Brawner v. Welfare Finance Corp.

104 N.E.2d 203, 61 Ohio Law. Abs. 329, 1950 Ohio App. LEXIS 748
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedNovember 30, 1950
DocketNo. 2069
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 104 N.E.2d 203 (Brawner v. Welfare Finance Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Brawner v. Welfare Finance Corp., 104 N.E.2d 203, 61 Ohio Law. Abs. 329, 1950 Ohio App. LEXIS 748 (Ohio Ct. App. 1950).

Opinion

OPINION

By THE COURT:.

This is an appeal on questions of law from a judgment on behalf of the plaintiff against the defendant-appellant for $858.00 with interest and costs.

Ten errors are assigned, which we set forth hereafter as we discuss them.

To appreciate and give application to the errors assigned it will be necessary to state the pleadings and facts developed at considerable length.

The action was instituted in the Municipal Court of the City of Dayton by the plaintiff against defendant, Welfare Finance Corporation, and defendant, James H. Dodds.

The statement of claim recited that plaintiff, on or about September 3, 1948, being the owner of a 1941 Buick automobile, made application to the Welfare Finance Corporation for a $400.00 loan which was granted upon the condition that the plaintiff place fire, theft, and $50.00 deductible collision insurance on the automobile in addition to note and chattel mortgage; that the corporation agreed that it would -place the insurance, obtain the policy and pursuant to that agreement took an application of the plaintiff for insurance, and retained $55.00 to pay the premium thereon; that the policy to be issued was for one year from and after September 3, 1948. Plaintiff further averred that defendant, Dodds, “although receiving said application for insurance, and receiving and accepting said premium for insurance, never insured said automobile with any insurance company for fire, theft and $50.00 deductible collision, and further states that the defendant, the Welfare Finance Corporation, never obtained said policy of insurance, and failed and neglected to inform plaintiff that it had never obtained such insurance, or policy evidencing such insurance, according to said agreement.”

Plaintiff avers that on January 28, 1949, the automobile was damaged by fire in the amount of $826.00 for which, with [331]*331certain expenses, plaintiff prayed damages. Defendant, Dodds, answered admitting the receipt of $55.00 from defendant, Welfare Finance Corporation, for a policy of insurance on plaintiff’s automobile but denied that he failed to insure said automobile and avers that at the time of the alleged fire he had insured said automobile. The defendant, Welfare Finance Corporation, admits the granting of the loan; denies that it agreed to place the insurance or obtain such policy of insurance described in plaintiff’s statement of claim, or any insurance; admits that it took plaintiff’s application for insurance together with $55.00 for premium, should plaintiff be insurable, and avers that it sent its check to Dodds and generally denies other averments of the statement of claim.

The cause came on for trial to a Municipal judge on the 25th day of May, 1949, testimony was taken on that day and on May 26, 1949. The hearing was continued and renewed on June 29 and on September 14, 1949. Between the second and third hearings, on the 3rd of June, 1949, defendant, Welfare Finance Corporation, moved the court for an order making The Midwestern Indemnity Co. a party defendant. The ground for this motion was that “the evidence so far introduced indicates that The Midwestern Indemnity Company may have had coverage on the automobile of the plaintiff at the time the alleged fire occurred and in order to fully adjudicate this matter within this action, The Midwestern Indemnity Co. should be made a party defendant.” On June 13th the court sustained the motion and at the succeeding hearings counsel for the indemnity company appeared and represented said company in the trial of the cause. On the 15th of June, prior to the resumption of the trial on the 29th of June; 1949, the indemnity company moved the court for an order requiring the plaintiff “to elect as to which defendant he wishes to proceed against.” This motion was overruled on June 27th and the cause proceeded. At the conclusion of plaintiff’s case motion of defendant, Midwestern Indemnity Company, to be dismissed was overruled. A like motion on behalf of defendant, Welfare Finance Corporation, was sustained. Plaintiff noted his exception to the sustaining of the motion to dismiss the Welfare Finance Corporation and the trial proceeded.

The evidence developed the facts respecting the claim of the plaintiff, the defense of Dodds to the effect that on the 27th of January, 1948, one day prior to the fire in which plaintiff’s automobile was damaged, he had sent the application [332]*332of the plaintiff to the defendant, insurance company for coverage for loss by fire and other extended coverage. The claim of the insurance company was that by the terms of its contract with Dodds, its agent, it was not required to date policies written upon applications sent in by Dodds for the finance company as of the time when the application was made but as of the date when received at the office of its general agent, and that it was received on January 31, 1948, and the policy issued of that date.

Dodds testified that on September 3, 1948, he had the authority and could have secured a policy on the automobile of plaintiff, as applied for, but that he had failed to send in the application, withholding it as against the possibility that he might later be authorized to apply for further coverage. The insurance company denied that it would have written a form of policy as requested in the original application. It should be noted, however, that this issue was not drawn between the plaintiff and the insurance company. Upon the admission of Dodds it appeared conclusively that he had breached his contract in failing to forward the first application and to secure the insurance as he had promised to do. Had he observed his contract plaintiff would have been insured at the time of the fire by a policy effective for one year on and after September 3, 1948. The plaintiff had a loss by collision in December, 1948, which Dodds personally adjusted. But defendant, Dodds, claims that the plaintiff was insured at the time his automobile burned upon a second application which he says he completed and sent to the general agency on the 27th of January, 1949. On this claim there was an issue on the pleadings whether he had completed this application before the fire.

We are required to take the pleadings as we find them. At no time has there been a motion to amend any pleading in any particular whatever. The plaintiff’s cause of action was against the defendant, Dodds, and the defendant, Welfare Finance Corporation. It is our opinion that the action was for breach of contract and that they were properly joined and upon plaintiff’s testimony a judgment could have been entered against either or against them jointly. But plaintiff has prosecuted no appeal from their dismissal.

The indemnity company which was made a party upon the application of the finance company, appearing only for the purpose of the motion, objected to being made a party defendant. Having saved its exception to the action of the court, its participation and defense in the trial, after such exception, did not waive its objection to the action of the [333]*333court. The Ohio Electric Ry. Co. v. The United States Express Co., 105 Oh St 331. We are not unmindful of the holdings that where parties try their case upon a supposed issue which is not made by the pleadings, and the case is fairly tried and decided, it is too late for the losing party to urge the failure of issue after judgment. Bacon v. Daniels, 37 Oh St 279; Electric Mfg. Co. v. Shelley, 32 Oh Ap 379. But this case does not come within this rule.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Bauer Ex Rel. Bauer v. Bates Lumber Co.
503 P.2d 1169 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1972)
Hampton Roads Carriers, Inc. v. Boston Insurance
150 F. Supp. 338 (D. Maryland, 1957)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
104 N.E.2d 203, 61 Ohio Law. Abs. 329, 1950 Ohio App. LEXIS 748, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brawner-v-welfare-finance-corp-ohioctapp-1950.