Opinion Number: 1999-NMCA-121
Date: August 5, 1999
Docket No. 19,714
CHRISTIE HOWARD, INDIVIDUALLY,
AS PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE of
THE ESTATE OF MARION BUNYAN
HOWARD II, DECEASED, and AS
ARDIAN and NEXT FRIEND OF JACK OWARD, A MINOR CHILD,
Plaintiff-Appellant,
QUALITY XPRESS, INC., RUBIN AGUIRRE
and FRANCISCO HERNANDEZ,
Defendants,
v.
GUARANTY NATIONAL INSURANCE COMPANY,
Garnishee-Appellee.
APPEAL FROM THE DISTRICT COURT OF OTERO COUNTY
Robert M. Doughty, II, District Judge
Ronald G. Harris
Foster, Johnson, Harris, & McDonald
Albuquerque, NM
for Appellant
Victoria D. Armstrong
Atwood, Malone, Turner & Sabin, P.A.
Roswell, NM
for Appellee
WECHSLER, Judge.
{1}
Appellant Christie Howard, individually and in her
capacities as personal representative of the estate of
Marion Howard and as next friend of Wesley Howard, appeals
the district court's order dismissing with prejudice her garnishment proceeding against Guaranty National Insurance
Company (Guaranty). Appellant contends that Guaranty's
notice of cancellation to its insured, Quality Xpress, Inc.
(Quality), was ineffective because Guaranty failed to comply
with Federal Highway Administration, Department of
Transportation regulations (DOT regulations). She
additionally argues that a garnishment proceeding is an
appropriate action to determine this issue. Because we
affirm the district court's dismissal, we do not address the
second issue.
Background
{2}
Appellant obtained a default judgment against Quality,
a trucking company, and two of its employees, for damages
stemming from a July 19, 1996 accident in which Marion
Howard died. Appellant commenced a garnishment proceeding
against Guaranty, which had insured Quality, to collect on
the default judgment.
{3}
Guaranty denied any liability to Appellant, claiming
that the insurance policy it had issued to Quality had been
canceled prior to the date of the accident. Appellant
argued that because Guaranty failed to comply with DOT
regulations in canceling the policy, the cancellation was
not effective and the policy remained in force. Guaranty
countered that it was not required to comply with DOT
regulations because Quality had not indicated on its
application that it engaged in interstate trucking.
Guaranty asserted that state law applied and that it had
effectively canceled the policy in accordance with NMSA
1978, § 59A-18-29 (1984) (requiring ten days' notice of
cancellation). Guaranty further contended that even if it
had to comply with DOT regulations, the accident occurred
after the period of notice required by the regulations;
thus, the policy was no longer in force at the time of the
accident. The district court granted Guaranty's motion to
dismiss the garnishment proceeding on the ground that the
claim against the garnishee was contingent and unliquidated
because the policy had been effectively canceled prior to
the accident. Appellant contends that the district court
erred as a matter of law in concluding that DOT regulations
did not apply and in improperly granting the motion to
dismiss.
Standard of Review
{4}
The district court considered matters outside of the
pleadings; therefore we treat the motion to dismiss as a
motion for summary judgment. See Williams v. Central
Consol. Sch. Dist., 1998-NMCA-006, ¶ 7, 124 N.M. 488, 952
P.2d 978. Summary judgment is proper when there are no
issues of material fact and the moving party is entitled to
a judgment as a matter of law. See id. In the present case, there are no genuine issues of material fact. The
issue is one of law, whether DOT regulations apply to
Guaranty's policy issued to Quality, and if so, whether
Guaranty properly complied with the regulations.
Discussion
{5}
Quality applied with Guaranty for commercial auto
insurance on November 16, 1995 for its business of hauling
farm products and produce. Guaranty's application included
a question of whether an MSC-90 endorsement was required and
a blank space to "List all States and Principal Cities
through which your Vehicles will operate." Quality checked
"no" to the MSC-90 endorsement requirement and did not list
any states or cities. An MSC-90 is an endorsement form
required by the DOT as part of its requirement of financial
responsibility of "for-hire motor carriers operating motor
vehicles transporting property in interstate or foreign
commerce." 49 C.F.R. §§ 387.3(a), 387.7(d)(1) (1998); see
generally Jackson v. O'Shields, 101 F.3d 1083, 1085 (5th
Cir. 1996). Quality also left blank the question regarding
"filings required" for filing of insurance documentation in
states where Quality traveled.
{6}
Guaranty issued a one-year policy which went into
effect on November 16, 1995. After Quality failed to pay
the premium, Guaranty sent a notice of cancellation for
nonpayment of premium on March 28, 1996 to be effective
April 10, 1996 in accordance with Section 59A-18-29(A)
requiring ten days' notice.
{7}
During depositions in the underlying wrongful death
suit, Quality's owner and a member of Quality's board of
directors both indicated that Quality occasionally traveled
from New Mexico into Texas and Colorado to make deliveries.
Participation in interstate transportation of property
subjects carriers to compliance with DOT regulations. See
49 C.F.R. § 387.3(a). In order to cancel a policy and
endorsements under these regulations, an insured must give
thirty-five days' notice. See 49 C.F.R. § 387.7(b)(1).
Policies of insurance, surety bonds, and
endorsements required under this section shall
remain in effect continuously until terminated.
Cancellation may be effected by the insurer or the
insured motor carrier giving 35 days' notice in
writing to the other. The 35 days' notice shall
commence to run from the date the notice is
mailed. Proof of mailing shall be sufficient
proof of notice.
Id. Additionally, cancellation of a policy with an MSC-90
endorsement requires the insurer to provide notice to the
Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) if the insured is subject to its jurisdiction. See 49 C.F.R. § 387.15, illus.
I (1998).
{8}
According to Appellant, because Quality engaged in
interstate commerce, Guaranty's policy automatically
incorporates DOT regulations because of public policy and
compulsory insurance requirements. As a consequence,
Guaranty was required to provide thirty-five days' notice in
accordance with 49 C.F.R. § 387.7(b)(1). Appellant contends
that Guaranty's failure to so comply rendered its notice of
cancellation void. Appellant concludes, therefore, that
Guaranty's policy continued to be in effect at the time of
the accident.
{9}
Appellant relies on case law indicating that compulsory
insurance statutes become part of the applicable policy.
See Keystone Mut. Cas. Co. v. Hinds, 26 A.2d 761, 762-63
(Md. 1942). Even accepting this premise, it is inapplicable
in this case because the Guaranty policy was issued (and
later canceled) in accordance with New Mexico law, and
Quality did not request coverage which would impose DOT
regulations on the policy. Appellant further relies upon
Hagans v. Glen Falls Ins. Co., 465 F.2d 1249, 1252-53 (10th
Cir. 1972), for the proposition that the Tenth Circuit will
read an ICC endorsement into a policy, even where it is
lacking. We do not believe that Hagans stands for any such
proposition because the parties and the court in that case
assumed that the endorsement was present. See id. at 1252
{10}
While we agree that it appears from the record that
Quality was engaged in interstate commerce requiring it to
have complied with DOT regulations, nothing in the record
indicates that Guaranty, as an insurer, had any basis to
believe that the insurance contract needed to so comply.
Guaranty complied with state law, but Quality did not inform
Guaranty of its interstate travels. Precisely the opposite,
Quality chose to answer "no" and leave blank the questions
regarding interstate travel and filings required. Quality
only requested intrastate coverage. The DOT regulations
only apply to "for-hire motor carriers operating . . . in
interstate or foreign commerce," 49 C.F.R. § 387.3(a), and
"[a]ny person . . . who knowingly violates the rules of this
subpart shall be liable to the United States for civil
penalty." 49 C.F.R. § 387.17. Thus, the regulatory scheme
appears to place the burden of compliance with the
compulsory insurance coverage requirements upon the motor
carrier, not the insurer.
{11}
We decline to impose responsibility on Guaranty to
comply with DOT regulations on Quality's behalf when it had
no knowledge or awareness that Quality was engaged in
interstate commerce. As the insured, Quality had knowledge
of the information that was relevant to Guaranty's
assumption of the insurance risk and had an obligation to provide the requested pertinent information. See Modisette
v. Foundation Reserve Ins. Co., 77 N.M. 661, 666, 427 P.2d
21, 25 (1967) ("The obligation to deal fairly and honestly
rests equally upon the insurer and the insured."); 6 Lee R.
Russ, Couch on Insurance 3d § 81.1, at 81-9; § 81.47, at 81-72 (1997). Guaranty specifically asked on the application
form whether Quality required endorsements for interstate
travel and filings for other states. The answers to these
questions were material to Guaranty's issuance of the policy
because they directly affected the steps necessary for
Guaranty to meet ICC regulatory requirements on behalf of
Quality and may have affected the premium charged.
See Modisette, 77 N.M. at 667-68, 427 P.2d at 26 ("A
representation or concealment of a fact is material if it
operates as an inducement to the insurer to enter into the
contract, where, except for such inducement, it would not
have done so, or would have charged a higher premium."); see
generally 6 Russ, supra, § 90:15, at 90-21.
{12}
We make no conclusion of any intentional
misrepresentations on Quality's part. However, neither do
we place the burden on Guaranty to investigate to determine
if Quality had correctly provided the information. See
Modisette, 77 N.M. at 666, 427 P.2d at 25; Rael v. American
Estate Life Ins. Co., 79 N.M. 379, 381, 444 P.2d 290, 292
(1968) (holding that failure to disclose relevant health
information materially affected issuance of policy).
Although Quality left some requested information spaces
blank, the blanks were consistent with Quality's indication
that it did not require an MSC-90 endorsement. Guaranty did
not have reason to know that Quality incorrectly responded
to the requests.
Conclusion
{13}
Guaranty properly canceled Quality's insurance policy
in accordance with state law and was not required to comply
with DOT regulations of which it had no reason to know
applied to its policy. The cancellation of the policy
terminated the liability of the insurer not only with
respect to the insured, but also with respect to third
persons who are creditors of the insured and who bring
attachment or garnishment proceedings against the insured.
See Roon v. Van Schouwen, 94 N.E.2d 880, 881-82 (Ill. 1950);
2 Russ, supra, § 30:24, at 30-32. We affirm the district
court's granting of the motion to dismiss the garnishment
proceeding.
{14}
IT IS SO ORDERED.
_____________________________
JAMES J. WECHSLER, Judge
WE CONCUR:
______________________________
LYNN PICKARD, Chief Judge
______________________________
RUDY S. APODACA, Judge