American Fire Insurance Co. of New York v. Sisk

36 N.E. 659, 9 Ind. App. 305, 1894 Ind. App. LEXIS 39
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedFebruary 20, 1894
DocketNo. 1,051
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 36 N.E. 659 (American Fire Insurance Co. of New York v. Sisk) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
American Fire Insurance Co. of New York v. Sisk, 36 N.E. 659, 9 Ind. App. 305, 1894 Ind. App. LEXIS 39 (Ind. Ct. App. 1894).

Opinion

Davis, C. J.

This was an action upon a fire insurance policy issued by appellant to appellee, on the 2d day of March, 1891, insuring their household and kitchen furniture, carpets, beds, bedding, linen, family wearing apparel, plated ware, etc., against loss or damage by fire, for the period of one year, in the sum of six hundred dollars.

It is alleged in the complaint, among other things, that on the 11th of May, 1891, the property owned by [307]*307them covered by the policy was destroyed by fire; that appellees had duly performed all the conditions of the contract on their part; that immediately after the fire occurred said appellees notified appellant of said fire and the loss occasioned thereby, and that the appellant then and there viewed the ruins occasioned by said fire, and that appellees then and there exhibited to appellant an itemized statement of the articles lost by said fire, and the value of the same, and that the appellant then and there notified appellees that they need make no further proof of their loss, as said proof was sufficient, and said appellant then and there and thereby waived all further proof of loss therein, and appellees, for said reason, did not make proof in writing under oath of said loss to appellant until the-day of August, 1891, when they made the written proof of said loss to said appellant. An itemized statement containing a description and value of the property, consisting of numerous articles covering seven pages of the transcript of the record is incorporated in the complaint.

The appellant filed a motion to require appellees to make their complaint more certain and specific in the following particulars, to wit:

1st. ' 'To state specifically and definitely the nature and' contents of the statements or proofs of loss made by pláintiffs and delivered to defendant. 2d. To state specifically the kind of 'wearing apparel’ embraced in that item.”

This motion being overruled, appellant excepted and thereupon filed a motion to require appellees ''to paragraph their complaint so that there will be as many paragraphs as there are causes of action state'd in the complaint,” which motion was also overruled and exception reserved.

Appellant then moved the court to strike out all that part of the complaint in relation to the making of the [308]*308"written proof of said loss to said defendant,” and this motion was overruled and exception saved.

Appellant thereupon demurred to the complaint for want of facts, and the demurrer was overruled and appellant excepted.

Appellant then filed its answer in four paragraphs:

1st. General denial.

2d. Alleging that plaintiffs obtained other insurance upon the same property without consent of defendant.

3d. Transfer by James Sisk of his interest in the insured property to his co-plaintiff.

4th. Fraud in obtaining the policy.

Plaintiffs filed a demurrer to the second, third, and fourth paragraphs of the answer, which was overruled, and thereupon they filed a reply of denial.

The cause was tried, resulting in a verdict against defendant. A motion for a new trial was filed, which was overruled.

The errors assigned are:

1. The circuit court erred in overruling appellant’s motion to require the appellees to make their complaint more certain and specific.

2. The circuit court erred in overruling appellant’s motion to require appellees to paragraph their complaint.

3. The circuit court erred in overruling the motion of appellant to strike out -certain parts of the complaint of appellees. •

4. The circuit court erred in overruling appellant’s demurrer to the complaint of appellees.

5. The circuit court erred in overruling the appellant’s mótion for a new trial.

The first error discussed brings in review the action of the trial court in overruling the motion of appellant to require the appellees to make their complaint more certain and specific. The' motion contains two specifica[309]*309tions, one in relation to the nature and contents of the “proofs of loss,” and the other as to the kind of “wearing apparel.” It is insisted that the allegation in respect to the “proofs of loss” is a mere conclusion, and that the item “wearing apparel” is too uncertain and indefinite.

The defendant, in such case as this, is undoubtedly-entitled to a reasonably full, clear, definite and specific statement in the complaint of the cause of action relied upon, and also such description of the property burned, and the appropriate remedy for uncertainty, in the allegations, in these respects, is by motion to make more specific. Pennsylvania Co. v. Dean, 92 Ind. 459; Hawley v. Williams, Exec., 90 Ind. 160; Cincinnati, etc., R. R. Co. v. Chester, 57 Ind. 297.

When a motion to make a complaint more specific and definite, in some material respect is overruled, such ruling is erroneous; but, notwithstanding, it may appear that it would have been proper to sustain such motion, a wrong ruling thereon does not constitute prejudicial error, if no substantial injury arises from overruling it. Alleman v. Wheeler, 101 Ind. 141; Elliott’s App. Proced., section 665.

In considering the first specification in the motion it should be borne in mind that the policy provides that in case of fire immediate notice thereof shall be given the company, and within sixty days after the fire the insured shall render a statement to the company, signed and sworn to, containing, among other things, a description of the property, together with the cash value of each item thereof, etc. The giving of the notice and furnishing proof of loss within the time fixed by the contract were made conditions precedent to the company’s liability, and it was incumbent on the insured to aver in the complaint a substantial performance of such condi[310]*310tions, or sufficient legal excuse for their nonperformance. Phenix Ins. Co. v. Pickel, 3 Ind. App. 332, and authorities there cited.

In this case the complaint contains the general averment, hs we have before observed, that appellees have performed all the conditions of the contract on their part, which, under the decisions of the Supreme Court in this State, is sufficient without any allegations in relation to “proofs of loss.” Indiana Ins. Co. v. Capehart, 108 Ind. 270; Phenix Ins. Co. v. Pickel, 119 Ind. 155; Commercial Union, etc., Co., v. State, ex rel., 113 Ind. 331.

Without reference to whether this general allegation was sufficient to withstand a motion to make more specific in respect to the nature and contents of the proofs of loss, the waiver of the proofs of loss, by the company within sixty days after the fire, as alleged in the complaint, was a sufficient legal excuse for not furnishing such proofs as required by the terms of the policy. Phenix, etc., v. Pickel, supra.

The policy specifically and definitely prescribes the nature and contents of the statements and information necessary to constitute the proofs of loss. The failure to make such proofs, unless waived, would, as we have stated, under the terms of the policy, have been fatal to appellee’s right of recovery.

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Bluebook (online)
36 N.E. 659, 9 Ind. App. 305, 1894 Ind. App. LEXIS 39, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/american-fire-insurance-co-of-new-york-v-sisk-indctapp-1894.