Lords Landing Village Condominium Council of Unit Owners v. Continental Ins. Co., 520 U.S. 893, 3 (1997) (per curiam)

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Cite as: 520 U. S. 893 (1997)

Per Curiam

of warranties and misrepresentations relating to poor workmanship, the Court of Appeals concluded that the damages were not caused by an "accident" within the meaning of respondent's insurance policy. The Court of Appeals denied a petition for rehearing on September 3, 1996, and issued the mandate on September 11, 1996.

On September 17, 1996, petitioner's counsel learned of Sheets v. Brethren Mutual Ins. Co., 342 Md. 634, 679 A. 2d 540, a recent decision of the Maryland Court of Appeals— the highest court in Maryland. (Although Sheets was handed down on July 26, 1996, 11 days before the Court of Appeals' decision, the parties were not aware of the decision until after the mandate was issued, and therefore had not brought the case to the attention of the Court of Appeals. Pet. for Cert. 11.) Sheets cast doubt on the soundness of the Court of Appeals' decision because it held that "an act of negligence constitutes an 'accident' under a liability insurance policy when the resulting damage was 'an event that takes place without [the insured's] foresight or expectation.' " 342 Md., at 652, 679 A. 2d, at 548 (citation and internal quotation marks omitted). The Maryland Court of Appeals also expressly disapproved Ed. Winkler & Son, supra, at 1132, and IA Construction Corp., supra, at 1215, two decisions on which the Court of Appeals had primarily relied. 342 Md., at 654-655, and n. 4, 679 A. 2d, at 549-550, and 550, n. 4.

On September 20, 1996, petitioner filed a motion asking the Court of Appeals to recall or stay its mandate based on this development in Maryland law. In its response, respondent argued in part that the Court of Appeals lacked authority to recall an already issued mandate. In a brief order, the Court of Appeals denied petitioner's request, ruling only that "the said petition and motions are without merit." App. to Pet. for Cert. 11a. Petitioner now asks us to grant certiorari, vacate the judgment below, and remand the case to the Court of Appeals for further consideration in light of Sheets. Pet. for Cert. 13-14.

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