Isaac Upham Co. v. United States Fidelity & Guaranty Co.

211 P. 809, 59 Cal. App. 606, 1922 Cal. App. LEXIS 185
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedNovember 14, 1922
DocketCiv. No. 4284.
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 211 P. 809 (Isaac Upham Co. v. United States Fidelity & Guaranty Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Isaac Upham Co. v. United States Fidelity & Guaranty Co., 211 P. 809, 59 Cal. App. 606, 1922 Cal. App. LEXIS 185 (Cal. Ct. App. 1922).

Opinion

STURTEVANT, J.

The plaintiff commenced an action against the defendant on an indemnity insurance policy. The plaintiff had judgment and the defendant has appealed under section 953a of the Code of Civil Procedure.

In pleading its case the plaintiff set forth its claims in two separate counts. In the first count it pleaded certain facts and sought to recover the sum of $2,000. In the second count it pleaded certain other facts and sought to recover an additional $11,003.44. During the period that the defendant carried insurance for the plaintiff such insurance was evidenced by a policy dated January 12, 1917; a policy dated December 19, 1917, and a certificate of continuation dated the seventh day of January, 1919. [1] The plaintiff contended in the trial court, and contends in this court, that all of said papers constituted but one policy. If this were so it would be entitled to recover on the first count. If, on the other hand, the policy dated January 12, 1917, is a separate and independent contract, then the plaintiff was not entitled to recover- on the first count pleaded in this complaint. The loss pleaded in the first count was an item of $2,000, which the plaintiff’s "agent embezzled on December 31, 1917, one of the dates covered by the first policy. That policy by its terms insured the plaintiff from the eighth day of January, 1917, to the eighth day of January, 1918, and covered losses “occurring during the term of this bond, or any continuations thereof, and discovered and notified to the surety within six months after the expiration or cancellation of this bond, ...” No loss whatever was notified to the defendant until the fifteenth day of April, 1919. The policy contained a passage, “This bond may be continued from year to year by the payment of the annual premium to the surety, and the issuance by the surety of its continuation certificate.” Other papers in the record show that the practice of the defendant was to issue a new bond or a continuation certificate as might be requested by the insured. No request to the contrary being made, the defendant issued a new bond December *609 19, 1917, which contains no reference whatever to the first bond and contains no language whatever to the effect that it is a continuation of the first bond. It is patent that the two bonds are independent contracts, and the defalcation of December 31, 1917, may not be recovered because the same was not discovered and noticed to the defendant within the time designated in the bond. The trial court submitted to the jury for its determination the question as to whether the parties intended that the second bond should continue the first bond. The intention of the parties was reduced to writing. It was the duty of the trial court to construe the written instruments and advise the jury as to such construction. There was no evidence of any kind introduced that showed, or tended to show, that the second policy continued the first, or that any recovery could be had under the facts on the first policy.

[2] The appellant contends that there is no evidence to show that the plaintiff sustained a loss of $13,003.44. We think the contention is without merit. The evidence shows that Isaac Upham Company is a corporation, and that the Estate of Isaac Upham is another corporation which owns certain real estate which is income property. Isaac Upham Company transacts the business for itself and for the other corporation, Estate of Isaac Upham. The business transactions of both corporations are kept on the books of the plaintiff. The stock of both corporations is owned in equal parts by two brothers, Isaac O. Upham and Benjamin P. Upham. During the period covered by this litigation H. B. Smith was cashier, creditman and general accountant for the plaintiff. The defendant’s bond undertook to reimburse Isaac Upham Company, the employer, for any pecuniary loss sustained by reason of the fraud or dishonesty of its employee, H. B. Smith. The evidence showed that Smith embezzled June 26, 1918, $2,786.62; October 30, 1918, $3,800; January 31, 1919, $3,000; March 24, 1919, $1,415.70. As between the parties to this litigation all of that money was the money of the plaintiff. The bond, by its terms, covered such items whether the moneys were received for either corporation. (Alabama Fidelity & Casualty Co. v. Alabama P. Sav. Bank, 200 Ala. 337 [76 South. 103, 109].)

[3] The appellant contends that prejudicial error was committed by the attorney for the respondent in making his *610 opening statement. The language complained of was, “We will show you further that when he came to our employ he was then indebted to his former employer, which we did not learn until after the termination of his employment with us, Messrs. Kohler & Chase, on a shortage of approximately over $500. Mr. Presley: Now, we will object to the remarks of counsel and assign them as misconduct and prejudicial error.” We see no error in this matter. The trial court forthwith admonished the jury that the attorney for the plaintiff was but making an opening statement and that the jurors were not to take the same as evidence, and that when the evidence was introduced that the trial court would definitely rule thereon. Furthermore, if the' word “shortage” had been omitted we do not understand that the defendant would contend that such evidence was not admissible. (20 C. J. 484; People v. Rowland, 12 Cal. App. 6, 19 [106 Pac. 428].) Because, perchance, the indebtedness arose by reason 'of a tor-t committed by Smith, such additional fact did not destroy the probative force and effect of the evidence. If for any reason the testimony was admissible, it should have been received at least for the purpose for which it was admissible. (Cooney v. Glynn, 157 Cal. 583, 588 [108 Pac. 506]; People v. Rowland, 12 Cal. App. 6, 18 [106 Pac. 428].) While counsel in opening statements should not, of course, include testimony which they know will not be received, and state the testimony for the purpose of prejudicing the jury, it is perfectly clear from the record before us that the attorney for the plaintiff was not guilty of any such act.

[4] In its answer the defendant pleaded that the plaintiff had breached certain warranties alleged to have been contained in the policy. After the evidence had all been introduced it appeared that the alleged warranties were contained in the application for insurance. Among other things, questions 12 (a) and 12 (b) called for replies as to what supervision would be had over the person employed, H. B. Smith. The paper ended with this language, “It is agreed that the above answers are to be taken as conditions precedent and as the basis for the said bond applied for or any renewal or continuation of the same, or any other bond substituted in place thereof, ...” Neither one of the policies, nor the certificate of continuation, contained any ref *611 erence whatsoever to the statements contained in the application. Such statements, therefore, are not warranties. “Every express warranty, made at or before the execution of a policy, must be contained in the policy itself, or in another instrument signed by the insured and referred to in the policy, as making a part of it.” (Civ. Code, sec.

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Bluebook (online)
211 P. 809, 59 Cal. App. 606, 1922 Cal. App. LEXIS 185, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/isaac-upham-co-v-united-states-fidelity-guaranty-co-calctapp-1922.