Commercial Casualty Ins. Co. v. City Jewelry Co.

137 S.W.2d 874
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedFebruary 2, 1940
DocketNo. 14022.
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 137 S.W.2d 874 (Commercial Casualty Ins. Co. v. City Jewelry Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Commercial Casualty Ins. Co. v. City Jewelry Co., 137 S.W.2d 874 (Tex. Ct. App. 1940).

Opinion

BROWN, Justice.

Appellee corporation, City Jewelry Company, brought suit against appellant corporation, Commercial Casualty Insurance Company, to recover under a certain insurance contract, and alleged:

“That on the 17th day of April, 1937, the defendant issued its policy No. BH 63399 of insurance, which is styled ‘Combination Inside and Messenger Robbery Policy’, *875 -which contract of insurance plaintiff alleges insured the plaintiff and its place of business against robbery, as is fully set out in said policy, copy of which is hereby attached, marked Exhibit ‘B’ for identification, and made a part of the pleadings for all intents and purposes, and is fully pleaded as the contract upon which plaintiff sues.
“2. Plaintiff would further show to the court that on the night of June 3rd, 1938, and at a time when said policy was in full force and effect, and in the hours covered by said policy, that the property fully described in Exhibit ‘A’, hereto attached, was taken by robbery from within the store building of the City Jewelry Company at 713 Eighth Street, Wichita Falls, Texas, and was stolen and carried away from within said building so as to entitle plaintiff to recover herein under the policy, as set forth in Exhibit ‘B’, for loss of the property, as fully set out in Exhibit ‘A’, hereto attached, which is also fully pleaded as a part of this petition, fully describing and identifying the goods that were taken from within said premises so as to constitute a robbery and loss under the policy hereinabove pleaded, and at a time when a custodian and at least one other employee of the assured were on duty therein.”

The pertinent portions of the contract are as follows:

“Loss Outside Premises. I. To indemnify the assured for all loss of or damage to such property, including the wallet, bag, satchel, safe or chest in which it is contained, occasioned by robbery or attempt thereat committed during the hours beginning at 7 o’clock A. M. and ending at 7 o’clock P. M., from a custodian outside the Assured’s premises but within the United States or Canada.
“Loss Inside Premises. II. To indemnify the assured for all loss of or damage to such property, including the furniture, fixtures and other property in the premises, occasioned by robbery or attempt thereat committed during the hours beginning at 7 o’clock A. M. and ending at 12 o’clock P. M. (within the Policy period) within the assured’s premises, and for all damage to the premises provided the assured is the owner thereof or is liable for such damages. In no event shall this Policy cover damage to plate glass, or lettering or ornamentation thereon.
“Limits of Indemnity. III. The company’s liability is limited as specified in Sections (b), (c), (d), (f) and (g) of Item 4 of the Declarations and subject to such limits as respects each section, the total liability of the Company hereunder is limited to the amount stated in Item 6 of the Declarations.
“Policy Period. IV. This agreement shall apply only to loss or damage as aforesaid,' occurring within the Policy Period defined in Item 3 of the Declarations or within any extension thereof under renewal certificate issued by the Company.
“This agreement is subject to the following conditions which are conditions precedent to any recovery hereunder:
“Definitions. A. ‘Robbery1, as used in this Policy, shall mean a felonious and forcible taking of property: (1) By violence inflicted upon a custodian; (2) by putting him in fear of violence; (3) by an overt felonious act committed in the presence of custodian and of which he was actually cognizant; or (4) from the person or direct care and custody of a custodian, who, while having custody of property covered hereby, has been killed or rendered unconscious by injuries inflicted maliciously or sustained accidentally. ‘Money’, as used in this Policy, shall mean currency, coin, bank notes (signed or unsigned) bullion and uncan-celled postage stamps in current use. ‘Securities’, as used in this Policy, shall mean all negotiable or non-negotiable instruments, documents or contracts representing money or other property and shall include revenue and other stamps in current use, but shall not include postage stamps. ‘Custodian’, as used in this Policy, shall mean: (1) The assured, if an individual; (2) a member of the firm, if the assured is a co-partnership; (3) any officer of the assured, if the assured is a corporation; (4) any person not less than seventeen nor more than sixty-five years of age, who is in the regular employ of the assured and duly authorized by him to act as paymaster, messenger, cashier, clerk or sales person, and while so acting to have the care and custody of property covered hereby. In no event shall a watchman or a porter be considered a custodian. ‘Guard’, as used in this Policy, shall mean any male person not less than seventeen (17) nor more than sixty-five (65) years of age who accompanies the custodian by direction of the assured, but who is not a driver of a public conveyance. ‘Premises’, as used in this Policy, shall mean the interior of that portion of the building designated in Item 2 of the Declarations, occupied solely by the assured in conducting his business.
tt * * *
*876 “Exclusions. C. The Company shall not be liable for loss or damage: (1) 'Occurring within a show window in the premises and occasioned by a person or persons breaking said window from outside the premises; (2) unless the robbery .is established by reasonable evidence; (3) ■of securities unless the assured shall, after their loss, use diligence in endeavoring to prevent their negotiation or payment; (4) if any one of the following persons is criminally implicated as principal or accessory in committing or attempting to commit the robbery: (a) the assured; (b) an associate in interest; (c) a custodian or any other employee of the assured directly in charge of property insured hereunder; (d) any guard accompanying a custodian; (5) unless the assured has taken all reasonable precautions to safeguard the property against loss by robbery; (6) unless books and accounts are kept by the assured in such manner that the Company can accurately determine therefrom the amount of the loss; (7) if the assured defrauds or attempts to defraud the company in the procuring of the insurance or in'the adjustment of any claim thereunder.
« * * *
“Declarations. N. The Statements in Items numbered 1 to 18; inclusive, in the Declaration hereinafter contained, are declared by the assured to be true, the company relying on the truth of such statements as conditions precedent to recovery hereunder, such policy being issued in consideration of such statements and of the total premium in the Declarations expressed.
“Item 1. Name of Assured is City Jewelry Company, Inc.
“Item 2. The location of the building containing the premises is 713 Eighth Street, Wichita Falls, Texas. The portion of the building occupied solely by the assured in conducting his business, and herein called 'the premises’ is Entire.

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Bluebook (online)
137 S.W.2d 874, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/commercial-casualty-ins-co-v-city-jewelry-co-texapp-1940.