Withdrawing its earlier opinion on rehearing, the Texas Court of Appeals held that New Hampshire Insurance Company (“New Hampshire”) is judicially estopped from compelling arbitration, therefore affirming the trial courts order denying New Hampshire’s motion to compel. The dispute centers on New Hampshire and Magellan Reinsurance Company’s (“Magellan”) Reinsurance Agreement (“agreement.”) Under this agreement, Magellan agreed to assume 100% of New Hampshire’s obligations for automobile insurance policies in return for the premiums paid under those policies. New Hampshire alleges that Magellan owes 1.4 million dollars to replenish an existing trust account, now emptied. New Hampshire filed suit in Turks and Caicos Island (“TCI”) to “wind up” Magellan’s business and also filed suit in Texas and New York.
The TCI Court found that New Hampshire was not a creditor of Magellan and therefore could not wind up Magellan’s business. Later that year, New Hampshire moved to compel arbitration, for which Magellan had initially argued for at the onset of the TCI litigation. The Court found that New Hampshire’s motion to compel arbitration had numerous inconsistencies with their previous arguments made to courts in TCI and New York. The Court held (consistent with its withdrawn opinion) that New Hampshire was estopped from seeking to arbitrate Magellan’s claims. New Hampshire Insurance Co. v. Magellan Reinsurance Co., No. 02-12-00196-CV (Tex, Ct. App. May 2, 2013).
This post written by Rollie Goss.
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