Twin City Fire Insurance v. Ennen
Twin City Fire Insurance v. Ennen
Opinion of the Court
MEMORANDUM
The insurance policies do not cover the judgment against Wunda Weve. California law resolves ambiguities in favor of the insured, see Reserve Ins. Co. v. Pisciotta, 30 Cal.3d 800, 807-08, 180 Cal.Rptr. 628,, 640 P.2d 764 (1982), but the policies are not susceptible to the Ennens’ construction. The judgment is indeed a liability Wunda Weve is “legally obligated to pay as damages.” Vandenberg v. Superior Court, 21 Cal.4th 815, 841, 88 Cal.Rptr.2d 366, 982 P.2d 229 (1999) (internal quotation marks omitted). The policies’ coverage, however, extends only to “injury arising out of ... [mjisappropriation of advertising ideas or style of doing business.” Wunda Weve’s breach of an implied-in-fact contract was not misappropriation. “Misappropriation” is the wrongful taking of property, see Lebas Fashion Imps, of U.S.A., Inc. v. ITT Hartford Ins. Group, 50 Cal.App.4th 548, 562, 59 Cal.Rptr.2d 36
That Wunda Weve may never have intended to perform is irrelevant.
The policy’s exclusion exception for “misappropriation of advertising ideas under an implied contract” does not alter this result. Exceptions to exclusions do not create coverage. See Hurley Constr. Co. v. State Farm Fire & Cas. Co., 10 Cal.App.4th 533, 540, 12 Cal.Rptr.2d 629 (1992). The exception does imply that at least some breaches of implied contract are covered, but it does not imply that every such breach is covered. And, as relevant here, it does not imply that breach of an implied-in-fact contract is covered.
AFFIRMED.
This disposition is not appropriate for publication and may not be cited to or by the courts of this circuit except as provided by Ninth Circuit Rule 36-3.
. The claim of misappropriation was dismissed and not reinstated on appeal.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.