Fireman's Fund Insurance Company v. Thomas

155 So. 2d 923, 275 Ala. 445, 1963 Ala. LEXIS 685
CourtSupreme Court of Alabama
DecidedJuly 25, 1963
Docket5 Div. 743
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 155 So. 2d 923 (Fireman's Fund Insurance Company v. Thomas) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fireman's Fund Insurance Company v. Thomas, 155 So. 2d 923, 275 Ala. 445, 1963 Ala. LEXIS 685 (Ala. 1963).

Opinion

GOODWYN, Justice.

W. H. Thomas, Jr., brought suit against appellant, Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company, to recover the value of a destroyed 1953 Cessna airplane which had been insured by appellant. The airplane was owned jointly by plaintiff and Clifford-Otto Sasser and the insurance policy was issued to them as the owners. There was-a loss payable endorsement to Jack B. Tatum who sold the airplane to Thomas and Sasser for $5,750. Of this, Thomas and Sasser each paid $1500, leaving a balance due of $2,750 which was covered by the mortgage to Tatum. Sasser was killed while piloting the plane.

Thomas brought suit on the policy to recover the full value of the plane, alleged in the complaint to be $4500. There has been no administration on the estate of Sasser. Tatum did not join in the suit as plaintiff; nor has he been joined as a plaintiff pursuant to Code 1940, Tit. 7, § 135, which provides for joining a necessary party as plaintiff who, upon request, does not consent to join in the suit.

Plaintiff’s demand for a jury trial was withdrawn and the case was submitted for decision on a stipulation of the parties. Judgment was rendered in favor of plaintiff for $4,175. The insurance company brings this appeal from that judgment. The stipulation contains the following facts pertinent on this appeal, viz.:

“1. On or about May 11, 1959, plaintiff .and Clifford Otto Sasser jointly purchased from Jack B. Tatum a 1953 Cessna, 170-B Aircraft, each becoming an owner of an undivided one-half interest therein. Of the total purchase price of $5,750.00, plaintiff and Sasser each paid $1,500.00, and the remaining balance of $2,750.00 was financed by a note and mortgage to Tatum.
“2. On May 11, 1959, plaintiff and Sasser obtained from the defendant an ‘Aircraft Hull’ policy, naming themselves as insureds, with a loss payable endorsement to Jack B. Tatum. A copy of said policy and endorsement are attached hereto as Exhibit ‘A’ and made a part hereof. Said policy was issued and approved *447 by, Associated Aviation Undérwriters as agent for the defendant.
“3. There was no business connection between plaintiff and Sasser. They were casual friends who were mutually interested in flying, and they purchased the aircraft jointly for the purpose of sharing in the costs and upkeep of the aircraft. There was no mutual business purpose to be served by the aircraft.
“4. At approximately 12:30 a.m., on August 13, 1959, Sasser, in the company of one Walter William Mitchell, took said airplane from its hanger at the Auburn-Opelika Airport, and began flying it over and around the towns of Auburn and Opelika, diving on or ‘buzzing’ buildings and homes and flying at ‘treetop’ level. In some instances the airplane was flown at such low altitude that it nearly struck buildings in the towns of Auburn and Opelika.
“After operating in such fashion for approximately one and one-half hours, the aircraft crashed into trees in the vicinity of Opelika, Alabama, killing Sasser and Mitchell, and totally destroyed said aircraft.
“5. Mitchell, who was a passenger in the aircraft, had no connection with plaintiff. He had no pilot’s or student pilot’s certificate and did not know how to pilot or operate an aircraft. On the night of the accident Sasser and Mitchell had attended a meeting at a club near Opelika where they had several alcoholic drinks, and upon leaving said club at approximately midnight, Mitchell had purchased a half pint of Early Times Whiskey, which he carried with him. An empty one-half pint bottle of Early Times Whiskey was found in the wrecked aircraft. Sasser was intoxicated at the time the aircraft was wrecked.
“6. At the time of the accident, Sasser held a pilot’s certificate issued by the Administrator of the' Federal Aviation Agency with a Class 3 medical rating. Attached hereto as Exhibit ‘B’ and made a part hereof is a photostatic copy of said certificate. The aircraft piloted.by Sasser at the time of the accident was not an Aeronca 7-AC type aircraft endorsed on his pilot’s certificate for solo flight. However, E. Casey Jones, an instructor at Auburn School of Aviation, had checked Sasser out in a Cessna 170-B on the 23rd day of. May, 1959, but had failed to endorse the name upon Sasser’s certificate for 'solo flight in a Cessna 170-B. Sasser had no previous night flight experience.
“7. Plaintiff had no knowledge that Sasser was operating the aircraft immediately prior to said accident, and, consequently, did not know of any violation of Civil Air Regulations.
“8. The value of the aircraft at the time it was destroyed was $5,750.00. There was no salvage received for aircraft. There has been no administration of the estate of Sasser. Plaintiff and Sasser’s estate are jointly and severally liable to Jack B. Tatum for $2,-750.00, with. interest at six per cent (6%) from May 12, 1959, on the note and mortgage executed in connection with the purchase of the said aircraft. * * * ”

The decisive question on this appeal concerns the propriety of Thomas bringing the suit in his name alone. Appellant contends that the only proper party-plaintiff was the mortgagee Tatum because the mortgage indebtedness exceeded any amount which appellee might recover under the policy for his half interest in the airplane.

The record does not disclose how the trial court arrived at the figure $4,175 as damages. In appellant’s brief it is stated, and not controverted by appellee, that the trial court made statements in discussing the *448 •case showing that the judgment was computed as follows:

Stipulated value $5750
Less deductible provided by policy 150
Value insured 5600
Less mortgage to Tatum 2750
Equity insured 2850
Appellee’s half interest in equity 1425
Plus mortgage to Tatum 2750
Judgment for $4175.

There is no question that the judgment •exceeds the value of appellee’s interest. In fact, it approximates 74% of the total value of the insured airplane, while appellee •owned only a half interest.

Appellant makes this observation in its brief:

“Perhaps the trial court felt that Sasser’s estate was insolvent and could not contribute to the payment of the mortgage indebtedness and, therefore, as a practical matter, the loss of the aircraft caused appellee to sustain a financial loss of the full mortgage indebtedness plus one-half of the equity.” In appellee’s brief it is stated:
“Sasser’s administrator or executor could not recover in any event, because of Sasser’s violation of the contract. Tatum’s right to proceed has now merged with that of the plaintiff, who is the sole party plaintiff in name and interest. To permit the judgment to stand as it is will be to enforce only what the insurer promised to do when the policy was issued, to protect the innocent insured and the mortgagee.”

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155 So. 2d 923, 275 Ala. 445, 1963 Ala. LEXIS 685, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/firemans-fund-insurance-company-v-thomas-ala-1963.