Construction Defects, Standing Alone, Do Not Constitute Property Damage
Post 4858
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The Appeals Court of Massachusetts was asked to decide whether the costs of repairing or removing construction defects constitute "damages because of . . . 'property damage'" within the meaning of a commercial general liability policy.
In Lawrence H. Lessard & another v. R.C. Havens & Sons, Inc., & others, No. 23-P-346, Appeals Court of Massachusetts, Essex (August 14, 2024) the Appeals Court was faced with an issue of first impression in Massachusetts: are construction defects "property damage" as defined in a CGL policy?
THE UNDERLYING ACTION
In the underlying action, Lawrence H. Lessard and Jennifer A. Meshna (together, the homeowners) sued their builder for the faulty construction of their home. At trial a jury found numerous construction defects and awarded the homeowners damages. Meanwhile, Main Street America Assurance Company (MSA) -- the insurer that issued to the defendants R.C. Havens with a commercial general liability policy covering the relevant period -- intervened in the action and sought a declaration that it did not have a duty to indemnify R.C. Havens under the policy.
As the project neared completion, the homeowners began to discover substantial issues with the quality of the construction. A number of problems compromised the structural integrity of the home. A portion of a structural post that was supposed to run from the roof to the basement was missing, and partition walls, sill plates, and support beams were installed incorrectly. As a result, some partition walls were improperly weight bearing.
The jury in the underlying action awarded the homeowners $114,159 for the structural defects, $14,207 for the roof deck, $37,000 for the siding, and $52,500 for the metal roof. The jury also awarded the homeowners $925 for problems with the home's insulation, $18,036 for mold damage, $8,430 for loss of use of their home during repair work, and $27,276 for costs of investigating the defects.
A Superior Court judge ruled for MSA on all the issues.
DISCUSSION
As a general principle, the insured (or the individual seeking coverage) bears the initial burden of proving that the claimed loss falls within the coverage of the insurance policy. If the insured meets that burden, the burden then shifts to the insurer to show that a separate exclusion to coverage is applicable.
To resolve the homeowners' appeal, the Appeals Court only needed to address whether the losses constituted property damage within the meaning of the policy.
Policies define "property damage" as physical injury, which suggests the property was not defective at the outset, but rather was initially proper and injured thereafter. Because faulty construction is defective at the outset the cost to repair are not claims for property damage. For example an improperly installed window would not be "property damage," but resulting water damage to the surrounding wall would be.
The Appeals court held that construction defects, without more, do not constitute property damage within the meaning of a commercial general liability policy. The summary judgment record established that the underlying jury verdict awarded damages for the costs of repairing or removing the construction defects themselves.
Since there was no evidence that the construction defects caused injury to other property, MSA had no duty under its commercial general liability policy to indemnify R.C. Havens for the final judgment because construction defects, standing alone, do not constitute property damage within the meaning of a commercial general liability policy and the judgment was affirmed.
ZALMA OPINION
Liability insurance is designed to protect an insured against fortuitous events that cause direct physical damage and damage to the property of persons other than the insured. When there is no direct physical loss there can be no coverage because the only damage was the construction defects that were never undamaged and that did not cause damage to other property. The builder must pay from its own funds the judgment.
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Amended Complaint Provides Escape from Anti-Assignment Condition
Post number 5345
Read the full article at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/proper-inconsistent-pleading-defeats-policy-condition-barry-mrugc, shttps://www.linkedin.com/pulse/proper-inconsistent-pleading-defeats-policy-condition-barry-mrugc and at https://zalma.com/blog plus more than 5300 posts.
State Farm’s Responsive Pleading Defeated Motion on Anti Assignment Condition
In Tyra Caire Treadway v. State Farm Fire And Casualty Company, Civil Action No. 23-6834, United States District Court, E.D. Louisiana (April 28, 2026) Plaintiff Tyra Caire Treadway owned property at 7000-02 Jeannette Street, New Orleans, Louisiana, which was insured under a State Farm homeowners’ policy.
Hurricane Ida struck Louisiana on August 29, 2021, causing damage to the property. Nearly two years later, on August 9, 2023, Treadway sold the property to M1SRJT Jeanette, LLC and assigned her State Farm insurance claim, including the right to pursue additional damages and penalties for ...
Amended Complaint Provides Escape from Anti-Assignment Condition
Post number 5345
Read the full article at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/proper-inconsistent-pleading-defeats-policy-condition-barry-mrugc, shttps://www.linkedin.com/pulse/proper-inconsistent-pleading-defeats-policy-condition-barry-mrugc and at https://zalma.com/blog plus more than 5300 posts.
State Farm’s Responsive Pleading Defeated Motion on Anti Assignment Condition
In Tyra Caire Treadway v. State Farm Fire And Casualty Company, Civil Action No. 23-6834, United States District Court, E.D. Louisiana (April 28, 2026) Plaintiff Tyra Caire Treadway owned property at 7000-02 Jeannette Street, New Orleans, Louisiana, which was insured under a State Farm homeowners’ policy.
Hurricane Ida struck Louisiana on August 29, 2021, causing damage to the property. Nearly two years later, on August 9, 2023, Treadway sold the property to M1SRJT Jeanette, LLC and assigned her State Farm insurance claim, including the right to pursue additional damages and penalties for ...
BACKGROUND
See the video at https://rumble.com/v79dts2-crime-doesnt-pay.html and at https://youtu.be/dw0f4goCbxA, and at https://zalma.com/blog plus more than 5300 posts.
Plaintiff:
Andrew J. Mitchell, an incarcerated individual proceeding pro se sued Pandit Law Firm, LLC, on behalf of a corporation that was controlled by Mitchell who had operated Mitchell Adjusting International LLC (MAI), a Texas limited liability company.
According to the US Attorney:
A Texas man (Mitchell) acting as an insurance adjuster who cheated an Albany church out of millions of dollars paid out by its insurance company to repair its facilities heavily damaged by Hurricane Michael in 2018 was sentenced to serve more than 19 years in prison and ordered to pay nearly $4 million in restitution to victims in several states.
Andrew Mitchell, formerly Andrew Aga, 46, of Houston, Texas, was sentenced to serve 235 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $2,895,903.01 in restitution to the Brotherhood ...
It is Fraud to Make the Same Claim Twice
Read the full article at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/fraud-make-same-claim-twice-barry-zalma-esq-cfe-c4g8c and at https://zalma.com/blog.
Chutzpah: After Being Paid for a New Roof Insured Makes Second Claim For Same Damages
Post number 5347
No One is Entitled to be Paid for the Same Loss Twice
In Mohammed Ali Khalili v. State Farm Lloyds, No. 14-25-00611-CV, Court of Appeals of Texas (April 30, 2026) Khalili maintained a State Farm Lloyds homeowners insurance policy for decades. In 2008 he filed a roof-damage claim; State Farm paid him to replace the entire roof (shingles and gutters). Khalili never replaced the roof and repeated his claim.
BACKGROUND
In 2021 he filed a second roof claim. State Farm’s inspectors found the roof “very old” with extensive non-storm-related damage. The claim was denied because (1) the damage did not exceed the deductible and (2) State Farm had already paid for a full roof replacement.
PROCEDURAL HISTORY
State Farm filed motion for summary...
It is Fraud to Make the Same Claim Twice
Read the full article at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/fraud-make-same-claim-twice-barry-zalma-esq-cfe-c4g8c and at https://zalma.com/blog.
Chutzpah: After Being Paid for a New Roof Insured Makes Second Claim For Same Damages
Post number 5347
No One is Entitled to be Paid for the Same Loss Twice
In Mohammed Ali Khalili v. State Farm Lloyds, No. 14-25-00611-CV, Court of Appeals of Texas (April 30, 2026) Khalili maintained a State Farm Lloyds homeowners insurance policy for decades. In 2008 he filed a roof-damage claim; State Farm paid him to replace the entire roof (shingles and gutters). Khalili never replaced the roof and repeated his claim.
BACKGROUND
In 2021 he filed a second roof claim. State Farm’s inspectors found the roof “very old” with extensive non-storm-related damage. The claim was denied because (1) the damage did not exceed the deductible and (2) State Farm had already paid for a full roof replacement.
PROCEDURAL HISTORY
State Farm filed motion for summary...
What Must be Done after Notice of a Claim is Received by the Insurer
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A first party property policy does not insure property: it insures a person, partnership, corporation or other entity against the risk of loss of the property. Before an insured can make a claim for indemnity under a policy of first party property insurance the insured must prove that there was damage to property the risk of loss of which was insured by the policy. The obligation imposed on the insured ...
