Kuehn Sf Motion Reconsider Order
Transcript of Kuehn Sf Motion Reconsider Order
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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF MISSISSIPPI
SOUTHERN DIVISION
HENRY KUEHN and JUNE P. KUEHN PLAINTIFFS
VERSUS No. 1:08-cv-577-LTS-RHW
STATE FARM FIRE & CASUALTY COMPANY, et al. DEFENDANT S
STATE FARMS MOTION FOR RECONSIDERATION OF THIS COURTS JUNE 19, 2009
ORDER [72], LIMITED TO THE ISSUE OF DISINTERESTEDNESS
EXPEDITED BRIEFING RESPECTFULLY REQUESTED
1. State Farm, on this urgent and necessitous matter and for good cause shown, respectfully
moves for reconsideration of this Courts June 19, 2009 Order [72] limited to the requirement that the
appraisers be disinterested, pursuant to pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 59(e),1 and for expedited briefing
prior to July 22, 2008, the current date set for a hearing on the issue of the validity of the appraisal
[72], pursuant to Local Rule 7.2(H). State Farm is entitled to reconsideration of the Courts Order for
the following reasons and those more fully set forth in its accompanying memorandum of law and its
prior briefing, [63], [64] & [71], incorporated herein by reference.
2. The Courts June 19, 2009 Order [72] contains clear errors of law. Without reaching the
merits of the issue, this Court held that the issue of whether the appraiser appointed by the Plaintiffs
was truly disinterested is an issue properly raised in [State] Court. [72] at 2. The policy requirement
that Plaintiffs appraiser, Lewis OLeary, be disinterested is an essential element of Plaintiffs appraisal
claim and is properly before this Court. Plaintiffs filed this case in this Court pursuant to its original
diversity jurisdiction. Compl. [1] 5. With Plaintiffs having invoked this Courts diversity jurisdiction,
and thus with this Court sitting in diversity, this Court is obligated to apply the same substantive law as
1By limiting its motion for reconsideration to the issues concerning this Courts holding that the issue of whether theappraiser appointed by the Plaintiffs was truly disinterested is an issue properly raised in [State] Court, [72] at 2,
State Farm is not intending to waive, and is not waiving, any other issues it may have with the Courts June 19, 2009Order [72].
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would a state court. Erie R.R. v. Tompkins, 304 U.S. 64 (1938). The element of Plaintiffs appraisal
claim that Mr. OLeary be disinterested is no less in issue before this Court than any other policy
requirement for appraisal, such as whether the appraisal improperly made causation determinations. To
hold otherwise is clear error.
3. The Courts June 19, 2009 Order [72], unless corrected, works a manifest injustice upon
State Farm. Evidence of Mr. OLearys admittedly zealous partiality directly refutes an essential
element of Plaintiffs claim. But this Court erroneously held that this element of Plaintiffs claim is not
properly in issue before this Court and should be raised in state court. [72] at 2. To entirely exclude an
essential element of Plaintiffs claim deprives State Farm the opportunity to obtain summary judgment,
which would obviate the need for an evidentiary hearing. As with its erroneous exclusion on summary
judgment, even if an evidentiary hearing were required to resolve a factual dispute on this issue (and
there is none), excluding an essential element of Plaintiffs claim will render the proceedings before this
Court fundamentally flawed and incomplete. Further, due process requires that State Farm be afforded a
full opportunity to present every available defense, both at the summary judgment stage and at an
evidentiary hearing. This Courts holding that the issue of Mr. OLearys admitted partisanship is not
before this Court and should be raised in state court, [72] at 2, is contrary to Erie, deprives State Farm
the opportunity to present a dispositive defense to an essential element of Plaintiffs appraisal claim at
summary judgment and at an evidentiary hearing, and deprives State Farm of due process. Thus, t he
June 19, 2009 Order [72] obliges State Farm to defend itself against Plaintiffs claim with one hand tied
behind its back.
4. This Court should alter its June 19, 2009 Order [72] to (i) recognize that it has
jurisdiction over all the policy provisions controlling appraisal, including disinterestedness, (ii)
recognize that Plaintiffs freely admitted that Mr. OLeary was their zealous advocate during the
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appraisal, contrary to the disinterestedness requirement of the policy, and (iii) grant State Farms motion
for summary judgment [63].
5. Pursuant to Local Rule 7.2(H), State Farm respectfully moves that this Court set an
expedited briefing schedule on this motion, prior to July 22, 2008, the date set for a hearing on the issue
of the validity of the appraisal. [72].
Dated: July 1, 2009
Respectfully submitted,
/s/ John A. BanahanJohn A. Banahan (MSB #1731)H. Benjamin Mullen (MSB #9077)
BRYAN, NELSON, SCHROEDER,CASTIGLIOLA & BANAHAN
1103 Jackson Avenue
Pascagoula, Mississippi 39567(228) 762-6631
H. Scot Spragins (MSB # 7748)
HICKMAN, GOZA & SPRAGINS, PLLCPost Office Drawer 668Oxford, Mississippi 38655-0668
(662) 234-4000
Attorneys for DefendantState Farm Fire and Casualty Company
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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I, JOHN A. BANAHAN, one of the attorneys for the Defendant, STATE FARM FIRE &
CASUALTY COMPANY, do hereby certify that I have on this date electronically filed the foregoing
document with the Clerk of Court using the ECF system which sent notification of such filing to all
counsel of record.
DATED, July 1, 2009.
/s/ John A. Banahan
JOHN A. BANAHAN
John A. Banahan (MSB #1761)
H. Benjamin Mullen (MSB #9077)BRYAN, NELSON, SCHROEDER,
CASTIGLIOLA & BANAHAN
4105 Hospital Road, Suite 102-BPascagoula, Mississippi 39567
(228) 762-6631