International Service Insurance Co. v. Ballard

216 So. 2d 535, 1968 Miss. LEXIS 1240
CourtMississippi Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 9, 1968
Docket45103
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 216 So. 2d 535 (International Service Insurance Co. v. Ballard) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Mississippi Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
International Service Insurance Co. v. Ballard, 216 So. 2d 535, 1968 Miss. LEXIS 1240 (Mich. 1968).

Opinion

216 So.2d 535 (1968)

INTERNATIONAL SERVICE INSURANCE COMPANY
v.
G.C. BALLARD, Jr. and Wade H. Lagrone.

No. 45103.

Supreme Court of Mississippi.

December 9, 1968.

*536 Cary E. Bufkin, Satterfield, Shell, Williams & Buford, Jackson, for appellant.

Mitchell, McNutt & Bush, Tupelo, for appellees.

RODGERS, Justice:

This case came to this Court from a final judgment of the Circuit Court of Lee County, Mississippi, in favor of Wade H. Lagrone in a garnishment proceeding against International Service Insurance Company. The garnishment proceeding was based on a judgment in favor of G.C. Ballard, Jr. against Paula Helms, the minor daughter of Kelly Helms.

Kelly Helms owned a 1964 Buick four door LeSabre automobile, which was used for family purposes. It was insured by the appellant, International Service Insurance Company, of Fort Worth, Texas. The automobile was wrecked while parked on the street on September 19, 1964. The following morning Kelly Helms telephoned Mr. Bobby Davis who was the sales manager of George Ruff Buick & Oldsmobile Company, and advised him that his automobile had been wrecked. He requested Mr. Davis to lend him an automobile until his Buick could be repaired. Davis turned over to Mr. Helms a 1964 Oldsmobile. Davis put no restrictions on the use of the Oldsmobile, and he had authority to act for the owner. He knew that Mr. Helms had a family, but did not know any of the particulars about Helms' family.

The next day, September 21, 1964, George Ruff was informed that Davis had loaned the Oldsmobile to Helms, and he made no objections; however, he expected to get the Oldsmobile back and to let Mr. Helms have another automobile until his could be repaired.

During the week of September 21, 1964, Mr. Kelly Helms traded his wrecked automobile to George Ruff Buick & Oldsmobile Company for a new automobile, to be delivered at some future date. The Helms' automobile was in such a wrecked condition that George Ruff Buick & Oldsmobile Company (hereafter called Automobile Company sold it as salvage to Big Four Motors on September 28, 1964.

On Monday, September 28, 1964, eight days after Davis had loaned Kelly Helms the 1964 Oldsmobile, Helms instructed his daughter, Paula Helms, to drive downtown to get another daughter who was at work. Paula drove the automobile south on Gloster Street. The street was wet from a light rain, and because of oil deposited on the street by passing trucks, the street was slick. An automobile driven by G.C. Ballard, Jr. was proceeding along the street immediately ahead of Paula Helms. Ballard brought his automobile to a stop at the intersection of Allen Street. Paula *537 Helms put on her brakes, but because of the slick condition of the street she was unable to stop the Oldsmobile before it struck the rear end of the automobile driven by Mr. Ballard. Mr. Ballard brought suit against Paula Helms. Before the case came to trial, the attorneys for Ballard and the attorneys for Paula Helms reached an understanding and a tentative settlement; however, evidence was introduced and the jury was informed that the parties had reached a tentative settlement, and attorneys for plaintiff and defendant suggested to the jury that it return a verdict of $5,500, which the jury did. After judgment had been entered, and a motion for a new trial overruled, Wade H. Lagrone, who was an attorney in the law firm of Mitchell, McNutt and Bush, purchased the Ballard judgment with money borrowed from Home Indemnity Company of New York, with the understanding that the money would be repaid out of funds obtained from International Service Insurance Company, the appellant here.

The testimony shows that Home Indemnity Company, hereafter called Home, had employed the law firm of Mitchell, McNutt and Bush to defend the suit against Paula Helms. Home was involved in the Ballard claim, because it was obligated under the terms of an insurance policy issued to George Ruff, doing business as George Ruff Buick & Oldsmobile Company. This policy covered any person who used, with permission of the named insured, any automobile, provided such person's actual operation was within the scope of such permission. Home gave notice to International Service Insurance Company, hereafter called International, to defend the suit upon the theory that the insurance policy written by International was primarily liable since the International policy issued to Kelly Helms obligated International to pay on behalf of Kelly Helms, and any other insured, including members of his family, all legal obligations in the way of damages caused by an accident arising out of the use of the "covered" automobile up to the policy limits. The policy provided coverage to any insured who operated any vehicle when the insured was not covered by other insurance. The policy also covered any insured while operating a "temporary substitute" automobile. "Substitute automobile" was defined as: "* * * any automobile * * * not owned by the named insured, while temporarily used with the permission of the owner is a substitute for the owned automobile * * * when withdrawn from normal use because of its breakdown, repair, servicing, loss or destruction * * *."

International declined to defend the Ballard suit, and after the final judgment had been assigned to Wade H. Lagrone, he filed a written suggestion with the Circuit Court suggesting that garnishment be served upon International as being indebted to the insured under the terms of its policy issued to Kelly Helms. The garnishment was duly issued, and the garnishee filed its answer in which it denied that it was obligated to pay the judgment under the terms of its policy issued to Kelly Helms, for the following reasons:

(1) There was no legal judgment entered in favor of G.C. Ballard, Jr., the assignor.
(2) The legal requirements to obtain a garnishment had not been satisfied.
(3) G.C. Ballard had been paid and the assignee was not an interested party.
(4) The matter was pending in the federal district court.

The assignee, Wade H. Lagrone, contested the answer upon the ground that garnishee was liable to Kelly Helms, but that Home was not liable because of the fact that the loan of the Oldsmobile to Kelly Helms did not work to give "permission" of the owner, George Ruff, for Kelly Helms to permit his minor daughter to operate the automobile since she was too young to have a driver's license. She lacked two weeks being fifteen years of age, and it was illegal for her to drive the automobile.

Upon the trial without a jury, the Circuit Judge entered a final judgment in favor *538 of Wade H. Lagrone on the issue raised by the writ of garnishment. An appeal has been brought to this Court from that judgment by International.

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Bluebook (online)
216 So. 2d 535, 1968 Miss. LEXIS 1240, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/international-service-insurance-co-v-ballard-miss-1968.