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UNI TED STATES DISTRICT COURT SO UTH ERN DI STR I CT O F FLORI DA CaseNo.1324231CI VSElTZ/ SIM ONTON
NEW YORK DI SCOUNT PLUS,l NC. ,
Pl ai nt i f f ,
Def endant .
O RD ER GM NTING PLAI N TI FF' S M OTION TO STRIKE DEFEND ANT' S AFFI R M ATI VE
DEFEN S ES AND REOUI RI NG A M O RE DEFI NI TE STATEM ENT FROM PLAI NTI FF TH I S M A TTER i s be f or et he Cour t on Pl a i nt i f fs M ot i on t o St r i ke D e f e nda n t ' s
Af f i r mat i veDe f e ns es( DE4 J .OnOc t o be r7,201 3, Pl a i nt i f fNe w Yor kDi s cou ntPl us ,I nc.( t C NY Di s c ounf' )br o ug htana c t i o n ag ai ns tDe f e ndantScot t s dal eI ns ur anc eCompany( s t sc ot t s da l e ' ' )i n
t he Ci r cui t Cour t of t he El e ve nt hJ udi ci a l Ci r c ui ti na nd f or M i a mi D ade Count y, Fl o r i da.
Nove mbe r 2l ,201 3( DEI ) . NY Di s c ount t hen move dt os t r i ke Sc ot t s dal e' sa f t i nna t i ve
de f e ns e s .
Ha v i ng r e v i e we dt h e Co mp l a i n t( DE1 3a tp p.9 1 1 j ,S c o t t s d a l e' sAn s we r( DE1 3a t p p.1 2 2 0 2 , NY Di s c o u n t ' sMo t i o nt o St r i k e ,t h er e s p o n s e( DE8 ja n dr e p l y( DE9 Jt h e r e t o , a nd
t he a ppl i ca bl e ca s el aw,t he Coul ' tf i nds t ha te a c h of Sc ot t s dal e' sa f f i r ma t i ve de f e ns e sf ai l st o pr ovi de NY Di s c ountwi t hf a i rno t i ce oft he a f f i r ma t i ve de f e ns e ort he g r ou nds upon whi c hi t r es t s . Acc or di ngl y,t he Cour twi l lgr a ntNY Di s c ount ' sm ot i o n. Howe ve r ,i n or de rt o na r r ow a nd f oc ust he i s s uesbef or et he Cour t ,t he Cour twi l lor de rN Y Di s c ountt ot i l e a mor e det i ni t e s t a t e mentast o pa r agr a ph 7 oft he Compl a i nt ,a f t e rwhi c h Scot t s dal e may a me nd i t sAns we ra nd
r epl e ad c e r t a i n ofi t s de f e ns es .
1.
LE GA L STA ND A RD
Shi pyar ds ,I nc . ,677F. 2d 1 045,1 057( 5t hCi r .1 982) , cc r / .de ni e d, 459U. S.11 05 ( 1 983 ) .
An a f f i r ma t i ve def e ns ei sa na s s e r t i on by t hede f e nda ntr a i s i ng new f a c t sa nd a r g um e nt s t ha t ,i ft nz e ,wi l lde f e a tt he pl ai nt i f fscl a i m ,eve ni fa l 1a l l ega t i onsi nt he c ompl a i nta r et r ue. : $ A
Af f i r ma t i v e de f e ns e sa r ea l s os ub j e c tt ot he g e n e r a lp l e a d i ng s t a n d a r d so ft h e Fe d e r a l
Rul esofCi v i lPr o ce dur e.Se eRome r ov.5 1Was t e5 ' y ' . ,ffC,61 9F.Supp.2d 1 356,1 358( S. D.
Fl a.2009) . As s uc h,a f f i nna t i ve de f e ns est ha tf a i lt or ec i t e mor et ha n ba r e bonesco ncl us or y
a l l e ga t i ons a r e l eg al l y i ns uf f i c i e nt a nd wi l l be s t r i c ke n. M or r i s on v. Exe cu t i ve Ai r c r a . p
Re hni s hi n g , I n c . , 4 3 4F. su p p. zd 1 31 4 ,1 31 8( S. D. Fl a . 20 0 5 ) .
pl e a di n gd oe sn o tp r e j u di c et h epl a i n t i f f .Edwa r d sv . Fu l t o nCn @. ,Ga . ,5 0 9F. Ap p' x8 8 2 , 88 7 8 8( 1 1 t hCi r . 20l 3 ) ( r a i s i n ga na f f i r ma t i v ede f e n s ei namo t i o nf o rs u mma r yj u d gme n t d i dn ot c o n s t i t u t eawa i v e rb e c a u s et h eo p p o s i n g p a r t yh a ds u f f i c i e n t t i met or e s p o n dt ot h ed e f e n s e ) ; s e ea l s oHa s s a nv .U. S . Po s t a l Sc r v . , 8 4 2F. 2 d2 6 0, 2 6 3( 1 1 t h Ci r .1 9 8 8 )( t t l Wq h e nt h ef a i l u r et or a i s ea na f f i r ma t i v ed e f e n s ed o e sn o tp r e j u d i c et h ep l a i n t i f f , i ti sn o t e r r o rf o rt h e t r i a l c o u r t t oh e a re v i d e n c eo nt h ei s s u e . ' ' ) .
II.
AN A LY SIS
( 1 )t os pe ci f ya ny pa r t i c ul a r t l os s es ,da ma ge s ,a nd e xpe ns e s , ' '( 2)t oe xpl a i n how s uc hl os s e s , damag es ,orexpe ns e s oc cu r r e d,or( 3)t o poi ntt os pec i t k t e r ms oft he i ns ur a nce pol i c yt hat
al l eg edl y pr ovi de cove r a ge f or s uc hl os s es ,da mage s ,orexpe ns e s . As s uc h,Par a gr a ph 7 i ss o
vagu ea nd a m bi guous t ha t Scot t s dal e ca nnot r e as onabl y pr e pa r ear e s pons e. Ther e f or e ,N Y Di s c ounts hal lf i l e a m or e de f i ni t es t a t e me ntofi t s Com pl a i nta st o Pa r ag r a ph 7.
Thi r d Af nr mat i v e De f e ns e :t ' p/ Jf a/ l f / ' 'cl ai ms a gai ns tSCOTT SDALE ar eb ar r e db y doc t ri ne so fwai v e r ,e s t o ppel ,l ache s ,u ncl e anhandsand/ orac qui e s ce nc e. ' ' Thi spur por t eddef e ns e( 1 )l i s t sf i vedi s t i ncta f f i r ma t i vede f e ns es ,e ac h ofwhi c hmus tbe pl e ds e pa r a t el y,( 2)doe sno ts ugges thow a ny oft hes edef e ns e smi ghta ppl yt ot hei ns t a ntc a s e, ( 3)d oe snoti de nt i f yt he e l eme nt sofa ny oft hes edef e ns e s ,a nd ( 4)doesnotpr ovi deore ven
s ugge s tf ac t ual s u ppor tf or any of t hes e de f e ns es or f or any e l eme nt st he r e of . Ther e f or e, Sc ot t s da l e' s Thi r d Af t i r ma t i ve Def e ns ef a i l st o pr ovi de f ai r not i c ea nd m us t be s t r i c ke n,wi t h
l e a ve t or e pl e a d.
Ne wY o r k Di s c o u n tPl u s ,I n c .J J / c . /h a sf a i l e dt os a t i s . ht hepo l i c yt e r ms a n dc o n di t i o n s .T he
p o l i c ye xc e r p t ) .
Tho ugh unc l ea r ,t hi sa ppea r st o be a n al l ega t i o nt ha tN Y Di s c ou ntf ai l ed t os a t i s f yc er t a i n
condi t i ons pr e ce de nt . g Wl he n de nyi ng t ha ta c ondi t i on pr ec e dent has occ ur r e d or be en pe r f or me d,apa r t ymus tdo s o wi t hpa r t i c ul ar i t y. ' ' Fe I I . R. Ci V. P.9( c ) . Sco t t s dal es i mpl yq uo t es
num e r ous pa ges oft he pol i c y wi t ho ut s ugge s t i ng whi c ht e r m s appl y or how t he ymi g ht a ppl y. The r e f or e Sco t t s da l e' s Fo ur t h Af f i r ma t i ve D e f e ns eC l does not advi s e Pl ai nt i f f ho w ,w hy or i n
Thi s def ens e doe s no ts ugge s ti n wha twa y NY Di s c ountm a y ha ve f a i l e dt o mi t i gat e da ma ge s , nor does i t pl e a d a ny s uppor t i ng f ac t s . The r e f o r e Sc ot t s da l e' s Fi f t h Af f i r ma t i ve De f e ns edoesnotpr ovi de f a i rnot i c ea nd mus tbes t r i c ke n,wi t hl e a vet or e pl ea d.
Thi sd ef e ns e doe snotr e f e rt oa ny pa r t i cu l a rs e t of forc r e di tt o whi ch Sc ot t s da l em i g htbe e nt i t l e d,no rdoesi ts pec i f ya ny l e nde rorot he re nt i t yt o whi c h pa yment sma y ha vebee n pa i d or pa ya bl e. l tf ur t he r mo r e doesnoti ndi c a t ewhy Scot t s dal e mi g htbee nt i t l e dt oa ny s uc hc r e di tor
Ac c or di ngl y,i ti s
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