Glens Falls Insurance Company v. Jenkins

277 S.W. 541, 169 Ark. 1015, 1925 Ark. LEXIS 256
Supreme Court of Arkansas·Decided December 7, 1925·Published·Cited by 2 cases

Opinion

McCulloch, C. J.

The plaintiffs, C. N. Jenkins and J. W. White, operated a motion picture theatre, in the city of Helena, and owned certain property in connection with the building and business. They carried fire insurance with several companies, and, among others, the defendant, Glens Falls Insurance Company, in the sum of $3,500 on the property described in the policy as follows: ‘ ‘ On improvements and betterments to the building described herein, the insured part being the ground floor, occupied by a first-class moving picture theatre, known as the Best Theatre. These improvements and betterments consist principally of floors, ceiling, side wall, balconies, stairs, doors, windows, partitions, lattice work, ticket office, and theatre front, and all other im-~ provements and betterments to the building which were made and paid for by the assured, all while contained in the three-story, composition roof, brick building situated 532 east side of Cherry Street, block 18, page 14, San-born’s map of the city of Helena, Arkansas.”

The policy contained What is known as a “three-fourths value clause” reading as follows: “Applicable to personal property only; it is understood and agreed to be a condition of this insurance that in the event of loss or damage by fire to the property insured under this policy this company 'shall not be liable for 'an amount greater than three-fourths of the actual cash value of each item of property insured by this policy (not exceeding- the amount insured on each item) at the time immediately preceding- such loss or damage. ’ ’ The policy also contained the customary clause, as a condition of liability, that proof of loss should be made within sixty days after date of the fire. The property was destroyed by fire, and, upon refusal Iby the defendant to pay, plaintiffs instituted this action on the policy.

Defendant filed an answer denying liability on several grounds, namely, that proof of loss had not been made within the time prescribed in the policy; that there was a breach of the terms of the policy by plaintiffs in that their interest in the property was not sole and unconditional; that there was a breach on account of incumbrance on the insured property; and also that there was no liability by reason of the fact alleged that plaintiffs wilfully caused the property to be burned for the purpose of collecting the insurance.

The trial before a jury resulted in ^ verdict in favor of plaintiffs for the recovery of the sum of $2,100, and the defendant has prosecuted - an appeal to this court.

Within, two days after the fire, the plaintiffs sent to the company what purported to be proof of loss in accordance with the terms of the policy. The proof was made out on a printed blank purporting to be a proof of loss. It contained a long list of articles destroyed in the building which were not covered by the policy, and the only description of property insured was under one item, as follows: “Loss to walls, ceilings, fans and fixtures not mentioned above, $2,311.50.” The proof was received by defendant’s •authorized adjuster, who made no response or objection until after the expiration of the sixty days for furnishing proof of loss, when he wrote to appellees and informed them that the proof was unsatisfactory, and defendant then denied liability on the ground that proof had not been made during the time provided in the policy.

Counsel for defendant recognize in their argument the force of the decisions of this court, as well as other courts, that where an insured furnishes to the insurer within the time stipulated by the policy what purports to be a proof of loss, and which is evidently intended to be a compliance with the policy, it is the duty of the insurer to seasonably make objections thereto, if any found, and that a failure to do so will constitute a waiver. Hartford Fire Ins. Co. v. Enoch, 79 Ark. 475; American Ins. Co. v. Haynie, 91 Ark. 43; Business Men’s Accident Association v. Cowden, 131 Ark. 419. But it is contended that the instrument of writing delivered to defendant was not made in good faith as a proof of loss, and did not purport to be a compliance with the policy, so as to challenge the attention of the adjuster and call for objections to discrepancies. We cannot agree with this contention, for the alleged proof was made, out on a printed form which expressly purported on its face to be a proof of loss under the designated policy, and it complied with all the requirements except as to itemizing the property destroyed. The attention of the adjuster was necessarily called to the fact*tha.t the insured was attempting to comply with the policy, and, jf the same was unsatisfactory and incomplete, it was the duty of the adjuster to call attention of the insured to- that fact and to specify the defects. It was too late to do that after the time for preparing the proof had expired, unless an extension of time was given for that purpose.

It is also contended that evidence offered by defendant would have shown that there was- a breach of the terms of the policy by reason of the fact that plaintiffs were not the unconditional owners of the insured prop-' erty, but that, on the contrary, the property was covered by a chattel mortgage. The offered evidence did not tend to show that the property covered by this policy was incumbered by any mortgage or lien, but that other property, in the building owned by plaintiffs was so incumbered. The condition in the policy in regard to unconditional ownership and against liens applied only to property covered by the policy, hence there was no error in excluding' testimony in regard to other property not covered. #

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Glens Falls Insurance Company v. Jenkins, 277 S.W. 541, 169 Ark. 1015, 1925 Ark. LEXIS 256 (Ark. 1925).

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