Cram v. Sun Insurance Office, Ltd.

254 F. Supp. 702, 1966 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8074
CourtDistrict Court, D. South Carolina
DecidedJune 3, 1966
DocketCiv. A. No. 8573
StatusPublished

This text of 254 F. Supp. 702 (Cram v. Sun Insurance Office, Ltd.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. South Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cram v. Sun Insurance Office, Ltd., 254 F. Supp. 702, 1966 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8074 (D.S.C. 1966).

Opinion

ORDER

SIMONS, District Judge.

This is an action for a declaratory judgment brought by the plaintiff, Henry S. Cram, against Sun Insurance Office, Ltd., and Robert S. Wahab, Jr., defendants, to determine the rights, duties and liabilities of the parties under a contract of marine insurance issued by defendant Sun Insurance Office, Ltd., allegedly covering the yacht “Buck’s Club” when it was totally destroyed by fire on December 5,1964.

In his amended complaint plaintiff asks for a judgment decreeing: (1) That plaintiff has now paid defendant Wahab in full for the “Recess”; (2) That, if the court determines that title to the “Buck’s Club” had passed to defendant Wahab at the time of its destruction as is contended by defendant Sun Insurance Office, the court should also find that defendant Wahab is indebted to plaintiff in the sum of $5,000.00; and (3) That the defendant Sun Insurance Office, Ltd., is obligated to pay plaintiff the agreed valuation of the “Buck’s Club” in the amount of $12,200.00 under its policy of marine insurance.

Defendant Wahab in his amended answer alleged that he had negotiated with plaintiff in regard to plaintiff’s purchasing his yacht, the “Recess”, and generally aligned himself with plaintiff in claiming that at the time of the destruction of the “Buck’s Club” by fire it still belonged to Cram and was covered by insurance in the amount of $12,200.00. He admitted that plaintiff has now paid him the sum of $5,000.00. By way of counterclaim in his answer he seeks judgment against plaintiff in the sum of $7,200.00, together with a lien for such amount on the proceeds of insurance due plaintiff by defendant, Sun Insurance Office, Ltd.

Defendant Sun Insurance Office, Ltd., in its amended answer admits issuing its policy of marine insurance covering the “Buck’s Club” against the hazards set out, admits total destruction by fire of the “Buck’s Club” but denies that it provided coverage at the time the “Buck’s Club” was destroyed by fire, since plaintiff had transferred his interest therein to Wahab, without obtaining prior written consent to do so from the company, in violation of the policy provisions.

The depositions of Henry S. Cram and Robert S. Wahab, Jr., were taken during the course of the proceedings, and it developed that defendant Wahab had been in telephone communication with an agent of the Hanover Insurance Company regarding coverage for the “Buck’s Club”. Upon motion of defendant Wahab the court ordered Hanover Insurance Company into the action as a third party defendant.

In his third party complaint, defendant Wahab alleges that the third party defendant Hanover had agreed that it would cover the yacht “Buck’s Club” with a marine policy when and if “he” defendant Wahab took title to it. He further alleges that he never took title to said yacht; [704]*704but that in the event the court should decide that such title had passed from plaintiff Cram to him prior to its destruetion and that he is indebted to said plaintiff for $5,000.00, as prayed in his amended complaint, then Wahab would be entitled to recover from third party defendant Hanover any sums found due by him to plaintiff.

In its answer third party defendant Hanover alleges on information and belief that title to the yacht “Buck’s Club” had not passed, from plaintiff to defendant Robert S. Wahab, Jr., prior to its loss and destruction and further denies that it was an insurer of the yacht or in any wise liable by reason of its loss and destruction. Cross-motions for summary judgment by plaintiff against defendant Sun Insurance Office, Ltd., and by said defendant against plaintiff are now before the court on written briefs and arguments of counsel for both parties.

The paramount issue to be determined by the court in consideration of these cross-motions is whether title to the yacht “Buck’s Club” had passed to defendant Wahab at the time of its loss and destruetion on December 5, 1964, so as to void said policy over the boat issued by defendant Sun Insurance Office, Ltd.

It has been stipulated by counsel that should the court grant plaintiff's motion for summary judgment all issues in this cause would be resolved thereby, since plaintiff and defendant Wahab have amicably settled their differences if plaintiff prevails in its motion. However, should the court grant defendant Sun’s motion for summary judgment against plaintiff, thereby dismissing the action against it, the liability of the third party defendant, The Hanover Insurance Company, to defendant third party plaintiff Wahab would remain unresolved, as that issue is not before the court. Neither is the liability of Wahab to refund plaintiff’s $5,000.00 under an adverse ruling as to plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment against defendant Sun before the court at this time.

After a careful consideration of the entire record herein, including the pleadings of all parties, depositions of seven witnesses, answers to interrogatories, and the able arguments of counsel for the parties, the court makes its findings of fact and conclusions of law.

FINDINGS Oh FACT

1. Defendant Sun Insurance Office, Ltd., on June 18, 1964 issued to plaintiff its insurance policy with an agreed valuation of $12,200.00 insurance insuring his yacht the “Buck’s Club” against the Perils named therein, including destruction by fire and explosion; the term of the policy to be for a period of one year from that date, and the premium on said policy had been paid in full,

2. Under the terms of the policy an exclusion provision provides as follows:

This insurance shall be void in case this Policy or the property insured thereby shall be sold, assigned, transferred or pledged without previous consent in writing of the Company,

3. While said policy was in full force and effect plaintiff Cram negotiated with defendant Wahab for the purchase of the latter’s yacht the “Recess”. Wahab had been advertising this yacht for sale, and a mutual friend of the parties, a Captain Hester, got in touch with Cram who contacted Wahab arranging to meet him in Norfolk, Virginia on November 24, 1964 after Wahab had offered to sell his yacht for $24,500. As a result of this meeting an agreement was reached between them whereby Wahab agreed to take $19,500.00 in cash, with a trade-in allowance of the “Buck’s Club” when in operating condition for the balance, since at that time Cram was having work done on the engines of the “Buck’s Club” in Beaufort County, South Carolina.

4. Pursuant thereto the agreement was reduced to writing and all prior negotiations merged therein, as appears, from the two documents next set out, one executed by Wahab and the other by Cram, both done at Norfolk, Virginia, on November 24th, 1964:

F0r and in consideration of $1.00 and other good and valuable consideration I hereby bargain, grant, sell, and [705]*705convey all my right, title, and interest in one forty-one foot boat, now known as the “Recess” and documented in the U. S. Customs House as No. 295136.
I warrant that this boat is free of all liens and encumbrances of all kinds.
Given under my hand this twenty-fourth day of November, 1964.
•s/ Robert S. Wahab, Jr. 957 Bobolink Drive Virginia Beach, Va.
In part consideration of the sale to me of Documented Vessel No. 295136, I agree to assign all of my right, title, and interest in one 1962 Clayton 28 ft.

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Bluebook (online)
254 F. Supp. 702, 1966 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8074, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cram-v-sun-insurance-office-ltd-scd-1966.