Cahoon v. Canal Insurance Co.

537 S.E.2d 538, 140 N.C. App. 577, 2000 N.C. App. LEXIS 1247
CourtCourt of Appeals of North Carolina
DecidedNovember 21, 2000
DocketNo. COA99-1412
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 537 S.E.2d 538 (Cahoon v. Canal Insurance Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of North Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cahoon v. Canal Insurance Co., 537 S.E.2d 538, 140 N.C. App. 577, 2000 N.C. App. LEXIS 1247 (N.C. Ct. App. 2000).

Opinion

HORTON, Judge.

Appellants contend that they complied with the provisions of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 58-35-85 in cancelling the policy issued to plaintiff Cahoon, and argue that the trial court erred in ruling otherwise. We agree, and grant summary judgment in favor of the appellants, Agency and Canal.

N.C. Gen. Stat. § 58-35-85 sets out the procedure for cancellation of an insurance policy by an insurance premium finance company:

When an insurance premium finance agreement contains a power of attorney or other authority enabling the insurance premium finance company to cancel any insurance contract or contracts listed in the agreement, the insurance contract or contracts shall not be cancelled unless the cancellation is effectuated in accordance with the following provisions:
(1) Not less than 10 days’ written notice is sent by personal delivery, first-class mail, electronic mail, or facsimile transmission to the last known address of the insured or insureds shown on the insurance premium finance agreement of the intent of the insurance premium finance company to cancel his or their insurance contract or contracts unless the defaulted installment payment is received. Notification thereof shall also be provided to the insurance agent.
(2) After expiration of the 10-day period, the insurance premium finance company shall send the insurer a request for cancellation and shall send notice of the requested cancellation to the insured by personal delivery, first-class mail, electronic mail, electronic transmission, or facsimile transmission at his last known address as shown on the records of the insurance premium finance company and to the agent. Upon written request of the insurance company, the premium finance company shall furnish a copy of the power of attorney to the insurance company. The written request shall be sent by mail, personal delivery, electronic mail, or facsimile transmission.
(3) Upon receipt of a copy of the request for cancellation notice by the insurer, the insurance contract shall be cancelled with the same force and effect as if the request for cancellation had been submitted by the insured, without requiring the return of the insurance contract or contracts.

[580]*580N.C. Gen. Stat. § 58-35-85 (1999). Thus, written notice of the intent to cancel a policy must be given to the insured at least ten days before cancellation of the policy, giving the insured an opportunity to pay the past-due premium and retain insurance coverage. Plaintiff does not contest receipt of the Notice of Intent to Cancel dated 12 December 1996. Nor does he contend that he tendered the past-due premium prior to 30 December 1996, the effective date of cancellation. He argues, however, that there were several defects in the purported cancellation of his policy.

Plaintiff contends, and we agree, that the burden of proving compliance with N.C. Gen. Stat. § 58-35-85 is on the insurance company. We have repeatedly held that “the burden is upon the insurance company to show that all statutory requirements have been complied with, including the ten days written notice by the premium finance company to the insured together with said notice to the insurance agent, prior to the premium financing company requesting cancellation of the policy.” Grant v. Insurance Co., 1 N.C. App. 76, 80, 159 S.E.2d 368, 371, cert. denied, 273 N.C. 657 (1968). “[T]he burden of proving cancellation by the insured or his agent [is] on the insurance company.” Ingram v. Insurance Co., 5 N.C. App. 255, 258, 168 S.E.2d 224, 227, cert. denied, 275 N.C. 595 (1969). “In order to cancel a policy the carrier must comply with the procedural requirements of the statute or the attempt at cancellation fails and the policy will continue in effect despite the insured’s failure to pay in full the required premium.” Pearson v. Nationwide Mutual Ins. Co., 325 N.C. 246, 254, 382 S.E.2d 745, 748 (1989). The policy is considered cancelled as of the date the insurance company receives the request for cancellation. Unisun Ins. Co. v. Goodman, 117 N.C. App. 454, 457, 451 S.E.2d 4, 6 (1994), disc. review denied, 339 N.C. 742, 454 S.E.2d 662 (1995); N.C. Gen. Stat. § 58-35-85(3).

Plaintiff first argues that the defendants violated the express terms of the policy in their cancellation effort. Plaintiffs insurance policy stated, however, that “[t]his policy may be cancelled by the named insured by surrender thereof to the company or any of its authorized agents or by mailing to the company written notice stating when thereafter the cancellation shall be effective.” Agency Services, Inc. (Agency), the premium finance company, used a Finance Agreement throughout its dealings with plaintiff. The Finance Agreement appointed Agency as plaintiffs “attorney in fact” and allowed Agency “in the event of nonpayment of the installments . . . to authorize and give notice of the cancellation of the insurance pol[581]*581icy[] . . . .” Furthermore, “[i]n the event the insured defaults under these conditions, and after notice is given under applicable state law [Agency] may request cancellation of any policy . ...” If a default occurred, Agency was to send written notice of default to plaintiff Cahoon; if the default was not rectified, Agency was to then send written Notice of Cancellation to Canal and give plaintiff a copy of that Notice. We hold that Agency complied with the cancellation provisions of the Finance Agreement, which provisions track the language of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 58-35-85.

On 12 December 1996, following plaintiffs failure to pay his December premium, Agency sent him a Notice of Intent to Cancel his policy effective 30 December 1996. On 26 December 1996, Agency mailed plaintiff a Notice of Cancellation, again advising him that his policy would be cancelled effective 30 December 1996. Finally, on 30 December 1996, Agency mailed to Canal and its agent, Piedmont, a Request for Cancellation of plaintiffs policy.

In summary, N.C. Gen. Stat. § 58-35-85 requires that an insured be given at least ten days in which to make any past-due premium payments and retain insurance coverage. Here, the uncontradicted evidence is that plaintiff Cahoon was given more than 10 days’ notice before his policy was cancelled. Thus, the statutory notice requirement was satisfied and this assignment of error is overruled.

Next, plaintiff argues that Agency failed to comply with several other mandatory requirements of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 58-35-85. Specifically, plaintiff contends that Agency did not ensure that Canal received a copy of the power of attorney executed by him, either prior to or together with the “Request for Cancellation.” Plaintiff ignores the explicit language of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 58-35-85(2), however, which provides that “[u]pon written request of the insurance company, the premium finance company shall furnish a copy of the power of attorney to the insurance company.” (Emphasis added.) Nothing in this record indicates that either Canal or its agent Piedmont made a request, written or otherwise, for a copy of the power of attorney.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
537 S.E.2d 538, 140 N.C. App. 577, 2000 N.C. App. LEXIS 1247, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cahoon-v-canal-insurance-co-ncctapp-2000.