Indemnity and Defense Agreement Must be Enforced
Read the full article at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/contract-provides-effective-transfer-risk-barry-zalma-esq-cfe and at https://zalma.com/blog plus more than 4000 posts.
Defendants, Fox Mill Limited Partnership and the Kane County Land Company (collectively, FMLP), appealed from a declaratory judgment for defense costs in favor of the Wasco Sanitary District (District) in Wasco Sanitary District v. Fox Mill Limited Partnership, and Kane County Land Company, No. 2-20-0650, 2021 IL App 200650-U, Court of Appeals of Illinois, Second District (December 9, 2021) and the Court of Appeal resolved the issue.
BACKGROUND
In 1994 the District entered into an annexation agreement to provide water and wastewater treatment services for FMLP’s residential development, a subdivision called Fox Mill. This subdivision included about 800 high-end custom homes in the Village of Campton Hills. Under the agreement, FMLP would pay for or construct water facilities for the District and in return FMLP could collect for the connection permits for the Fox Mill subdivision. (The connection permits were sold for around $25,000 for each single-family home. The agreement also provided that FMLP could sell the District’s excess capacity provided that the excess was created by FMLP’s improvements.
One of the District’s residents, Ed Fiala and a third-party home developer, Tim Kobler Custom Homes, Inc. (Fiala) filed suit against the District, its trustees, its outside counsel as well as FMLP, B&B, Boose, Blood, B&B and FMLP’s attorney and Harrison.
The District received an order granting it approximately $1.3 million.
ANALYSIS
FMLP could not express bewilderment that the District was a party to the Fiala litigation; both FMLP and the District were represented at counsels’ table in the same suit concerning the 1994 agreement. Therefore, the Court of Appeal, like the trial court, refused to permit FMLP to continue to deny the obvious.
The appellate court rejected FMLP’s contentions. The 1994 annexation agreement plainly obligated FMLP to defend and indemnify the District, and the trial court correctly determined that FMLP had a continuing duty to defend and indemnify the District and its trustees.
ZALMA OPINION
The essence of insurance is the transfer of a risk from an individual to an insurer. Insurance is not, however, the only risk transfer device. The “hold harmless” agreement was a risk transfer device established by a contract between the District and FMLP. It was an effective risk transfer device and the District – although it took them ten years to do so – they got their attorneys fees paid from a bond posted by FMLP. I can only wonder what took the parties and the courts so long to enforce a clear and unambiguous contract and how much faster an insurance policy would have provided defense and indemnity.
© 2022 – Barry Zalma
Convicted Criminal Seeks to Compel Receiver to Protect his Assets
Post number 5291
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The Work of a Court Appointed Receiver is Constitutionally Protected
In Simon Semaan et al. v. Robert P. Mosier et al., G064385, California Court of Appeals, Fourth District, Third Division (February 6, 2026) the Court of Appeals applied the California anti-SLAPP statute which protects defendants from meritless lawsuits arising from constitutionally protected activities, including those performed in official capacities. The court also considered the doctrine of quasi-judicial immunity, which shields court-appointed receivers from liability for discretionary acts performed within their official duties.
Facts
In September 2021, the State of California filed felony charges against Simon Semaan, alleging violations of Insurance Code section 11760(a) for making...
When There are Two Different Other Insurance Clauses They Eliminate Each Other and Both Insurers Owe Indemnity Equally
Post number 5289
In Great West Casualty Co. v. Nationwide Agribusiness Insurance Co., and Conserv FS, Inc., and Timothy A. Brennan, as Administrator of the Estate of Pat- rick J. Brennan, deceased, Nos. 24-1258, 24-1259, United States Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit (February 11, 2026) the USCA was required to resolve a dispute that arose when a tractor-trailer operated by Robert D. Fisher (agent of Deerpass Farms Trucking, LLC-II) was involved in a side-impact collision with an SUV driven by Patrick J. Brennan, resulting in Brennan’s death.
Facts
Deerpass Trucking, an interstate motor carrier, leased the tractor from Deerpass Farms Services, LLC, and hauled cargo for Conserv FS, Inc. under a trailer interchange agreement. The tractor was insured by Great West Casualty Company with a $1 million policy limit, while the trailer was insured by Nationwide Agribusiness Insurance Company with a $2 million ...
Opiod Producer Seeks Indemnity from CGL Insurers
Post number 5288
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Insurers Exclude Damages Due to Insured’s Products
In Matthew Dundon, As The Trustee Of The Endo General Unsecured Creditors’ Trust v. ACE Property And Casualty Insurance Company, et al., Civil Action No. 24-4221, United States District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania (February 10, 2026) Matthew Dundon, trustee of the Endo General Unsecured Creditors’ Trust, sued multiple commercial general liability (CGL) insurers for coverage of opioid-related litigation involving Endo International PLC a pharmaceutical manufacturer.
KEY FACTS
Beginning as early as 2014, thousands of opioid suits were filed by governments, third parties, and individuals alleging harms tied to opioid manufacturing and marketing.
Bankruptcy & Settlements
Endo filed Chapter 11 in August 2022; before bankruptcy it ...
Passover for Americans
Posted on February 19, 2026 by Barry Zalma
“The Passover Seder For Americans”
For more than 3,000 years Jewish fathers have told the story of the Exodus of the enslaved Jews from Egypt. Telling the story has been required of all Jewish fathers. Americans, who have lived in North America for more than 300 years have become Americans and many have lost the ability to read, write and understand the Hebrew language in which the story of Passover was first told in the Torah. Passover is one of the many holidays Jewish People celebrate to help them remember the importance of G_d in their lives. We see the animals, the oceans, the rivers, the mountains, the rain, sun, the planets, the stars, and the people and wonder how did all these wonderful things come into being. Jews believe the force we call G_d created the entire universe and everything in it. Jews feel G_d is all seeing and knowing and although we can’t see Him, He is everywhere and in everyone.We understand...
Passover for Americans
Posted on February 19, 2026 by Barry Zalma
Read the full article at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/passover-americans-barry-zalma-esq-cfe-5vgkc.
“The Passover Seder For Americans”
For more than 3,000 years Jewish fathers have told the story of the Exodus of the enslaved Jews from Egypt. Telling the story has been required of all Jewish fathers. Americans, who have lived in North America for more than 300 years have become Americans and many have lostthe ability to read, write and understand the Hebrew language in which the story of Passover was first told in the Torah.
Passover is one of the many holidays Jewish People celebrate to help them remember the importance of G_d in their lives. We see the animals, the oceans, the rivers, the mountains, the rain, sun, the planets, the stars, and the people and ...
You Get What You Pay For – Less Coverage Means Lower Premium
Post number 5275
Posted on January 30, 2026 by Barry Zalma
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When Experts for Both Sides Agree That Two Causes Concur to Cause a Wall to Collapse Exclusion Applies
In Lido Hospitality, Inc. v. AIX Specialty Insurance Company, No. 1-24-1465, 2026 IL App (1st) 241465-U, Court of Appeals of Illinois (January 27, 2026) resolved the effect of an anti-concurrent cause exclusion to a loss with more than one cause.
Facts and Background
Lido Hospitality, Inc. operates the Lido Motel in Franklin Park, Illinois. In November 2020, a windstorm caused one of the motel’s brick veneer walls to collapse. At the time, Lido was insured under a policy issued by AIX Specialty Insurance Company which provided coverage for windstorm damage. However, the policy contained an exclusion for any loss or damage directly or indirectly resulting from ...
