Rialto-Capitol Condominium Association, Inc. v. Baldwin Assets Associates Urban Renewal Company ( 2024 )


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  •                                 NOT FOR PUBLICATION WITHOUT THE
    APPROVAL OF THE APPELLATE DIVISION
    This opinion shall not "constitute precedent or be binding upon any court ." Although it is posted on the
    internet, this opinion is binding only on the parties in the case and its use in other cases is limited. R. 1:36-3.
    SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY
    APPELLATE DIVISION
    DOCKET NO. A-4007-22
    RIALTO-CAPITOL
    CONDOMINIUM
    ASSOCIATION, INC.,
    Plaintiff-Respondent,
    v.
    BALDWIN ASSETS ASSOCIATES
    URBAN RENEWAL COMPANY,
    LLC, THE RIALTO-CAPITOL
    URBAN RENEWAL COMPANY,
    LLC, METRO ASSET II, LLC,
    METROVEST EQUITIES, INC.,
    GEORGE FILOPOULOS,
    PATRICIA FILOPOULOS, PHILIP
    FIERRO, ISMAEL LEYVA
    ARCHITECTS, PC, GOLDSTEIN
    ASSOCIATES, PLLC, a/k/a GACE
    CONSULTING ENGINEERS,
    PC, TURNER CONSTRUCTION
    COMPANY, COMMODORE
    CONSTRUCTION CORP.,
    WATERPROOFING SYSTEMS
    NORTHEAST, LLC, SPERANZA
    BRICKWORK, INC., BEDROC
    CONTRACTING, ERC CLASSIC
    RESTORATION, LLC, JOVIN
    DEMO, AGD CONSTRUCTION,
    CCC RESTORATION, INC.,
    ISRAEL BERGER & ASSOCIATES,
    INC., DAVIDSON & HOWARD,
    INC., SCHNELLBACHER-SENDON
    GROUP, LLC, ZAKALAK
    ASSOCIATES, COMPONENT
    ASSEMBLY SYSTEMS, INC.,
    B.J. MCGLONE & COMPANY,
    WINDSTRUCT, INC., CHAMPION
    ALUMINUM CORP., d/b/a
    CHAMPION WINDOW AND
    DOOR and NGU, INC., d/b/a
    CHAMPION ARCHITECTURAL
    WINDOW AND DOOR,
    LPL CONTRACTING CORP.,
    METROVEST CONSTRUCTION
    CORP., MIDWEST MECHANICAL
    CONTRACTORS OF NEW
    JERSEY, INC., JERSEY STATE
    ENERGY CONTROLS, INC.,
    NATIONAL AIR BALANCE
    COMPANY, INC., J&J LIMITED,
    INDEPENDENT SHEET METAL
    CO., LKU GROUP, INC.,
    VECTOR STRUCTURAL
    PRESERVATION CORP.,
    ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
    INVESTIGATIONS, INC.,
    GUZMAN GENERAL
    CONSTRUCTION, GTC
    RESTORATION, INC., and
    IGH RESTORATION,
    Defendants,
    and
    A-4007-22
    2
    SKYLINE WINDOWS, LLC
    Defendant-Appellant.
    __________________________
    TURNER CONSTRUCTION
    COMPANY,
    Third-Party Plaintiff,
    v.
    MIDWEST MECHANICAL
    CONTRACTORS OF NEW
    JERSEY, INC., SKYLINE
    WINDOWS, LLC, DAVIDSON
    & HOWARD, DEL TURCO
    BROTHERS, INC., S.A.
    COMUNALE, STAR-LO
    ELECTRIC, INC., and V.A.L.
    FLOOR, INC.,
    Third-Party Defendants.
    __________________________
    SKYLINE WINDOWS, LLC,
    and MIDWEST MECHANICAL
    CONTRACTORS OF NEW
    JERSEY, INC.,
    Fourth-Party Plaintiffs,
    v.
    WINDSTRUCT, INC.,
    CHAMPION WINDOW AND
    DOOR, STATE CONTROLS
    COMPANY, NATIONAL
    A-4007-22
    3
    AIR BALANCE COMPANY,
    INC., J&J LIMITED and
    INDEPENDENT SHEET
    METAL CO.,
    Fourth-Party Defendants.
    __________________________
    Argued November 9, 2023 – Decided April 25, 2024
    Before Judges Accurso and Gummer.
    On appeal from an interlocutory order of the Superior
    Court of New Jersey, Law Division, Hudson County,
    Docket No. L-4994-13.
    Steven A. Weiner argued the cause for appellant
    (O'Toole Scrivo, LLC, attorneys; Steven A. Weiner, of
    counsel and on the brief; Adam W. Flannery, on the
    brief).
    John R. Sawyer argued the cause for respondent (Stark
    & Stark, attorneys; John R. Sawyer, of counsel and on
    the brief).
    PER CURIAM
    In this construction-defect case, defendant Skyline Windows, LLC
    (Skyline) appeals from an order denying its motion to enforce a settlement
    agreement and dismiss the claims against it. Skyline contends the motion judge
    erred in concluding Skyline was not included in the clause of the settlement
    agreement in which plaintiff Rialto-Capitol Condominium Association, Inc.
    A-4007-22
    4
    released its claims against subcontractors "enrolled" in the contractor
    consolidated insurance program (CCIP) of defendant general contractor Turner
    Construction Company (Turner). We agree and, accordingly, reverse.
    I.
    Plaintiff is a non-profit corporation responsible for operating the Rialto-
    Capitol Condominium buildings (the Property). Turner entered into agreements
    to perform certain construction work at the Property.
    On May 11, 2006, Skyline and Turner entered into a contract (Contract)
    in which Skyline agreed to perform, as a subcontractor, "Window
    Replacement/Sealant/Blocking Work." Skyline "committed to fabricating and
    delivering 225 windows" and "installing 210 windows" weekly, starting no later
    than May 1, 2006, and ending no later than July 15, 2006. Turner and Skyline
    agreed commercial general liability insurance coverage would be in place until
    the completion and acceptance of Skyline's work and would "be provided
    through a consolidated insurance program arranged by Turner." See Vigilant
    Ins. Co. v. Travelers Prop. Cas. Co. of Am., 
    243 F. Supp. 3d 405
    , 414 n.11
    (S.D.N.Y. 2017) ("A wrap-up policy, sometimes referred to as . . . a [CCIP], is
    often used in large construction projects, and involves the developer, general
    contractor, and all of the subcontractors being listed as named insureds under a
    A-4007-22
    5
    single policy that covers a single project."). The Contract incorporates a CCIP
    Insurance Manual (Manual) as a contract document.
    The Manual identifies Turner as the "CCIP Sponsor" and Aon Risk
    Services (Aon) as the "CCIP Administrator." Section three of the Manual
    defines "Enrolled    Parties/Enrolled Subcontractor" as "[t]hose eligible
    [s]ubcontractors who have submitted all necessary enrollment information as
    detailed in Section 6 and have been accepted into the CCIP as evidenced by a
    Welcome Letter and Certificate of Insurance." Section 6A of the Manual defines
    "Enrolled Parties" as: "Turner, eligible Subcontractors, and Sub-subcontractors
    who enroll in the CCIP and such other persons or entities as Turner at its sole
    discretion may designate (each such party who is insured under the CCIP is
    collectively referred to as an 'Enrolled Party')." The Manual defines "Eligible
    Parties/Eligible Subcontractor" as "Parties performing labor or services at the
    Project Site who are eligible to enroll in the CCIP unless an Excluded Party." It
    states that "[a]t the discretion of Turner, or subject to State regulations, the
    following parties will be excluded . . . . Subcontractors, and any of their
    respective sub-subcontractors, who do not perform any actual labor on the
    Project Site." The Manual states "Turner will furnish [various] coverages for
    the benefit of all Enrolled Parties performing Work at the Project Site,"
    A-4007-22
    6
    including commercial general liability and excess liability coverage .        The
    Manual defines "Welcome Letter" as "[a] document issued by the CCIP
    Administrator, which confirms acceptance/enrollment of the applicant into the
    CCIP" and "Certificate of Insurance" as "[a] document providing evidence of
    existing coverage for a particular insurance policy or policies."
    The Manual also included the following "DISCLAIMER":                   "The
    information in this manual is intended to outline the CCIP. If any conflict exists
    between this manual and the CCIP insurance policies, the CCIP insurance
    policies will govern."
    Turner issued to Skyline a Notice of Subcontractor award, dated May 24,
    2006. On that document, Turner placed an X next to the sentence stating,
    "Check here if the subcontractor is to be enrolled in the CCIP." Aon sent Skyline
    a Welcome Letter dated June 8, 2006, confirming Skyline "ha[d] been enrolled"
    in the CCIP. Aon enclosed with the letter "a Certificate of Insurance evidencing
    [Skyline's] coverage for Worker's Compensation, General Liability, Excess &
    Umbrella." The Certificate of Insurance named Liberty Mutual as the provider
    of the commercial general liability coverage and National Union Fire Insurance
    Company as the provider of the excess liability coverage.           It listed the
    commercial general liability policy number as "RG2-625-XXXXXX-016" and
    A-4007-22
    7
    the excess liability policy number as "BE44XXXXX."1 Both policies had an
    effective date of February 15, 2006, and an expiration date of December 15,
    2007.
    On or around July 11, 2006, Turner issued another Notice of
    Subcontractor Award. Instead of checking the sentence "Check here if the
    subcontractor is to be enrolled in the CCIP" on that document, Turner placed an
    X next to a sentence stating, "Check here if the subcontractor will be an excluded
    prime tier fabricator with eligible (enrolled) sub-tier erector/installer." Denise
    Gaskill Bianchi, a former Turner employee who was involved in coordinating
    the CCIP, testified during a deposition that Skyline was "excluded from the
    program because they didn't have any on-site payroll" and its "sub-tier"
    Windstruct had been "enrolled because they were providing the labor on site."
    On or around April 5, 2007, and again on May 1, 2007, Anna Gavron,
    another Turner employee, faxed a note to Skyline, stating "[t]he GL
    Endorsement [was] missing for Skyline" and "[a]s an Excluded sub, this
    endorsement is a must since [Skyline was] working on [its] own insurance
    coverage."    Mark Azierski, Skyline's project manager for its work at the
    1
    Insurance policy numbers are confidential personal identifiers pursuant to
    Rule 1:38-6(a). To preserve that confidentiality, we use "X" in place of some
    of the digits in the policy numbers.
    A-4007-22
    8
    Property, wrote on the faxed note, "Call Anna [and] tell her we don't know what
    she is talking about. We are not an 'excluded sub,' and are not working on our
    own insurance coverage." 2 Azierski later testified he was not aware Turner had
    issued a second Notice of Subcontractor Award and did not "recall anybody ever
    characterizing [Skyline] as a fabricator."     He also certified that "to our
    knowledge, no change orders were ever issued by Turner cancelling Skyline's
    participation in the Turner CCIP." On May 23, 2007, Skyline administrative
    assistant Marcy McGowan faxed to Turner a "Blanket Endorsement for
    Additional Insured" in lieu of the endorsement Turner had requested.
    In October 2013, plaintiff sued multiple defendants, including Skyline and
    Turner, for damages based on negligence in the design, repair, and construction
    of the condominium buildings. In September 9, 2014 and December 4, 2014
    letters, Skyline's counsel tendered Skyline's defense in the case to Liberty
    Mutual pursuant to the CCIP. In both letters, Skyline stated its coverage claim
    was based on Turner's CCIP and expressly referenced CCIP policy number
    2
    The following was placed on the faxed note in different handwriting:
    "excluded because Windstruct is our installer," "not enrolled in the CCIP Ins.
    program," and "still need to submit COI. – which we did [b]ut need this
    endorsement." The record does not indicate who wrote that information on the
    faxed note. Azierski testified he did not recognize it as the handwriting of a
    Skyline employee.
    A-4007-22
    9
    RG2-625-XXXXXX-016. In a May 14, 2015 letter, Liberty Mutual stated it had
    reviewed the complaint and "the terms of the policy that Liberty Mutual issued
    to [Turner] that provide coverage under a [CCIP]" and agreed to provide Skyline
    with a defense subject to a reservation of rights, which it never asserted. In the
    letter Liberty Mutual confirmed it would defend Skyline in the lawsuit under
    CCIP policy number RG2-625-XXXXXX-016, covering the policy period of
    February 15, 2006, to December 15, 2007.
    In a May 16, 2016 order, the trial court granted Skyline's summary-
    judgment motion and dismissed plaintiff's complaint against Skyline with
    prejudice.
    On September 17, 2018, the day trial was scheduled to begin, the
    remaining parties continued their mediation efforts, agreed to a settlement, and
    placed its essential terms on the record. Turner's counsel advised the court,
    "Turner and the plaintiffs have agreed to settle all claims against Turner and the
    subcontractors who are here and actually, any of the Turner subcontractors" and
    that plaintiff had "agree[d] to dismiss all CCIP . . . related claims. CCIP being
    defined [as] certain insurance policies issued by Liberty Mutual Insurance
    Company . . . , provided, however, plaintiff is free to pursue . . . all concrete
    related claims that are not within Turner's . . . scope of work." Turner's counsel
    A-4007-22
    10
    clarified the settlement included "any other policies emanating from the CCIP."
    The parties present, including plaintiff, agreed to be bound by the settlement.
    Because it had been dismissed from the case, Skyline was not present.
    The settlement agreement was memorialized in writing on December 4,
    2018 (the Agreement). The Agreement contained confirmation that Liberty
    Mutual had "issued a Commercial General Liability policy, No. RG2-625-
    XXXXXX-016, for the policy period from February 15, 2006 to December 15,
    2007, to Turner (the 'Liberty CCIP')" and that National Union had "issued a
    Commercial Umbrella Liability Policy, No. BE44XXXXX, to Turner for the
    Policy Period of November 1, 2005 to November 1, 2006," which along with a
    subsequently issued umbrella policy was named "(collectively, the 'CCIP Excess
    Policy')." In the Agreement, plaintiff agreed to release "the Settling Defendants,
    Carriers, the CCIP Entities and their insurers . . . with respect to any and all
    claims related to . . . the Actions, the Project, the Contract, the Subcontracts,
    and/or the Sub-subcontracts." The Agreement defined "CCIP Entities" as "all
    subcontractors or other entities enrolled in the Liberty CCIP and CCIP Excess
    Policy, regardless of whether such entity is named in the Actions."
    The "Agreement and its provisions" were to be "construed according to
    their common or ordinary meaning and without interpretive favor or prejudice
    A-4007-22
    11
    to any Party."     The Agreement contained express language stating "any
    uncertainty or ambiguity [in the Agreement] shall not be construed against any
    one Party or several Parties but shall be construed as if all Parties to this
    Settlement Agreement jointly prepared this Settlement Agreement" and "[n]one
    of the Parties shall be considered the drafter of this Settlement Agreement or
    any provision of the Settlement Agreement, or the Releases for the purpose of
    any . . . construction that would or might cause any provision to be construed
    against the drafter thereof."
    On October 2, 2020, we affirmed in part and reversed in part the May 16,
    2016 order granting Skyline summary judgment and remanded the case. Rialto-
    Capitol Condo. Ass'n, Inc. v. Baldwin Assets Assocs. Urban Renewal Co., No.
    A-3502-18 (App. Div. Oct. 2, 2020) (slip op. at 14). In a March 25, 2021 order,
    the trial court issued an order restoring the complaint as to "the remaining, non-
    defaulted, non-settling defendants."
    In a January 7, 2022 email sent to Skyline's attorney, plaintiff's attorney
    asserted, "[r]ecently, evidence has been found that clearly establishes that
    Skyline Windows was excluded from the CCIP program . . . [and] [t]herefore,
    Skyline Windows is not covered by the settlement agreement between [plaintiff]
    and Turner which covered 'CCIP [E]ntities,' defined as contractors that were
    A-4007-22
    12
    enrolled in the CCIP program."       In a January 23, 2022 responding email,
    Skyline's counsel maintained Skyline was a part of the settlement as an enrolled
    CCIP Entity. Skyline's counsel pointed out the contract between Turner and
    Skyline provided Skyline would be a part of Turner's CCIP, Skyline had paid
    the costs associated with its enrollment in the CCIP, Aon had provided Skyline
    with evidence of coverage under the CCIP by sending Skyline a Certificate of
    Insurance pursuant to the CCIP Manual, Skyline previously had tendered its
    defense in the lawsuit to Liberty Mutual and Liberty Mutual had accepted that
    tender specifically referencing the coverage under the CCIP policy, and Liberty
    Mutual also had provided workers' compensation coverage for Skyline –
    individual facts plaintiff does not dispute.
    In a January 28, 2022 letter, Skyline sought reinstatement of the defense
    Liberty Mutual had provided. In a February 28, 2022 letter in response, Liberty
    confirmed it previously had provided a defense to Skyline, stated the settlement
    between the parties had exhausted the Liberty Mutual policy limits, and directed
    Skyline to send any further correspondence regarding the lawsuit to "National
    Union, as the excess carrier." In a revised version of the letter, Liberty Mutual
    explained that "[b]y agreeing to Skyline's defense via the reservation of rights
    letter issued 5/14/15, [Liberty Mutual] confirmed Skyline's enrollment in the
    A-4007-22
    13
    CCIP." Liberty Mutual also confirmed Skyline's enrollment in the CCIP in a
    March 1, 2022 email. The excess carrier subsequently retained counsel to
    defend Skyline.
    On March 1, 2022, plaintiff moved to strike Skyline's answer and enter
    default against Skyline for failure to defend pursuant to Rule 1:2-4. Skyline
    cross-moved to dismiss the complaint and deny entry of default against Skyline.
    On June 10, 2022, the motion judge denied plaintiff's motion without prejudice
    "so that the parties could engage in discovery to try to see what factual record
    they could make regarding the intent of the parties, the counsel for Liberty and
    plaintiff, when they settled certain claims."
    On December 23, 2022, Skyline moved to enforce the Agreement and
    dismiss the complaint against it. During argument of defendant's motion, the
    motion judge acknowledged the undisputed facts that Liberty Mutual had agreed
    to defend Skyline before the settlement and the CCIP excess insurer had agreed
    to defend Skyline after the settlement. The judge scheduled a Rule 104 hearing
    because he "want[ed] to know what the intent was when they used the word
    'enrolled'" in the Agreement.
    At the Rule 104 hearing, the attorney for plaintiff who had been involved
    in negotiating the Agreement testified on behalf of plaintiff. He testified that at
    A-4007-22
    14
    the September 17, 2018 hearing, he understood plaintiff "was settling all claims
    related to anybody involved in the CCIP." He also testified that before he agreed
    to the final draft of the Agreement, which included "CCIP Entities" in the list of
    those whom plaintiff would release, he had reviewed the CCIP Manual,
    including the definitions set forth in the manual, and "understood what enrolled
    meant as [defendant counsel] put it in there, that they wanted the agreement to
    apply to all Turner's contractors that had been enrolled in the CCIP as the manual
    details."3 Having conducted that review, he advised the other counsel the
    language proposed in the draft agreement was acceptable. The attorney for
    Turner who had been involved in negotiating the agreement also testified. He
    testified the parties had intended to include in the settlement all claims against
    any contractor that was covered by a CCIP insurer, including Liberty Mutual ,
    whether or not the contractor had been involved in the mediation.
    The motion judge denied Skyline's motion in a decision placed on the
    record and an order entered on July 14, 2023. The judge found the term "CCIP
    3
    According to plaintiff's counsel in his January 7, 2022 email, the "evidence"
    purportedly indicating Skyline had been excluded from the CCIP program was
    discovered "recently." Thus, three years before, in 2018 when they settled the
    case, plaintiff and its counsel apparently had no reason to believe Skyline was
    not one of Turner's CCIP-enrolled contractors and, thus, no reason to believe
    Skyline was not included in the settlement.
    A-4007-22
    15
    enrolled" was an unambiguous "term of art in the usage of the insurance
    industry" and that "Skyline was not enrolled in the CCIP program." The judge
    also found "if you want to say it's not a technical term in the industry and it
    doesn't have any specific meaning or usage based upon this hearing record, . . .
    that would mean that the term is ambiguous."        Despite the clause of the
    Agreement expressly providing that any ambiguity would not be construed
    against any one party and no party would be considered the drafter of the
    Agreement or any of its provisions, the judge held "this part of the settlement
    agreement was drafted by the defendants" and he "constru[ed] it against them."
    On leave granted, this appeal followed.
    II.
    "Settlement of litigation ranks high in our public policy." Savage v. Twp.
    of Neptune, 
    472 N.J. Super. 291
    , 305 (App. Div. 2022) (quoting Nolan v. Lee
    Ho, 
    120 N.J. 465
    , 472 (1990)). We consequently "strain to give effect to the
    terms of a settlement wherever possible." Capparelli v. Lopatin, 
    459 N.J. Super. 584
    , 603 (App. Div. 2019) (quoting Brundage v. Est. of Carambio, 
    195 N.J. 575
    ,
    601 (2008)).
    "A settlement agreement between parties is a contract governed by basic
    contract principles." Capparelli, 
    459 N.J. Super. at 603
    . "A basic tenet of
    A-4007-22
    16
    contract interpretation is that contract terms should be given their plain and
    ordinary meaning." Savage, 472 N.J. Super. at 305 (quoting Kernahan v. Home
    Warranty Adm'r of Fla., Inc., 
    236 N.J. 301
    , 321 (2019)). "[W]hen the intent of
    the parties is plain and the language is clear and unambiguous, a court must
    enforce the agreement as written, unless doing so would lead to an absurd
    result." Capparelli, 
    459 N.J. Super. at 604
     (quoting Quinn v. Quinn, 
    225 N.J. 34
    , 45 (2016)). "A contract is ambiguous if its terms are 'susceptible to at least
    two reasonable alternative interpretations.'" 
    Ibid.
     (quoting Nester v. O'Donnell,
    
    301 N.J. Super. 198
    , 210 (App. Div. 1997)).
    "In the absence of a factual dispute, the interpretation and enforcement of
    a contract, including a settlement agreement, is subject to de novo review by the
    appellate court." Savage, 472 N.J. Super. at 306. The "trial court's interpretation
    of the law and the legal consequences that flow from established facts are not
    entitled to any special deference." Rowe v. Bell & Gossett Co., 
    239 N.J. 531
    ,
    552 (2019) (quoting Manalapan Realty, L.P. v. Twp. Comm. of Manalapan, 
    140 N.J. 366
    , 378 (1995)).
    The language of the Agreement is clear and unambiguous.               In the
    Agreement, plaintiff agreed to release "the Settling Defendants, Carriers, the
    CCIP Entities and their insurers . . . ." The Agreement expressly defined "CCIP
    A-4007-22
    17
    Entities" as "all subcontractors or other entities enrolled in the Liberty CCIP and
    CCIP Excess Policy, regardless of whether such entity is named in the Actions."
    The "Liberty CCIP" was the Commercial General Liability Policy No. RG2-625-
    XXXXXX-016 Liberty Mutual had issued to Turner for the CCIP. "CCIP
    Excess Policy" included the Commercial Umbrella Liability Policy No.
    BE44XXXXX issued by National Union to Turner for the CCIP.
    There's nothing complicated or ambiguous about the word "enrolled."
    Construing that word according to its common and ordinary meaning, as we
    must pursuant to the express terms of the Agreement and the basic tenets of
    contract law, and considering the record evidence, we conclude Skyline was
    enrolled in the Liberty CCIP and CCIP Excess Policy and, thus, was a CCIP
    Entity as defined in and released by plaintiff in the Agreement.
    The record evidence establishes Skyline was enrolled in the CCIP
    policies.   In the Contract, Turner and Skyline agreed commercial general
    liability insurance coverage would "be provided through a consolidated
    insurance program arranged by Turner." According to the Manual, acceptance
    into Turner's CCIP was "evidenced by a Welcome Letter and Certificate of
    Insurance." Aon, the CCIP Administrator, issued a Welcome Letter to Skyline,
    A-4007-22
    18
    confirming Skyline "ha[d] been enrolled" in the CCIP and provided Skyline with
    a Certificate of Insurance, proving Skyline was insured under the CCIP policies.
    The record is devoid of any evidence Skyline was unenrolled from the
    CCIP polices.    Plaintiff proffered no correspondence, emails, or any other
    documents demonstrating Turner had directed Aon or Liberty Mutual or any
    other CCIP insurer to remove Skyline from the CCIP policies and no
    documentation that Liberty Mutual or National Union had removed Skyline as
    an insured under the CCIP policies or otherwise had stopped treating it as an
    enrolled participant in the CCIP. To demonstrate Skyline had been excluded
    from the CCIP, plaintiff relies on an undated Turner spreadsheet that indicates
    Skyline was "[e]xcluded" from an unnamed workers' compensation policy but
    says nothing about the commercial general liability or excess liability CCIP
    policies. Turner's internal document and its employee's 2007 faxes aren't proof
    Turner advised the CCIP insurers to remove Skyline from the CCIP policies or
    proof that the insurers, in fact, removed Skyline from the policies .
    When asked during her deposition whether in the ordinary course of
    business "some communication" would "go" to a contractor that initially had
    been issued a welcome letter but subsequently "it was determined that that
    A-4007-22
    19
    contractor should be excluded from the CCIP," former Turner employee Bianchi
    responded:
    I believe there should be some and usually the carrier
    would issue a cancelled policy, cancel the policy flat
    and the communication would have been through
    Liberty and the subcontractor, but I also believe that
    purchasing then should have some type of
    communication. I always encouraged it like if there is
    a change to make sure that it's reflected into the
    contract.
    The record does not contain any cancelled policy or communication between the
    CCIP insurers and Skyline advising Skyline it was no longer a participant in or
    enrolled in the CCIP.
    To the contrary, the evidence demonstrates Skyline remained enrolled in
    the CCIP policies. It is undisputed Liberty Mutual accepted Skyline's tender of
    the defense of this case and appointed counsel to represent it until its policy
    limits were exhausted. It is also undisputed National Union, as the CCIP excess
    liability insurer, subsequently provided a defense and appointed counsel for
    Skyline. In its February 28, 2022 letter, Liberty Mutual explained that by
    agreeing to provide Skyline with a defense pursuant to a reservation of rights
    letter it had issued in 2015, it had "confirmed Skyline's enrollment in the CCIP."
    Liberty Mutual also confirmed Skyline's enrollment in the CCIP in a March 1,
    A-4007-22
    20
    2022 email.     The evidence Skyline was enrolled in the CCIP policies is
    overwhelming.
    The motion judge erred in his legal interpretation of the Agreement and
    his analysis of the evidence presented regarding Skyline's status as a CCIP
    Entity.   Reviewing the terms of the Agreement de novo and given the
    overwhelming evidence of Skyline's enrollment in the CCIP policies and lack of
    evidence of unenrollment, we reverse the order denying Skyline's motion to
    enforce the Agreement and dismiss plaintiff's complaint against it and remand
    the case with an instruction the trial court issue an order granting the motion and
    dismissing plaintiff's complaint against Skyline with prejudice.
    Reversed and remanded for proceedings consistent with this opinion. We
    do not retain jurisdiction.
    A-4007-22
    21
    

Document Info

Docket Number: A-4007-22

Filed Date: 4/25/2024

Precedential Status: Non-Precedential

Modified Date: 4/25/2024