American States v. Cocheo, No. 529362 (Jun. 13, 1996)

[EDITOR'S NOTE: This case is unpublished as indicated by the issuing court.] MEMORANDUM FILED JUNE 13, 1996 FACTS

By a one-count complaint filed with the court on January 4, 1994, the plaintiff, American States Insurance Company (ASIC), brought suit against the defendant, John Cocheo, Administrator of the Estate of Mary Lee Smith (Smith), in an effort to recover sums that ASIC paid to its insureds, Adonis and Miloslava Haldis (Haldises) as a result of a house fire allegedly caused by the negligence of Smith.

The relevant facts are as follows. On September 30, 1977, the Haldises and Smiths…