Erb v. Fidelity Insurance

69 N.W. 261, 99 Iowa 727
Supreme Court of Iowa·Decided December 9, 1896·Published·Cited by 22 cases

Opinion

Robinson, J.

On the twenty-second day of August, 1893, the defendant issued to the plaintiff the policy in suit. • It insured him in the sum of eight hundred dollars for the term of one year, against loss or damage by 'fire on his store furniture and fixtures, while contained in a building described, situated in Coon Rapids. On the ninth day of the next September, the property insured was destroyed by fire. In due time, the plaintiff gave notice, and furnished proofs of loss. The defendant refusing to pay, this action was brought to recover the amount for which the policy was issued. The verdict and judgment were for the sum of eight hundred and twenty-eight dollars.

1 I. The policy, in terms, permitted concurrent insurance to the amount of two hundred and fifty dollars, and provided that it should be void if the insured then had, or should thereafter procure, other insurance. On the day the policy was issued, concurrent insurance in the sum of two hundred and fifty dollars was procured of the Des Moines Fire Insurance 'Company, and on the next day, a policy of insurance was issued by the Merchants’ [729] and Bankers’ Insurance Company for the amount of one thousand dollars, a part of which was on the property covered by the policy in suit. This was claimed to be such a violation of that policy as to make it void. The plaintiff insists that when it was issued, the defendant knew of the other policies, but, notwithstanding that knowledge, issued the policy in suit, and received the premium therefor, and hence waived the provision against additional insurance, and is estopped to assert it. M. M. Cooney was the agent of the defendant at Coon Bapids, and the policy in suit was issued through him. He was also agent of the Des Moines Insurance Company, and its policy was issued- through him. The plaintiff had a policy issued by the Merchants’ and Bankers’ Mutual Insurance Company, which'had nearly expired, and a few days before the policy in suit was issued, that policy was delivered to Cooney, to obtain a renewal. He was not the agent of the company, but sent for an application, which was filled out by the plaintiff, and returned to him, and the new policy was issued in renewal of the old one, on that application. Athough the new policy was not made until one day after the policy in suit was issued, Cooney necessarily had knowledge of the fact that it would be issued. The knowledge he had of the additional insurance must be imputed to the defendant, and by issuing the policy in suit, with that knowledge, it must be held to have consented to the additional insurance. Hagan v. Insurance Co., 81 Iowa, 331 (46 N.W. Rep. 1114). Objections are made to the testimony of the plaintiff, which showed the knowledge of Cooney of the additional insurance, but we do not find that they are well founded.

[730] 2 3 [731]*7314 [729] • II. The policy in suit provides that it shall be void if “the interest of the insured be other than unconditional and sole ownership.” It is said this [730] provision was violated in two instances. The facts in regard to the first are substantially as follows: The property in question was used in a drug store. In August, 1832, the plaintiff entered into an agreement with W. T. James, under which he took possession of the property, and carried on the drijg business under the name of W. T. James & Co., until tho sixth d ly of June, 1833. By the terms of the agreement, the plaintiff was the owner of all the property used in the business, and James was to receive, as compensation for his services, one-third of the profits. On the date last named, James wont to Des Moines to manage a new drug stock, intending to return to Coon Rapids in a short time, but has not yet done so. The plaintiff was not interested in the Des Moines stock, and has carried on the business at Coon Rapids since James left. There has not been a settlement between them, but nothing in that fact, and nothing' in the agreement, gave to James any interest in the property insured. Although his name was used in carrying on the business, he appears to have been an employe, rather than a partner. Holbrook v, Oberne, 56 Iowa, 324 (9 N. W. Rep. 291, 17 Am. & Eng. Enc. Law, 845). But, if that was not the case, and a partnership in fact existed, it was terminated before the policy in suit was issued, and the plaintiff was the sole owner of the insured property. He may be under some obligation to account to James for undivided profits, but not for the insured property. The facts in .regard to the other alleged violation are, that in December, 1832, the plaintiff made a bill of sale of the stock to his son and to James, and they gave to him promissory notes and a mortgage which purported to be for the purchase price. The transaction was not intended to operate as a sale, however, and within a few days thereafter, the parties to it declared it to be void. The [731] interest, if any, which it created in the property, was terminated nearly eight months before the policy in suit was issued. The plaintiff had contracted to sell the property to one Funk for some money and interest in land. The contract was to be. executed on the first of August, but Funk did not perform it on his part, although the plaintiff expected him to do so. Nothing was paid and nothing had been done under that contract when the fire occurred, and the ownership of the property insured remained in the plaintiff at the time of the insurance, and also at the time of the fire. Kempton v. Insurance Co., 62 Iowa, 83 (17 N. W. Sep. 194). Moreover, a breach of the contract of insurance by reason of that attempt to sell is not pleaded.

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Erb v. Fidelity Insurance, 69 N.W. 261, 99 Iowa 727 (iowa 1896).

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