Hanover Fire Insurance Co. v. Bock Jewelry Co.

435 S.W.2d 909, 1968 Tex. App. LEXIS 2251
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedDecember 6, 1968
Docket17123
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 435 S.W.2d 909 (Hanover Fire Insurance Co. v. Bock Jewelry Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hanover Fire Insurance Co. v. Bock Jewelry Co., 435 S.W.2d 909, 1968 Tex. App. LEXIS 2251 (Tex. Ct. App. 1968).

Opinion

*911 DIXON, Chief Justice.

Hanover Fire Insurance Company, hereinafter called Hanover, has appealed from two adverse summary judgments. One was a money judgment in the amount of $4,-934.89 in favor of Bock Jewelry Co., Inc. (owned entirely by Harry Bock) and Harry Bock, doing business as Harry Bock Co., hereinafter jointly referred to as Bock. The other was a judgment that Hanover take nothing against Sam Bitkower, a third party defendant, brought into the case by Hanover under a subrogation claim. Hanover had also filed a motion for summary judgment which was overruled.

The suit was brought by Bock to recover under a jeweler’s block insurance policy for loss occasioned by a theft of diamonds while in the possession of Bit-kower.

EVIDENCE

Most of the evidence is undisputed. Bock, a resident of Dallas, Texas, is a wholesale jewelry dealer. Bitkower is a traveling salesman who is authorized to sell Bock’s diamonds anywhere except in Texas. In actual practice he has limited his sales activities to Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska. He represents two other companies besides Bock. He travels when and where he pleases. He calls on customers of his own choosing. He does not draw a salary. Bock does not control the hours Bitkower works, or carry workmen’s compensation insurance for him, or make social security payments in his behalf.

Under the terms of their agreement, which is partly oral, Bitkower carries with him a supply of Bock’s diamonds for display and sale at minimum prices set by Bock. He is paid a commission of 5 per cent and sometimes 10 per cent. If he is able to sell at a price above that fixed by Bock he is permitted to keep the excess in addition to his commission. If he sells on credit the sale must be approved by Bock. On cash sales if he is able to fill an order from the supply of diamonds in his possession, he makes delivery at once, collects the purchase price and remits the money to Bock after deducting the amount of his commission. If he is not able to fill an order from the diamonds in his possession he sends an order to Bock and the diamonds are shipped to the customer.

When a supply of diamonds is turned over to Bitkower in Dallas he signs a memorandum filled in on a printed form, listing and describing the stones he takes. If he is on the road and needs to replenish his supply of diamonds, they are shipped to him accompanied by a memorandum which he is not required to sign.

Both Bock and Bitkower say that these memorandums, standard printed forms in the jewelry business, are for bookkeeping and inventory purposes only and that they do not state and were not intended to state the terms of the contract between them. However Hanover attaches contractual significance to them because of these recitations in each form:

“Memorandum From
BOCK JEWELRY COMPANY, INC. Manufacturing Jewelers and Diamond Importers”
* * * * * *
“The goods described and valued above are delivered to you for EXAMINATION AND INSPECTION ONLY and are the property of BOCK JEWELRY COMPANY, INC., and subject to their order and shall be returned to them on demand. Such merchandise, until returned to them and actually received, are at your risk from all hazards.”

Alfred L. Cozzo is a general insurance agent who represents a number of companies, including Hanover. For about ten years Bock has obtained theft as well as other types of insurance coverage through Cozzo. For twenty years Cozzo has been in the business of representing companies which issue jeweler’s block policies. He *912 has represented Hanover since November 3, 1961.

A short time prior to the issuance of this policy Bock contacted Cozzo in order to secure theft insurance on diamonds while in the possession of various persons including Bitkower. In order to obtain a jeweler’s block policy of insurance the person seeking such coverage must first ■execute an application known as a proposal. The procedures culminating in the issuance of this policy are shown by the testimony of Cozzo, Hanover’s agent. Coz-zo testified in a deposition as follows:

“Q What is the procedure to get this ■application completed? What do you do and what is done ?
A Well, my normal procedure is to take an application and go to the company requesting coverage, completing the application and getting some one of the owners of the business, whether it is a corporation or a partnership or individual, to sign that contract or the application for the coverage. The completed application is sent to the particular company that you are trying to place the coverage with, who, in turn, sends the proposal or the application to the Inland Marine Rating Bureau, who in turn, rate the policy, send back to the company the rates that have been promulgated. The company, in turn, issues the contract for insurance, mails it to me and I, in turn, get it to the insured.”
******
“Q Was that done with the policy in your hand there ?
A Yes sir, I did.
Q This application is also known as a proposal, is it not ?
A Yes, it is called a proposal for insurance.”
⅜ ⅜ ⅜ ⅝ ⅜ ⅜
“Q Now, looking at Exhibit No. 1, which you have identified to be exactly the same as the proposal attached to the policy, who filled that out, Mr. Cozzo? * * *
A My office did, or I did it myself personally.”
“Q Typed under your direction at your office ?
A Yes.
q * * * How did you get your information for the purposes of typing it?
A I would take an application and fill it in by hand and then type the handwritten onto another proposal.
Q So you would take a blank proposal blank and go to Bock Jewelry Company and Harry Bock Company and then fill it in in pencil and then go back and type it; is that correct?
A Yes.
Q Who gave you the information for purposes of that proposal ?
A Harry Bock.”

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Bluebook (online)
435 S.W.2d 909, 1968 Tex. App. LEXIS 2251, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hanover-fire-insurance-co-v-bock-jewelry-co-texapp-1968.