SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY
APPELLATE DIVISION
A-3075-95T1
DENISE RAE BISHOP SCOTT and
WAYNE SCOTT,
Plaintiffs,
v.
ANTHONY T. SALERNO and
GNOC, CORP., t/a Bally's
Grand Hotel & Casino,
Defendants/Third-Party
Plaintiffs-Respondents,
and
PAULINE N. MARCHESE,
Defendant,
v.
RUTGERS CASUALTY INSURANCE
COMPANY,
Third-Party Defendant-
Appellant.
_________________________________________________________________
Argued: January 22, 1997 - Decided: February 11, 1997
Before Judges Michels and Kleiner.
On appeal from the Superior Court of New
Jersey, Law Division, Atlantic County.
Susan L. Moreinis argued the cause for
appellant Rutgers Casualty Insurance
Company.
Alan J. Cohen argued the cause for
respondents GNOC, CORP., t/a Bally's
Grand Hotel & Casino and Anthony
Salerno (Sills, Cummis, Zuckerman, Radin,
Tischman, Epstein & Gross, attorneys; Mr.
Cohen, of counsel; Mr. Cohen and N. Lynne
Hughes on the brief).
The opinion of the court was delivered by
MICHELS, P.J.A.D.
Third-party defendant Rutgers Casualty Insurance Company
(Rutgers) appeals (1) from a summary judgment of the Law Division
that directed it to indemnify and hold harmless defendant and
third-party plaintiffs Anthony Salerno (Salerno) and GNOC, Corp.,
t/a Bally's Grand Hotel & Casino (Bally's) for expenses incurred
by reason of its failure to defend Salerno and Bally's in
connection with a personal injury negligence action brought
against them by plaintiffs Denise Rae Bishop Scott and Wayne
Scott and (2) from a post-judgment order that awarded Salerno and
Bally's attorney's fees of $6,820.73.
The facts giving rise to this appeal are essentially
undisputed. On June 14, 1993, Salerno, while operating an
automobile owned by defendant Pauline N. Marchese (Marchese), was
involved in an accident with an automobile owned and operated by
plaintiff Denise Rae Bishop Scott (Scott) in Atlantic City, New
Jersey. At the time of the accident, Salerno was valet parking
automobiles for Bally's. The Marchese automobile was covered by
a Personal Auto Policy issued by Rutgers, which, in pertinent
part, provided:
PART A....LIABILITY COVERAGE
INSURING AGREEMENT
A. We will pay damages for "bodily injury"
or "property damage" for which any
"insured" becomes legally responsible
because of an auto accident. Damages
include pre-judgment interest awarded
against the "insured". We will settle
or defend, as we consider appropriate,
any claim or suit asking for these
damages. In addition to our limit of
liability, we will pay all defense costs
we incur. Out duty to settle or defend
ends when our limit of liability for
this coverage has been exhausted. We
have no duty to defend any suit or
settle any claim for "bodily injury" or
"property damage" not covered under this
policy.
B. "Insured" as used in this Part means:
. . . .
2. Any person using "your covered
auto".
3. For "your covered auto", any person
or organization but only with
respect to legal responsibility for
acts or omissions of a person for
whom coverage is afforded under
this Part.
. . . .
EXCLUSIONS
A. We do not provide Liability Coverage for
any person:
. . . .
6. While employed or otherwise engaged
in the "business" of:
a. selling; d. storing; or
b. repairing; e. parking;
c. servicing;
vehicles designed for use mainly on public highways. This includes road testing and delivery. This exclusion (A.6.) does not apply to
the ownership, maintenance or use
of "your covered auto" by:
a. you;
b. any "family member"; or
c. any partner, agent or employee
of you or any "family member".
Following the accident, Scott and Wayne Scott instituted this action against Marchese, Salerno, and Bally's seeking damages for the personal injuries she sustained as a result of the accident. By letter dated December 3, 1993, Bally's notified Rutgers of the accident, that the automobile was insured by Rutgers, and that the automobile was being operated by one of its valet drivers. Bally's thereupon demanded that Rutgers commence an investigation, provide coverage, and defend and indemnify it and the valet driver in connection with the Scotts' action. Thereafter, Rutgers advised Bally's that it would not enter an appearance on its behalf since Bally's was not operating the automobile and was not covered under the omnibus provisions of the Rutgers policy. However, Rutgers advised Bally's that it would provide a defense for Salerno under a reservation of rights. On February 3, 1994, under a reservation of rights, Rutgers filed an answer to the Scotts' complaint on behalf of Marchese and Salerno. On the same day, Bally's filed an answer and a third-party complaint against Rutgers on its own behalf and also on behalf of Salerno. In the third-party complaint, Salerno and Bally's sought a declaratory judgment that the Rutgers'
Personal Auto Policy issued to Marchese provide coverage to them.
They also sought counsel fees and costs.
During the course of pretrial depositions, Salerno testified
that he was employed by Kinney Systems, Inc. (Kinney). As a
result, the trial court granted plaintiff leave to file an
amended complaint to name Kinney as a defendant. However, any
issue as to whether Salerno was employed by Kinney or by Bally's
was never resolved because Bally's and Salerno had already moved
for summary judgment on the third-party complaint for coverage.
They contended that the exclusionary language in Exclusion A.6.
of the Rutgers' Personal Auto Policy was violative of our public
policy, and, therefore, the exclusion was void and unenforceable.
The trial court agreed and held that the Rutgers' Personal Auto
Policy provided coverage to Salerno and Bally's for the Scott-Marchese automobile accident, and ordered Rutgers to defend and
indemnify them for expenses incurred in defending the Scotts'
action up to the limit of the policy. In granting summary
judgment, the trial court reasoned:
Salerno and Bally's, as Salerno's
employer, are covered under the Rutgers
policy Part A Section B Number 2 and 3 which
describes the "insured" as "any person using
your `covered auto'" and "for `your covered
auto', any person or organization, but only
with respect to legal responsibility for acts
or omissions of a person for whom coverage is
afforded under this Part." According to the
terms, Bally's and Salerno are covered under
the policy. The only way Rutgers can attempt
to avoid coverage is under the exclusions.
The only exclusions they might claim to have
any relevance are #5, which is for the
operation of a vehicle while it was being
used as a public or livery conveyance. In
this case, this vehicle was clearly not being
used as a public or livery conveyance. Or
#6, while employed or otherwise engaged in
the business of parking cars, would be the
second exception. Under American Home
Insurance Co. v. Hartford Insurance Co.,
190 N.J. Super. 477, the court held that "when a
customer's liability insurance policy covers
any person using his automobile with his
permission and within the scope thereof, a
provision excluding coverage if the
automobile is used by a person engaged in the
automobile business is invalid." See 190
N.J. Super. at 486. Even though N.J.S.A.
39:6-46 was repealed, N.J.S.A. 39:6-48 is
still in effect, and this indicates that
insurance must be provided in accordance with
the coverage defined in Sections 24 and 25 of
the Act, which was N.J.S.A. 39:6-46. The
court finds that the coverage must be
provided under the policy. The court finds
that Rutgers is responsible for providing
coverage to Bally's and to Salerno. Salerno
was certainly using the vehicle with the
permission of the owner. The court does not
find that the vehicle being used was a public
or livery conveyance, and the "parking"
exclusion is invalid.
The trial court also held that since Rutgers owed the defense, it was responsible for the counsel fees and costs incurred by Bally's and Salerno in defending this action. Bally's filed an application for counsel fees and costs supported by an affidavit of services. Rutgers objected to the award of counsel fees, contending that it had been paying for the defense of Salerno from the commencement of the action and, therefore, should not be compelled to also reimburse Bally's for any counsel fees and costs Bally's incurred in defending Salerno. Rutgers also argued that the affidavit of services set forth only the bulk amount of the services and costs and did not comply with R. 4:42-9(b). The trial court reviewed in camera the file that was
submitted by Bally's and Salerno in support of their application
for counsel fees and costs and awarded them $6,820.73.
Thereafter, the Scotts' claims against Salerno were settled for
$40,000 and this appeal followed.
of Pa. v. Palmieri,
81 N.J. Super. 170, 179 (App. Div. 1963),
certif. denied,
41 N.J. 389 (1964). In this pursuit, a broad and
liberal view should be taken where the policy provisions relate
to the inclusion of persons other than the named insured within
the protection afforded. See Mazzilli v. Accident & Cas. Ins.
Co. of Winterthur,
35 N.J. 1, 8 (1961); American Home Assur. Co.
v. Hartford Ins. Co., supra, 190 N.J. Super. at 484.
Although N.J.S.A. 39:6-46 has been repealed, we have
specifically held that it has been replaced by N.J.S.A. 39:6B-1.
See Parkway Iron & Metal Co. v. New Jersey Mfrs. Ins. Co.,
266 N.J. Super. 386, 389 (App. Div. 1993), certif. denied,
135 N.J. 302 (1994). N.J.S.A. 39:6B-1, in pertinent part, provides:
Every owner or registered owner of a
motor vehicle registered or principally
garaged in this State shall maintain motor
vehicle liability insurance coverage, under
provisions approved by the Commissioner of
Insurance, insuring against loss resulting
from liability imposed by law for bodily
injury, death and property damage sustained
by any person arising out of the ownership,
maintenance, operation or use of a motor
vehicle . . . .
In view of the strong public policy of this State to provide coverage to anyone using an automobile with the owner's permission, the exclusion from that coverage of anyone using the automobile while parking or storing that automobile contained in Exclusion A.6. of the Rutgers' Personal Auto Policy is void and unenforceable even though N.J.S.A. 39:6B-1 does not contain the same omnibus language contained in N.J.S.A. 39:6-46, which was repealed. Our conclusion in this regard is supported by
Harleysville Ins. Co. v. Crum & Forster Personal Ins.,
246 N.J.
Super. 503 (App. Div. 1990). There we declared a nearly
identical policy exclusion to be violative of the State's public
policy and void. We held that notwithstanding the exclusion of
coverage for anyone while employed or otherwise engaged in the
business or occupation of selling, repairing, servicing, storing
or parking vehicles, an automobile repair shop employee, who was
operating a customer's car with the customer in the car when he
was involved in an accident, was covered as an additional insured
under the customer's policy. We held that "[t]he exclusion as an
additional insured of any person employed or otherwise engaged in
duties in connection with an automobile business `violates the
clear public policy of this State and any policy provision
containing such exclusion is void.'" Id. at 507 (quoting
American Home Assur. Co. v. Hartford Ins. Co., supra, 190 N.J.
Super. at 486). See also Parkway Iron & Metal Co. v. New Jersey
Mfrs. Ins. Co., supra, 266 N.J. Super. at 390-91.
there is no coverage for Bally's under the facts of this case"
because "there was never a determination that Bally's was
Salerno's employer or otherwise legally responsible for his
acts." Such a determination is required by the provision stating
that "insurance" refers to "any person or organization but only
with respect to legal responsibility for acts or omissions of a
person for whom coverage is afforded under this Part." At the
trial, Rutgers alleged that Salerno was a commercial agent of
Bally's. It is now conceded that Salerno was employed by Kinney.
Bally's contends that Kinney was under contract with it and,
thus, it was the party to whom Marchese's automobile was placed
for valet services. Thus, Bally's argues that it was the party
involved in the valet services and, thus, it, as well as Salerno,
was an insured under the Rutgers policy.
That Bally's employed Salerno was not challenged in the
trial court. Hence, there was no genuine issue of material fact
as to the identity of Salerno's employer at the time the summary
judgment motion was heard and decided, and we will not consider
such an issue now. Issues raised for the first time on appeal
are not ordinarily considered by courts of review unless the
issue relates to the jurisdiction of the trial court, concerns
matters of great public importance, or constitutes plain error.
Docteroff v. Barra Corp.,
282 N.J. Super. 230, 237 (App. Div.
1995). See also R. 2:10-2; Nieder v. Royal Indem. Ins. Co.,
62 N.J. 229, 234 (1973); Hamilton, Johnson, & Co. v. Johnston,
256 N.J. Super. 657, 662 (App. Div.), certif. denied,
130 N.J. 595
(1992). Moreover, parties cannot complain that the trial court
took as true facts which were not contested or challenged. See
Judson v. Peoples Bank & Trust Co. of Westfield,
17 N.J. 67, 75
(1954). In fact, Rutgers is bound by having alleged below that
Salerno was the agent of Bally's below. See Howard Savings Bank
v. Liberty Mutual Ins. Co.,
285 N.J. Super. 491, 497 (App. Div.
1995).
Not only is the issue inappropriate here, but any evidence
on the issue which is not in the record cannot be considered.
Appellate courts can consider a case only to the point at which
it had been unfolded below. Bilotti v. Accurate Forming Corp.,
39 N.J. 184, 188 (1963). Thus, appellate review is confined to
the record made in the trial court, Wallach v. Williams,
52 N.J. 504, 505 (1968), and appellate courts will not consider evidence
submitted on appeal that was not in the record before the trial
court, Middle Dep't Insp. Agency v. Home Ins. Co.,
154 N.J.
Super. 49, 56 (App. Div. 1977), certif. denied,
76 N.J. 234
(1978).
However, "[t]he failure to appreciate issues vital to
disposition, because of the inadequacy of a factual record,
presents a real and frequently overlooked hazard to the granting
of summary relief." Chemical Bank v. Penny Plate, Inc.,
144 N.J.
Super. 390, 399-400 (App. Div. 1976). Thus, summary judgment can
be reversed where the case was not ripe for a summary judgment
determination because discovery, though proceeding in a timely
fashion, was incomplete. J. Josephson, Inc. v. Crum & Forster
Ins. Co.,
293 N.J. Super. 170, 203-04 (App. Div. 1996). See also
Velantzas v. Colgate-Palmolive Co.,
109 N.J. 189, 193 (1988)
(when critical facts are peculiarly within movant's knowledge,
discovery is incomplete, and there is a basis upon which
plaintiff should be entitled to proceed, summary judgment is
inappropriate); Hermann Forwarding Co. v. Pappas Ins. Co.,
273 N.J. Super. 54, 64 (App. Div. 1994) (case was not ripe where
critical issues were undeveloped before trial court, pretrial
discovery was incomplete, interrogatories were unanswered, and
depositions were not begun).
The present case was ripe for summary judgment because
Rutgers had a reasonable opportunity, from February 3, 1994, the
date the third-party complaint was filed, until October 1994, the
time papers opposing Bally's' summary judgment motion were due,
to proceed with discovery to determine the identity of Salerno's
employer. See Hermann Forwarding Co. v. Pappas Ins. Co., supra,
273 N.J. Super. at 64; VanDyke v. Carol Bldg. Co.,
36 N.J. Super. 281, 287-88 (App. Div. 1955). In addition, Rutgers never
asserted that the case was not ripe. In fact, Rutgers filed its
own motion for summary judgment based on the same facts as those
contained within Bally's' motion. Finally, the trial court could
only consider the facts before it, and at that time, both parties
apparently agreed upon the facts. Thus, there was no basis or
even suggestion from the parties not to proceed to a summary
judgment determination. In sum, we will not reverse the summary
judgment and remand the matter for reconsideration of the
relationship between Salerno and Bally's.
In any event, we are satisfied that the trial court properly
found that Bally's was legally responsible for the acts or
omissions of Salerno for whom coverage was afforded under this
policy. Marchese gave Bally's permission to park her automobile.
At the time of the accident, the automobile was being driven by
Salerno, as agent for Bally's, for the very purpose for which it
was given to Bally's. Bally's was responsible for the acts of
Salerno, and, therefore, Bally's was insured under the Rutgers
Personal Auto Policy covering the Marchese automobile.
Bally's' automobile liability is insured by the National Union Fire Insurance Company (National Union) with limits of $2,000,000. Bally's' retention or deductible on this policy is $150,000. In other words, the National Union policy does not
come into effect with respect to any loss until the first
$150,000 of the loss has been paid by Bally's. While Bally's may
be viewed as a practical matter as being self-insured for the
first $150,000 of any loss by virtue of the retention or
deductible in the policy, this retention or deductible does not
qualify as other insurance under the Rutgers policy.
"Other insurance" means "`another policy of insurance
covering the same risks . . . .'" American Nurses Ass'n v.
Passaic Gen. Hosp.,
192 N.J. Super. 486, 495 (App. Div.) (quoting
Universal Underwriter Ins. Co. v. Marriott Homes, Inc.,
238 So.2d 730, 732 (Ala. 1970)), aff'd in part, rev'd in part,
98 N.J. 83 (1984).
[O]ne may be regarded as a self-insurer as to
any risk of loss to which he is subject and
which is susceptible to insurance coverage
but as to which he has not obtained such
coverage. As a matter of colloquial usage,
he is a self-insurer of that risk. But as a
matter both of common sense and the
fundamentals of insurance law, a failure to
purchase obtainable insurance is not itself
insurance. That failure simply and
inevitably means that there is no insurance
for that risk. Thus, the undertaking to
self-insure cannot, by definition, be
regarded as insurance. The same is true when
only part of the risk of loss is shifted to
an insurer. The insured's retained portion
of the risk is the so-called "deductible"
amount, if any, and the extent to which the
risk exceeds the policy limits. The insured
is a "self-insurer" as to both retained
portions of the risk. Neither, however,
constitutes insurance, and it has indeed been
held that a deductible from coverage, which
can be loosely termed self-insurance, does
not constitute insurance within the meaning
of a standard other-insurance clause,
irrespective of the size of the deductible
and whether or not the deductible amount is
funded and administered by an insurance
company.
[Id. at 491-92.]
In its modifying opinion, the Supreme Court wrote that its
first task was to "determine whether the . . . `self-insured sum'
was a deductible or whether it constituted `other insurance' as
contemplated within the excess provision . . . ." American
Nurses Ass'n v. Passaic Gen. Hosp.,
98 N.J. 83, 88 (1984)
(emphasis added). The Court then stated:
Though a deductible is frequently
referred to as self-insurance, its functional
purpose is simply to alter the point at which
an insurance company's obligation to pay will
ripen. "`Other insurance' [in an excess
provision] means a policy of insurance of
like kind issued by an insurance company in
exchange for a premium charged." 16 G.
Couch, Insurance 2d § 62.87 (rev. ed. 1983).
While there is a split of authority on this
question, the tendency has been not to regard
self-insurance as "insurance."
[Id. at 88-89 (alteration in original).]
Later, in Ross v. Transport of New Jersey,
114 N.J. 132
(1989), the Supreme Court explained our analysis in American
Nurses Ass'n v. Passaic Gen. Hosp., supra, while differentiating
between being self-insured and being uninsured. The Court
explained that in American Nurses Ass'n v. Passaic Gen. Hosp.,
supra, we referred to
"self-insurance" solely to differentiate
between the source of insurance. This was
done in the context of finding that a
hospital's contractual obligation to
indemnify employees for the first $100,000 of
any malpractice claim, i.e., the "self-insurance" component of coverage, did not
constitute "other insurance" under a policy
of insurance held by employees providing non-responsibility for amounts covered by "other
insurance." The context was thus totally
different from this case where the term
"self-insured" is meant to be used as a form
of protection equivalent to a policy of
insurance.
[Ross v. Transport of New Jersey, supra, 114
N.J. at 143.]
In a later case, we reaffirmed the proposition that
deductibles, unlike statutory self-insurance or other forms of
protection equivalent to a policy of insurance, are not "other
insurance." Both our discussion of this issue and the Supreme
Court's "language on the point hold only that `self-insurance' to
the extent that it represents an insured's deductible amount
above which a policy will be effective, is not to be considered
other insurance." White v. Howard,
240 N.J. Super. 427, 433
(App. Div.), certif. denied,
122 N.J. 339 (1990).
"The key question is what, objectively, was the reasonable
expectation of [Marchese] when she obtained the liability
insurance from [Rutgers]. `The policy should be read as the
ordinary policy-holder would understand it.' Kissil v.
Beneficial Nat'l Life Ins. Co.,
64 N.J. 555, 561 (1974)."
American Nurses Ass'n v. Passaic Gen. Hosp., supra, 98 N.J. at 88
(citations omitted). Rutgers' "other insurance" clause refers to
"other applicable liability insurance" and "other collectible
insurance." In the opinion of our Supreme Court, "lay persons
would consider `insurance' to refer to another insurance policy
comparable to the one issued to them. Such references would not
ordinarily be understood to include the obligation of an insured
to pay a deductible." Ibid. Consequently, Bally's' retention or
deductible does not constitute "other insurance" as contemplated
by the "other insurance" provision of Rutgers' policy. Further,
Bally's is not self-insured within the sense or form required by
N.J.S.A. 39:6-52.
In sum, Bally's' $150,000 deductible or retention under the
policy issued by National Union does not qualify as other
insurance. Since the Scotts' claims were settled for $40,000,
which is less than Bally's' $150,000 deductible or retention
under the National Union Policy, Rutgers' coverage is not
prorated with the coverage afforded by the National Union policy
in determining the extent of its liability to the Scotts.
opportunity to review those files and examine counsel with
respect to the necessity of the services rendered and the
reasonableness of the fees requested. Therefore, the award of
counsel fees is reversed and the matter is remanded to the trial
court for reconsideration of the counsel fees after affording
Rutgers an opportunity to review the files and, if necessary,
examine counsel with respect to the necessity of the services
rendered and the reasonableness of the fees requested by Bally's.