Fire Ass'n of Philadelphia v. Yeagley

72 N.E. 1035, 34 Ind. App. 387, 1905 Ind. App. LEXIS 6
Indiana Court of Appeals·Decided January 5, 1905·No. No. 4,760·Published·Cited by 4 cases

Opinion

Robinson, P. J.

Suit by appellee on a policy of fire insurance upon a stock of goods. The jury returned a general verdict for appellee, and, over appellant’s motions for judgment on answers to interrogatories and for a new trial, judgment was rendered in appellee’s favor.

Errors are assigned (1) upon the court’s refusal .to strike [389] out portions of the second paragraph of reply to the second paragraph of answer; (2) overruling a demurrer to the second paragraph of reply to the second pargaraph of answer; (3) overruling a demurrer to the third and fourth paragraphs of reply, respectively, to the second paragraph of answer; (4) refusing to submit to the jury a certain interrogatory; (5) overruling appellant’s motion for judgment on the answers to interrogatories; and (6), overruling the motion for a new trial.

The complaint avers appellee’s ownership of the stock of goods, issuing of the policy (a copy of which is an exhibit), appellee’s performance of all conditions, the loss, and appellant’s failure to pay. Appellant answered: (1) Denial. (2) That the insurance was void because the property, when the policy was issued, was mortgaged; the policy providing “This entire policy, unless otherwise provided by agreement indorsed hereon and added hereto, shall be void * * * if the subject of insurance be personal property and be or become encumbered by a chattel mortgage.” (3) A partial answer alleging other and concurrent insurance — the total insurance exceeding the value of the property — and appellant’s liability only for its proportionate share of the loss, as provided by a clause in the policy requiring the loss to be borne pro rata by all companies issuing policies. Appellee replied: (1) Denial. (2) That appellant, without requiring any written application, with full knowledge of the mortgage, accepted the premium, 'and delivered the policy to appellee, who was never notified of the provision for a forfeiture; that the provision was in very small print; that appellee accepted the policy believing it was valid and a security against loss, and without notice from appellant, until after the loss, that the policy contained such a condition. (3) That appellant’s agent wrote .the policy and accepted the premium with full knowledge of the mortgage; that appellee was never notified by appellant, or anyone in its behalf, that the policy -was void until after the loss. (4) That [390] appellant accepted the premium, and underwrote and delivered the policy to appellee, with notice of the mortgage, and without notice to appellee that the provision in the policy for a forfeiture in case the property was mortgaged was not waived by appellant.

1. The policy provides that, if fire occur, the insured shall give immediate notice, make an inventory showing the quantity and cost of each article and the amount claimed thereon, and within sixty days after the fire, unless the time is extended in writing by the company, render a verified statement to the company, stating the insured’s knowledge and belief as to the origin of the fire, etc.: that the loss shall not become payable until sixty days after the notice, ascertainment, estimate and satisfactory proofs of loss have been received by the company. The policy also provides: “This policy is made and accepted subject to the foregoing stipulations, together with such other provisions, agreements or conditions as may he indorsed hereon or added hereto', and no officer, agent or other representative of this company shall have power to waive any provision or condition of this policy, except such as by the terms of this policy may be the subject of agreement indorsed hereon or added hereto, and as to such provisions and conditions no officer, agent or representative shall have such power, or be deemed or held to have waived such provision or condition, unless such waiver, if any, shall be written upon or attached hereto', nor shall any privilege or permission affecting the insurance under this policy exist or be claimed by the insured unless so written or attached.”

Upon the question of the. waiver of the condition in the policy in regard to encumbrances on the goods insured, whether the supposed waiver be by appellant, or by the agent who issued the policy, the case is controlled by German-American Ins. Co. v. Yeagley (1904), 163 Ind. 651.

2. There was no error in refusing to submit the following interrogatory to the jury: “’Did the- defendant’s local [391] agent have authority as such agent to consent to encumbrances on the property described in the policy, otherwise than by agreement indorsed on said policy, or added thereto ?” It can not be said that it asks the jury to find specially upon a “particular question of fact.” §555 Bums 1901, Acts 1897, p. 128, §1. If it could be said to embrace questions both of law and fact, it was proper not to submit it. Korrady v. Lake Shore, etc., R. Co. (1891), 131 Ind. 261. But it seems the interrogatory calls for a legal conclusion and for that reason was properly refused. Chicago, etc., R. Co. v. Luddington (1894), 10 Ind. App. 636; Keeley Brewing Co. v. Parnin (1895), 13 Ind. App. 588; Chicago, etc., R. Co. v. Ostrander (1888), 116 Ind. 259; Ohio, etc., R. Co. v. Stansberry (1892), 132 Ind. 533; Roller v. Kling (1897), 150 Ind. 159.

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

Fire Ass'n of Philadelphia v. Yeagley, 72 N.E. 1035, 34 Ind. App. 387, 1905 Ind. App. LEXIS 6 (Ind. Ct. App. 1905).

72 N.E. 1035 (Fire Ass'n of Philadelphia v. Yeagley) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Grossnickle v. Avery
152 N.E. 288 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1926)
Board of Commissioners v. Orr.
61 So. 920 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1913)
Fosmark v. Equitable Fire Ass'n
120 N.W. 777 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1909)
People's Fire Insurance v. Goyne
96 S.W. 365 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1906)