Height Street Skilled Care, LLC v. Liberty Mutual Insurance Company

I. Background and Allegations

27 Height Street is a nursing home and skilled care operator located in Bakersfield, California. 28 (Doc. 1 at 16.) Height Street alleges that it purchased a commercial property insurance policy underwritten by Liberty Mutual and covering the period of June 7, 2016, through June 7, 2017. (Id.) Height Street asserts that on or about September 17, 2016, one of its buildings suffered severe damage due to a major fire. (Id.) Height Street alleges it “promptly tendered the claim to Liberty Mutual and coverage was accepted.” (Id.) Height Street asserts Liberty Mutual retained Jerry Kessloff of Young & Associates, Inc.1 to “assist it with adjustment of the Claim, to interface with the insured, and to conduct inspections of the Property and to make recommendations regarding the existence and extent of coverage, among other things.” (Doc. 1 at 16.) Height Street alleges Liberty Mutual and Kessloff conducted an initial inspection of the damage and recommended Height Street “retain local contractor STOP Bakersfield to perform the repairs.” (Id.) Height Street asserts it retained STOP, whose work was “seriously 11 …