Jones v. Orient Insurance

171 S.W. 28, 184 Mo. App. 402, 1914 Mo. App. LEXIS 570
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedNovember 23, 1914
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 171 S.W. 28 (Jones v. Orient Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jones v. Orient Insurance, 171 S.W. 28, 184 Mo. App. 402, 1914 Mo. App. LEXIS 570 (Mo. Ct. App. 1914).

Opinion

TRIMBLE, J.

Respondent sued on a policy of insurance covering an automobile which had been damaged by fire. The petition placed the damages at [404]*404$457.30. The answer admitted the fire but set up that under an appraisement and arbitration made by appraisers appointed pursuant to the terms of the policy, the damages had been appraised at $205 by whi$i respondent was bound, and an offer was made to allow judgment to be entered for that amount. The amended reply charg'ed bad faith and misconduct on the part of the appraiser selected by the insurance company whereby the award was rendered grossly inadequate, unfair and incomplete, and that a fair and just appraisement was not had and plaintiff for that reason ought not to be bound thereby.

The question of bad faith and misconduct were submitted to the jury and they were told that if they found from the evidence that the said appraiser'had acted in bad faith and by his misconduct had prevented a fair and just appraisement of the loss, then plaintiff was not bound thereby and in that event the jury should ’ return a verdict for the amount they found from the evidence the automobile was damaged by the fire, otherwise the jury should return a verdict for $205 the amount of the appraisement. The jury returned a verdict for $425 and the insurance company has appealed.

An award may be disregarded if the arbitrators are guilty of bad faith, partiality, or misconduct, substantially affecting the result. [19 Cyc. 879; Insurance Co. of N. America v. Hegewald, 161 Ind. 631, 1. c. 643; Fowble v. Phoenix Ins. Co., 106 Mo. App. 527; Ostrander on Insurance (2 Ed.), sec. 271.] Appellant does not controvert this proposition but contends that there was no evidence of any bad faith, partiality or misconduct resulting in an unfair and unjust award.

Fraud or bad faith can rarely be proved by direct evidence expressly asserting that fact. Many times it appears only as an inference to be drawn from the acts and conduct of the persons charged therewith and the necessary result of the misconduct charged and [405]*405shown. The question of partiality, bad faith or fraud having been submitted to the jury, its verdict must be sustained if there is substantial evidence to support it.

The terms of the policy provided that in case the insured and the company could not agree upon the loss, the same should be ascertained by two competent and disinterested appraisers, the insured and the company each selecting one, and the two so chosen should first select a competent and disinterested umpire; that the appraisers should then together estimate and appraise the loss and, failing to agree, they should submit their differences to the umpire. The agreement for submission to appraisers provided that E. S'. Wey- and (selected by respondent Jones), and W. J. Hempy (selected by appellant), should appraise the loss, and further provided that “the said appraisers shall first select a competent and disinterested umpire who shall act with them in matters of difference only.”

The two appraisers met in Nevada, Missouri, and selected one Chas. Cress as the umpire on Monday, January 19,1914. Hempy, the appraiser charged with bad faith and misconduct, was the one appointed by the company. He testified that he lived in Kansas City and was called on by the company to 'go to Nevada to act as appraiser; that it was not the first appraisement he had handled; that he had acted as appraiser in perhaps twenty-five cases, sometimes for the company and sometimes for the insured. He also testified that on the Sunday before the day on which the umpire was appointed and the appraisement made, he went to Nevada and saw Cress, who afterwards became umpire, and told him he was down there in connection with the loss, but did not say anything to him about acting as arbitrator.

On Monday following, Hempy proposed to Wey- and, the other appraiser, that Cress be appointed as umpire. This was done. Hempy went and got Cress and, after the oaths as appraisers and umpire had [406]*406been taken, tbe three went to the place where the damaged automobile was. As they drove up to the garage Hempy said to Cress, “What is your charge to Ft. Scott?” and Cress replied “$10.” Hempy said he was in a hurry to get over to Ft. Scott to catch a 2:15 train. It was then about nine o ’clock in the morning. Cress was running an automobile livery in Nevada and Hempy’s inquiry had reference to his charge for conveyance by automobile to Port Scott. They then looked at the automobile as it stood. The hood of the radiator was taken off but otherwise the car was not taken apart so that the intricate parts thereof could be inspected.

The first item considered was the radiator. The two appraisers agreed upon the loss as to that. They then successively appraised and agreed upon the loss as to the wiring assembly, the spark plugs, the leather clutch, the hose and connection, the horn and the fan belt. There is evidence tending to show that when they came to the fenders, which appraiser Weyand testified were burned and warped and the paint thereon blistered, Hempy said “I will not allow anything on the fenders.” To this Weyand replied, “I don’t see why. The paint is ruined on them.” Hempy replied, “Well I will not allow him any on them. If you don’t like it, we will call Mr. Cress in and you can step to one side. We will not agree on those fenders and you have got nothing more to say. You can stand to one side. I have got no more business with you; me and Mr. Cress will settle this.” Weyand further testified that he tried to show other damaged parts of the automobile which he and Hempy had not as yet examined, but Hempy told him to keep quiet, he had nothing to say. Weyand says that as much as a half dozen different times he tried to call Hempy’s attention to different other damaged features about the automobile but each time received the same response. There was evidence further tending to show that Hempy and the umpire [407]*407Cress proceeded to make out a list of damaged articles and when they completed their appraisement Weyand wanted to know how much it came to and Hempy told him it was none of his business. There was also evidence that the umpire Cress paid no attention to the articles Weyand claimed were damaged, saying he didn’t know whether he had a right to say what they were damaged as he didn’t hardly know what he was there for. There was also evidence to the effect that after Hempy and the umpire Cress had finished listing and making their appraisement, Cress remarked that not enough damage had been allowed. To/which Hempy replied that it was plenty, that he knew his business, for it wasn’t the first car he had adjusted a loss on. The time taken in examining and'making the appraisement by Hempy and Cress did not exceed thirty minutes after which they left and went to Cress’ garage, Weyond following them in. When he got inside Cress was saying to Hempy, “That is not enough damage.” Weyand then called Cress outside and told him if he thought it was not enough not to sign the award. Hempy came out and said, “Come on Mr. Cress, come on; let’s sign this — sign this up in a hurry.” Cress and Hempy went back in and Weyand followed saying to Cress “Charlie, if you say that is not enough don’t sign it.” Hempy then said, “Sign it, sign it, sign it.” Cress then remarked, “Well, it is not enough. I guess I will have to sign it” and placed his name to the award.

We think there was sufficient evidence from which the jury could find bad faith and misconduct on the part of Hempy which vitiated the award.

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Phoenix Assurance Company of New York v. Singer
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Bluebook (online)
171 S.W. 28, 184 Mo. App. 402, 1914 Mo. App. LEXIS 570, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jones-v-orient-insurance-moctapp-1914.