Fulmer v. Reading Mutual Insurance

64 Pa. D. & C.2d 545, 1973 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 82
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Lehigh County
DecidedOctober 9, 1973
Docketno. 200
StatusPublished

This text of 64 Pa. D. & C.2d 545 (Fulmer v. Reading Mutual Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Lehigh County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fulmer v. Reading Mutual Insurance, 64 Pa. D. & C.2d 545, 1973 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 82 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1973).

Opinion

DAVISON, J.,

This action in assumpsit comes before the court on plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment. Admissions in the pleadings and an affidavit in support of plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment establish a number of facts.

On January 15,1972, plaintiff entered into an agreement to purchase a certain parcel of ground containing a barn thereon from Milton F. Danner and Verna M. Danner. The vendors continued to maintain in effect their fire insurance policy with defendant, Reading Mutual Insurance Company, insuring the bam for the face amount of $7,500. At or about the date of execution of the agreement of sale, plaintiff obtained a separate fire insurance policy from Erie Insurance Exchange in the face amount of $10,000.

Prior to closing the title, the bam was totally destroyed by fire on February 4, 1972. Defendant, according to exhibit 2 of its answer, determined the amount of the loss to be $20,045.65. Some time thereafter, the vendors conveyed the parcel containing the bam to plaintiff and assigned to plaintiff whatever right they had to the proceeds of their fire insurance policy with defendant.

Plaintiff demanded and received from Erie the $10,000 face amount of the Erie policy. Neither the terms of that policy nor what transpired with respect to that policy have been made known to the court. Here, plaintiff, as assignee, seeks the $7,500 face amount of the policy with defendant. While defendant is willing to pay what it has by proration determined [547]*547to be the limit of its liability, the sum of $5,727.33, it refuses to pay the entire $7,500.

The posture of this controversy presents two issues for consideration. The first is whether or not this is a proper case for entry of summary judgment and, secondly, to what sum á vendee is entitled, where, following a binding agreement of sale, a fire loss occurs prior to closing, when the property was insured by both the vendor and vendee and the amount of the loss exceeds the total amount of the policies.

It is clear that summary judgment is available under Pennsylvania Rule of Civil Procedure 1035, and we need not dwell at length thereon.

We next turn to the substantive and determinative question raised. Plaintiff argues that as vendee he insured his equitable interest and that such was a separate and distinct insurable interest different from that insured by the vendor; thus, he should be permitted full recovery against defendant despite receiving full payment of the Erie policy, because the loss exceeded the amount of both policies. Reading Mutual’s policy provides, in part:

“This Company shall not be liable for a greater proportion of any loss than the amount hereby insured shall bear to the whole insurance covering the property against the peril involved, whether collectible or not.”

Plaintiff argues that the term “whole insurance” means insurance covering the same insured, same subject matter and the same interest, in essence, “double insurance.” He relies on Vogel v. Northern Assurance Company, 219 F.2d 409 (1955).

In Vogel, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, in applying Pennsylvania law, held that where a purchaser under agreement to buy realty had obtained a $9,000 fire insurance policy to protect his interest as equitable owner, and [548]*548the vendor had procured a $6,000 policy to protect his interest, and a fire loss in the sum of $12,000 occurred before the conveyance was consummated, the purchaser, after completing the acquisition and receiving title and- an assignment from the vendor of his rights under his policy, was entitled to recover the full $15,000 from the insurers. Vogel, therefore, required both carriers to pay the full amount of the policies.

Defendant takes the position that its policy limits its liability to pro rata payment of the loss and relies heavily on Insurance Company of North America v. Alberstadt, 383 Pa. 556, 119 A.2d 83 (1956).

Alberstadt was a declaratory judgment proceeding to determine the obligations of two insurance companies under fire insurance policies issued by them and the respective rights of the parties insured thereby.

The property there was sold at tax sale and the successful bidder four days thereafter obtained fire insurance coverage in the amount of $2,500. The debtor’s fire insurance policy in the amount of $3,500 continued in effect at the time of the sale. A fire occurred prior to the purchaser paying the balance of the bid to the sheriff and delivery of deed. The full amount of the loss was $3,175. The debtor demanded the full amount of the loss from her carrier and the purchaser demanded from his carrier the full amount of his policy, which was less than the amount of the loss.

In Alberstadt, the entire amount of the loss could have been compensated fully from the proceeds of the debtor’s fire insurance policy alone. In the instant case, the vendor’s policy was for $7,500 and plaintiff’s coverage in the amount of $10,000; therefore, and significantly, permitting plaintiff to recover the full amount of both policies will leave him in a position [549]*549of still not being fully compensated for the amount of the loss as determined by defendant to be $20,045.65.

The lower court apparently on the strength of Vogel entered judgment against both insurance carriers for the full amount of the coverage. Its opinion recognized the existence of separate insurable interests by the vendor and the vendee thereby ruling out the “pro rata liability” clause which it ruled applied only where there was “double insurance.”

The Supreme Court reversed the decision of the court below, holding that the purchaser was entitled to receive the amount of the loss actually sustained by reason of the fire and ruled that the responsibility of the insurance companies would be limited to their pro rata apportionment of the loss.

The court first determined that the debtor who still retained legal title to the property at the time of the fire was entitled under the terms of her policy to recover from her company the amount of the damage to the property:

“Since Alberstadt, at the time of the fire, still retained the legal title to the property, she was entitled, under the terms of her policy, to recover from Empire Company the amount of the damage to the property caused by the fire, namely, $3,175; Empire Company could not take advantage of the fact, as far as its relations with Alberstadt were concerned, that the equitable title had passed to Patterson, that being a circumstance which affected only the relations between Alberstadt and Patterson. State Mutual Fire Insurance Co. v. Updegraff, 21 Pa. 513; Reed v. Lukens, 44 Pa. 200; Dubin Paper Co. v. Insurance Co. of North America, 361 Pa. 68, 63 A.2d 85, 8 A.L.R. 2d 1393; Heidisch v. Globe & Republic Insurance Co. of America, 368 Pa. 602, 84 A.2d 566, 29 A.L.R.2d 884; Vogel v. Northern Assurance Co., 3 Cir., 219 F.2d 409.”

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Related

Heidisch v. Globe & Republic Insurance Co. of America
84 A.2d 566 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1951)
Vrabel v. SCHOLLER
85 A.2d 858 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1952)
Insurance Co. of North America v. Alberstadt
119 A.2d 83 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1956)
Dubin Paper Co. v. Insurance Co. of North America
63 A.2d 85 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1948)
Dunsmore, Receiver v. Franklin F. I. Co.
149 A. 163 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1929)
Swoope v. United States Fire Insurance
87 Pa. Super. 349 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1925)
Insurance Co. v. Updegraff
21 Pa. 513 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1853)
Reed v. Lukens
44 Pa. 200 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1863)
Yanko v. Standard Fire Insurance
31 Pa. Super. 1 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1906)

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Bluebook (online)
64 Pa. D. & C.2d 545, 1973 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 82, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fulmer-v-reading-mutual-insurance-pactcompllehigh-1973.