Dubuque Fire & Marine Insurance v. Oster

74 Ill. App. 139, 1897 Ill. App. LEXIS 183
Appellate Court of Illinois·Decided December 17, 1897·Published·Cited by 5 cases

Opinion

Mr. Justice Lacey

delivered the opinion of the Court.

This was a suit on an insurance policy issued by appellant to appellee. It was issued in Dubuque, where the home office was situate, in Iowa, February 12, 1894.

The insurance company was organized and received its charter under the laws of that State.

The policy under which the insurance was made was sent to one of appellant’s agents at East Dubuque, in the State of Illinois, and there delivered by such agent to the appellee, who was a resident of the place.

There was $30 of the premium paid at the time of the issuance of the policy, and note given by appellee for $90, due in installments, respectively $30 each, February 1, 1895, February 1, 1896, and February 1, 1897, and the note was dated February 12, 1894.

The insurance policy covered appellee’s one-story shingled roof frame building, occupied by him as an agricultural implement store and office, in East Dubuque, Jo Daviess county, Illinois, $500, and his office furniture therein $100, and his agricultural implements usually kept for sale therein $900. The entire amount of the insurance was for $1,500, and was to continue until February 12, 1898, a term of four years, but at the date of the said note each installment of premium was extended sixty days from the time due.

The building, office furniture and agricultural implements were. destroyed by fire April 22, 1895, and appellee sustained loss to the full amount of the insurance of each item insured.

The cause was tried by a jury and resulted in a verdict of $1,400 for appellee, and judgment was rendered thereon by the court, after overruling motion by appellant for a new trial.

From such judgment this appeal is taken to this court. The insurance policy sued on has a clause in it, among many other numerous provisions to same effect, rendering the policy void “ if the premium note given for the payment of the premium or any part thereof shall be due and unpaid at the time of the loss,” and the declaration avers that there was no premium note “ given for the payment of the premium or any part thereof due and unpaid at the time of said loss except by the consent of the defendant.”

It appears from the evidence that at the time of the fire neither of the installments mentioned in the premium note was paid, notably the one due sixty days after February 1, 1895, and this is the main cause assigned by the appellant for a bar to the action and a reversal of the judgment herein.

It appears that allowing the extension of sixty days from the 1st day of February, 1895, which was allowed at the time the premium note- was' executed, the time the said installment became due was April 2, 1895, and the fire occurred April 22, 1895.

It is therefore insisted that there was a forfeiture on the part of appellee of his right of recovery on the policy for the reason that the premium note or the installment due April 2, 1895, was unpaid.

There is no dispute but that notice and proof of loss was given and made in proper time by the appellee. The statute of Iowa provides, General Sections 1729, 1730, IS G. A. Ch. 210, Sections 1 and 2 of McClain’s Code of Iowa:

1729. How effected—(18 G-. A., Ch. 210): “In every instance where a fire insurance company or association doing business in this State shall hereafter take a note or contract for the premium on any insurance policy, or shall hereafter take a premium note or contract which, by its terms, or by any agreement or rule of the company or association, is assessable for the premium due on the policy for which it is given, such insurance company or association shall not declare such policy forfeited or suspended for nonpayment of such note or contract, except as hereinafter provided, anything in the policy or application to the contrary notwithstanding.” .

1730. Hotice—(19 G. A., Ch. 210, 2): “ Within thirty days prior to, or at any time after the maturity of any note or contract, whether assessable, or where the time of payment is fixed in the contract given for the premium on any policy of insurance, such company or association may serve a notice, in writing, upon the insured, that his note, or an installment thereof, is due, or to become due, stating the amount which will be due on the note or contract, and also the amount required to pay the customary short rates, including the expense of taking the risk up to the time the policy will be suspended under the notice in order to cancel the policy, and that, unless the payment is made within thirty days, his policy will be suspended. Such notice may be served personally or by registered letter addressed to the assured, at his postoffice address named in or on the policy, and no policy of insurance shall be suspended for non-payment of such- amount until thirty days after such notice has been served.”

The appellant recognized the existence and binding force of the above statute of the State of Iowa, and wrote out and directed to appellee, at.his postoffice address, East Dubuque, Ill., a notice, and placed in the postoffice at Dubuque, la., which was duly admitted in evidence, and is as follows:

“ Dubuque Fire and Marine Insurance Company.

Dubuque, Iowa.

J. J. Linehan, President. H. J. Schrup, Secretary.

February 25, 1895.

John H. Oster, East Dubuque, Jo Daviess County,’Illinois.

Dear Sir: An installment of jrour note 1295, given to this company for insurance under policy Ho. 33,735, will be due February 1, 1895. Amount $30.00.

Please remit the full amount on or before its maturity, by bank draft, registered letter, postoffice order, or by express.

Unless this installment is paid within thirty days from the mailing of this notice, your policy will be suspended, according to the provisions of Chapter 210, Laws of 1880, and we will be compelled to place your note in the hands of an attorney for collection, thus making you additional expense, which we trust.will be avoided.

Special Hotice.—Ho agent or other person is authorized to collect or receive payment on said note unless he has the note in his possession at the time; and • any payment made to such agent or person will not be recognized by this company.

Very ..truly yours,

H. J. Schrup, Secretary.”

“ ¡Notice Required by Law.

The following figured are given to conform to and satisfy the requirements of the statute passed by a recent legislature, which also requires us to transmit this notice by registered letter as a protection to the company.

If you desire to cancel this policy it will be necessary for you to pay short rates and expenses, which amount to $54, and send your policy with such remittance; but if you wish to keep your policy, then you must send the amount stated on the other side of this circular.

¡N. J. Soheup, Secretary.”

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

Dubuque Fire & Marine Insurance v. Oster, 74 Ill. App. 139, 1897 Ill. App. LEXIS 183 (Ill. Ct. App. 1897).

74 Ill. App. 139 (Dubuque Fire & Marine Insurance v. Oster) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

St. Paul Mercury Insurance v. Statistical Tabulating Corp.
508 N.E.2d 433 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1987)
Liquorama, Inc. v. American National Bank & Trust Co.
408 N.E.2d 373 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1980)
Cox v. American Insurance
184 Ill. App. 419 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1913)
Stack v. Detour Lumber & Cedar Co.
114 N.W. 876 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1908)
Court of Honor v. Dinger
123 Ill. App. 406 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1905)