Sentencia de Tribunal Apelativo de 30 de Marzo de 2007, número de resolución KLCE200601588
| Emisor | Tribunal Apelativo |
| Número de resolución | KLCE200601588 |
| Tipo de recurso | Recursos de certiorari |
| Fecha de Resolución | 30 de Marzo de 2007 |
| JESÚS CUADRADO RODRÍGUEZ Y WILSON ÁLVAREZ LUNA Demandantes-Recurridos | KLCE200601588 | Certiorari Procedente del Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala Superior de Carolina CASO NÚM. FCD 2003-2662 FCD 2003-2663 FCD2003-0455 FCD2003-2760 FCD2004-0168 |
Panel integrado por su presidente, el Juez Ortiz Carrión, la Juez Feliciano Acevedo y la Jueza Fraticelli Torres.
Fraticelli Torres, Jueza Ponente
En San Juan, Puerto Rico a 30 de marzo de 2007.
En este recurso nos corresponde resolver si el Tribunal de Primera Instancia erró al ordenarle a la parte peticionaria, American
Internacional Insurance Company
of Puerto Rico, que adelantara los costos de la defensa legal a los recurridos asegurados por esa compañía, a tenor del contrato de seguro que les extendió.
Por los fundamentos que siguen resolvemos denegar el auto solicitado.
La compañía de seguros American Internacional Insurance Company of Puerto Rico (AIICO) extendió una póliza de seguros denominada Directors, Officers
& Trustees Insurance for Not-For-Profit Organization Reimbursement Policy al Condominio Saint Tropez, cuya efectividad cubría del 3 de marzo de 2003 al 3 de marzo de 2004. Esa póliza tenía las siguientes coberturas de riesgo:
Coverage A: Directors, Officers and Trustees
This policy shall pay
the Loss of each and
every Director, Officer or Trustee of
the Organization arising from any
claim or claims first made
against the Directors, Officers or Trustees and
reported to the Insurer during
the Policy Period or the
Discovery Period (if applicable) for any alleged
Wrongful Act in their respective capacities as Directors, Officers or Trustees
of the Organization, except for and to the
extent that the Organization has indemnified the Directors, Officers or Trustees. The
Insurer shall, in accordance with and subject to
Clause B, advance to each and
every Director, Officer and Trustee the
Defense Costs of such claim
or claims prior to the final disposition.
Coverage B: Not-For- Profit Organization Reimbursement Policy
This policy shall reimburse
the Organization for Loss arising
from any claim or claims
which are first made against Directors
or Officers or Trustees and
reported to the Insurer during
the Policy Period or the
Discovery Period (if applicable) for any alleged
Wrongful Act in their respective capacities as Directors or Officers or
Trustees of the Organization, but only when
and to the
extent that the Organization has indemnified the Directors or Officers
or Trustees for such Loss
pursuant to law, common or
statutory or contract or the
Charter or By-Laws of the
Organization duly effective under such law which
determines and defines such
rights of indemnity. (Subrayado nuestro.)
La cláusula octava de la póliza proveía para el pago por adelantado de los costos de defensa del asegurado y disponía como sigue:
8. DEFENSE COSTS, SETTLEMENTS, JUDGMENTS
(INCLUDING THE ADVANCEMENT OF DEFENSE COSTS)
Under Coverages A and B, upon receipt by
the Insurer of written request
by the Insureds
or the Organization
to do so, the Insurer shall advance
Defense Costs prior to the final disposition
of the claim.
Such advance payments by the
Insurer shall be repaid to the
Insurer by the Organization or the Insureds, severally according to their respectives
interests, in the event and to
the extent that the Organization
or the Insureds
shall not be entitled under the terms and
conditions of this policy to
payment of such Loss.
The Insurer does not, however, under this policy, assume
any duty to defend. The
Insureds shall not admit or
assume any liability, enter into any settlement
agreement, stipulate to any judgment
or incur any Defense Costs
without the prior written consent of the Insurer.
Only those settlements, stipulated judgments and Defense
Costs which have been consented
to by the
Insurer shall be recoverable as Loss under the terms
of this policy.
The Insurer´s consent shall not
be unreasonably withheld, provided that the
Insurer shall be entitled to effectively
associate in the defense and the
negotiation of any settlement of any claim
in order to reach a decision as to reasonableness.
The Insurer shall have
the right to effectively associate with the Organization and the Insureds
in the defense and settlement of any claim
that appears reasonably likely to involve the
Insurer, including but not limited
to effectively associating in the negotiation of a settlement.
The Insureds shall defend and contest
any such claim. The Organization
and the Insureds
shall give the Insurer full
cooperation and such information as it may reasonably
require.
With respect to the
Defense Costs and any-joint settlement
of any claim
made against the Organization and the Insureds, such Defense Costs and joint
settlement having been consented to by the
Insurer, the Organization and the Insureds and
the Insurer agree to use their
best efforts to determine a fair and proper allocation
of the amounts
as between the Organization and the Insureds and
the Insurer. (Subrayado nuestro.)
Los señores Jesús Cuadrado Rodríguez y Wilson Álvarez Luna le prestaron $16,000 a la Sra. María de los Ángeles Fernández Rodríguez --quien se desempeñaba como Presidenta de la Junta de Condómines
del Condominio Saint Tropez--, para pagar la luz y el agua de las áreas comunes de ese condominio. A esos efectos, la Sra. Fernández otorgó un pagaré al portador el 9 de julio de 2003, mediante el cual se comprometió a pagar los $16,000, sin intereses, en un solo pago el 30 de julio de 2003. La Sra. Fernández contaba con una Resolución emitida de la Junta de Condómines que la autorizaba a enajenar, hipotecar o refinanciar la propiedad comunal del condominio. La resolución estaba firmada por los señores Paul J. Torres, Vicepresidente, y Efraín
Vázquez, Tesorero de la Junta.1
Llegada la fecha de vencimiento del pagaré 30 de julio de 2003--, la Sra.
Fernández y el Sr. Torres, Vicepresidente de la Junta, expidieron un cheque por $16,000 pagadero a favor del Sr. Wilson
Álvarez. Ese cheque fue devuelto por el banco por falta de fondos. El 8 de agosto de 2003, la Junta expidió dos cheques por $8,000 cada uno, pagaderos a favor del Sr. Jesús Cuadrado. Esos cheques los firmaban la Sra. Fernández y el Sr. Torres. Esos...
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