particular relief.” In contrast, GAAC
asserted that the insureds themselves presented the Pratt letters as part of their claim,
undisputedly showing that they had reason to expect that their acts or omissions would be
the basis of a claim, which all occurred prior to the inception of this insurance policy. GAAC
also argued that the letters themselves clearly constituted a claim as defined by the policy.
The circuit court agreed with both GAAC’s arguments, granted summary judgment to
GAAC, and denied McKimmey and White’s motion for summary judgment. This appeal
followed.
Summary judgment may be granted only when there are no genuine issues of material
fact to be litigated, and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Douglas
Cos., Inc. v. Walther, 2020 Ark. 365, 609 S.W.3d 397. Ordinarily, upon reviewing a circuit
court’s decision on a summary-judgment motion, we would examine the record to determine
if genuine issues of material fact exist. Cherokee Nation Businesses, LLC v. Gulfside Casino P’ship,
2021 Ark. 183, 632 S.W.3d 284. However, when the parties agree on the facts, we simply
determine whether the appellee was entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Id. When parties
file cross-motions for summary judgment they essentially agree that there are no material
facts remaining, and summary judgment is an appropriate means of resolving the case. Id. As
to issues of law presented, our review is de novo. Id.McKimmey and White contend that the circuit court erred in granting summary
judgment to GAAC because Mr. Pratt’s letters did not rise to the level of a “claim” or
“demand” such that litigation should reasonably have been expected by the insured. Their
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argument, in essence, is that their claim did not arise until the Pratts filed suit in February
2019 and delivered summonses to the defending parties.
Now we turn to the insurance policy language. The GAAC insurance policy is a
“claims made” policy, meaning that it covers claims made or brought only during the policy
period, in this case, May 13, 2018, to May 13, 2019. In all capital letters at the beginning of
the declarations page, the contract recites:
THIS POLICY APPLIES ONLY TO THOSE CLAIMS THAT ARE FIRST MADE
AGAINST AN INSURED DURING THE POLICY PERIOD.
The policy explains its “Insuring Agreement” in Section I.B., reciting that it will provide
coverage for a claim “provided that prior to the inception date of the first policy issued by
the Company, and continuously renewed, no Insured had a basis to believe that any such
act or omission, or Related Act or Omission, might reasonably be expected to be the basis
of a Claim[.]” Section II.B. defines “Claim” to mean:
(1) a written demand for money or services received by an Insured, or
(2) a civil proceeding in a court of law, or arbitration proceeding, against an Insured,
commenced by the service of summons or receipt of an arbitration demand;
when arising out of an act or omission in the performance of Real Estate Professional
Services.
We hold that the circuit court did not err in granting summary judgment to GAAC.
Mr. Pratt’s two letters clearly qualify as a “claim.” The letters do not state damages of a
particular dollar amount, but they do inform McKimmey that the Pratts hold McKimmey
and White responsible for the damages to them and to their home. The April 22 letter set
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out in great detail that the Pratts expected McKimmey to pay for the repairs, specifically
asking for an errors-and-omissions insurance claim to be opened by April 24. The April 22
letter also stated that if McKimmey did not have insurance coverage, then McKimmey
needed to provide the Pratts written assurance that it would take responsibility for the
“serious damages.” Mr. Pratt referenced what out-of-pocket costs McKimmey might be facing
depended on McKimmey’s insurance coverage, or lack thereof. Mr. Pratt added, “[Y]our
company has a huge liability,” and depending on their response, the Pratts might “have to
find a lawyer” and McKimmey’s “exposure will probably go up.” The May 2 letter noted the
company’s failure to respond, which “will require the actions of a regulatory agency or
litigation to secure your participation in the repair process.” The May 2 letter also recited
that Pratt was “putting [McKimmey] on notice” to preserve any materials relating to their
listing. The Pratts, in no uncertain terms, expected to be compensated by McKimmey and
White for any and all damages caused by the upstairs door being left open by a real estate
agent after a showing. The letters tell McKimmey that the Pratts have a claim, that the claim
is McKimmey’s responsibility, and that the claim should be referred to McKimmey’s
insurance company. Treating the letters as other than a claim requires a tortured
construction of its text and plain meaning. See Chartis Specialty Ins. Co. v. Restoration
Contractors, Inc., No. 10-1160 ADM/FLN, 2010 WL 3842372 (D. Minn. Sept. 27, 2010);
Berry v. St. Paul Fire & Marine Ins. Co., 70 F.3d 981 (8th Cir. 1995).
We hold that the undisputed facts and unambiguous contract language support the
circuit court’s entry of summary judgment on behalf of GAAC. We affirm.
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Affirmed.
VAUGHT and BROWN, JJ., agree.
David Hodges, for appellants.
Barber Law Firm, PLLC, by: Mark W. Hodge and Adam D. Franks, for separate appellee
Great American Assurance Company.
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