Henry Clay Fire Insurance v. Barkley

169 S.W. 747, 160 Ky. 153, 1914 Ky. LEXIS 451
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kentucky
DecidedOctober 8, 1914
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 169 S.W. 747 (Henry Clay Fire Insurance v. Barkley) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Kentucky primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Henry Clay Fire Insurance v. Barkley, 169 S.W. 747, 160 Ky. 153, 1914 Ky. LEXIS 451 (Ky. Ct. App. 1914).

Opinion

Opinion of the Court by

Judge Nunn

Affirming.

On March 25th, 1912, the appellant issued to appellee, Barkley, a $2,500.00 fire policy, by which they insured him against loss or damage by fire between the 25th days of March and May, 1912. $1,500 of it was on leaf tobacco while contained in the barn owned by assured, $900 was on the bam, including tobacco sticks, $100 was on the contents of the barn, such as farm implements and feed stuffs. On May 8th, during the term of insurance, there was a total loss by fire of the barn and contents. He sued to recover the full amount insured for, and the jury returned a verdict in favor of appellee in the sum of $1,637.49. The appellant seeks a reversal for error of the court in overruling its demurrer to the petition, and for numerous errors in the instructions given to the jury. It is claimed the petition is defective for failure [154]*154to allege ownership of the property contained in'"the barn. Copy of proof of loss is filed with the petition as an exhibit. This proof of loss states unequivocally that the whole property destroyed was owned by appellee. The only direct averment of ownership in the petition refers to the barn. As to the tobacco and other' contents, the petition shows the plaintiff’s “loss” by fire, and seeks to recover on the policy “by which it insured plaintiff against loss or damage by fire, etc.” While an exhibit will not supply an omitted essential averment in the pleadings, yet they form a part of the pleadings by the express language of Civil Code, Sec. 120, and may, therefore, aid a defective allegation. Newman’s Pleading and Practice, 204.

More than this, there was no indication in the answer of lack of ownership by Barkley in any of the property. The proof showed that he owned all of it, and such proof was admitted without objection. There is no pretense of claim to any of it by another. Clearly, then, the verdict cured whatever defect there was in the pleadings.

The ease of Hill v. Ragland, 114 Ky., 209, is in point:

“Where the parties have attempted to. join an issue to be tried, and which has been tried, however defective in form the pleadings may be, a verdict for the one or the other will be held to cure such defective pleading; that is, will-cure them as to their form, supplying all omitted necessary averments, concerning essential facts relied on, provided the proof or admission of such facts were necessarily considered before the verdict could have been rendered.” See Title Guaranty & Surety Company v. Commonwealth, 141 Ky., 570; City of Henderson v. Sizemore, 104 S. W., 722; L. & N. v. Taylor, 92 Ky., 55.

Appellant’s next objection is urged to the first instruction, which reads as follows:

“The court instructs the jury that they must find for the plaintiff unless they believe that the plaintiff himself set fire to the barn and contents or that said fire was caused by his own carelessness or negligence. If they find for plaintiff, they will be governed as to amount by instruction No. 2.”

To understand the objection, it must be explained that appellant’s defense went to a fraudulent over-valuation, and a charge that “plaintiff burned the barn to secure the insurance money.” -

[155]*155Appellant says that the court should have also told the jury that they should find for the company if they believed the appellee caused, suffered, or procured the barn to be burned. The answer charges:

“That said .tobacco barn and its contents were destroyed either.through the gross carelessness and negligence of the plaintiff, or were intentionally destroyed by him for the fraudulent purpose of rendering this defendant * * * liable, etc.”

There was no proof that Barkley suffered or procured the barn to be burned. If it were not burned by his enemies for the purpose of injuring him, then he burned it himself. The proof showed that Barkley had received several letters threatening him with loss of life, and of loss by fire. His 1910 and 1911 crops of tobacco were housed in the barn. He swears that because of these threatening letters and his refusal to pool his crop, he felt a necessity to guard his tobacco, and that he slept in his barn every night from the time the first crop was housed until the insurance policy was issued. There was evidence of coal oil at the fire; an empty oil bottle nearby, and broken and burned matches; and a dash of coal oil on the side of his stable, which stood close to his tobacco barn. On the other hand, the insurance company points the finger of suspicion at Barkley in the short term of the policy; the fact that he did not insure his home or stable or any other property; that he was in debt; and that his conduct on the night of the fire was out of the ordinary. As for this conduct, it is susceptible of two views, one creditable and the other criminal. He explains the short term of the policy by the fact that he expected to dispose of his tobacco within the two months, and then the agent told him he could continue the insurance for a longer term on the barn as a stock bam at a cheaper rate.

As above stated, there is nothing in the evidence to indicate that Barkley caused or procured another to set the barn on fire. Either he did it or it was the work of his enemies. It was on this basis, as outlined by the pleadings and proof, that the court submitted the question to the jury on the instruction complained of. From these observations, it will be seen and we are of the opinion that the court committed no error, at least no error that was prejudicial, in failing to incorporate in the instruction the idea that, they should find for, defendant if [156]*156the appellee caused or procured another to burn the premises.

' The appellant offered no instruction along this line. As it says, the instruction is good as far as it goes, but complains that it does not go far enough.

The following quotations answer appellant’s objection to this instruction:

L. & N. R. R. Co. v. Simrall’s Admr., 127 Ky., 55: “It is a well settled rule of this court that a litigant cannot complain of instructions correct in themselves though inadequate, given by the court, unless he offers additional instructions to be given in lieu thereof.”

Loughridge v. Ball, 118 S. W., 321: “The plaintiffs asked no instruction defining further adverse possession, and as the instruction which the court gave is correct as far as it goes, the plaintiffs cannot complain that other instructions were not given.”

Burdett v. Mullin’s Exrx., 110 S. W., 855: “The defendant did not ask any other instruction on the trial. Our rule is to not reverse a case for the failure of the court to give any instruction which the appellant did not ask where the instructions which the court gave are correct as far as they go.”

Appellant objects to instruction No. 2, which is as follows:

‘ ‘ The court instructs the jury that if they find for the plaintiff under instruction No.

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Bluebook (online)
169 S.W. 747, 160 Ky. 153, 1914 Ky. LEXIS 451, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/henry-clay-fire-insurance-v-barkley-kyctapp-1914.