Julian v. Commercial Assurance Co.

279 S.W. 740, 220 Mo. App. 115, 1926 Mo. App. LEXIS 62
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedJanuary 8, 1926
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 279 S.W. 740 (Julian v. Commercial Assurance Co.) 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
Julian v. Commercial Assurance Co., 279 S.W. 740, 220 Mo. App. 115, 1926 Mo. App. LEXIS 62 (Mo. Ct. App. 1926).

Opinion

*119 BRADLEY, J.-

— This cause, in the nature of an equitable garnishment was filed in Webster county, but the venue was changed to *120 Greene where trial was had resulting in a judgment in favor of plaintiff and' the defendant Commercial Assurance Company appealed.

The petition was filed originally against the insurance company Only, but P. B. Davis and Dan Bobinson were later made parties defendant. The insurance company and Davis contested, but Bobinson did not. The insurance company alone appealed.

September 26, 1921, plaintiff filed the original petition in this cause against the defendant insurance company wherein he alleged: (1)That he was, on all the dates mentioned, engaged in the business Of selling cans, soldering flux, tomato cases, tomato seed, fertilizer, and all supplies used in growing and canning tomatoes and that on the — day of-, 1920, he entered into a contract with P. B. Davis and Dan Bobinson who were growing and canning tomatoes under the name of Davis & Bobinson by which contract he agreed to furnish Davis & Bobinson such supplies as they might need in growing and canning tomatoes during the 1920 season.

(2) That by the terms of said contract plaintiff was to have a lien upon the tomatoes canned by Davis & Bobinson during the 1920 season until the purchase price of all supplies furnished was paid, and that the canned tomatoes of Davis & Bobinson should be stored in plaintiff’s warehouse until sold, and that said tomatoes should be kept insured for the benefit of plaintiff until the supplies furnished were paid for.

(3) Plaintiff further alleged that Davis & Bobinson during the 1920 season canned a large amount of tomatoes using cans and other supplies of the value of $1850 furnished by him under the contract, and that said canned tomatoes were stored in plaintiff’s warehouse as was agreed, and that Davis & Bobinson caused said stored tomatoes to be insured in defendant insurance company in the sum of $2000, but that no mention was made in the policy of plaintiff’s interest in and lien upon said stored tomatoes although the agents of defendant know at the time that plaintiff held a lien upon said tomatoes.

(4) That plaintiff brought suit against Davis & Bobinson in the circuit court of Webster county upon the account due for the supplies furnished, and on September 24, 1921, obtained judgment against said Davis & Bobinson for $1850, but that execution thereon was suspended pending a motion for a new trial.

(5) That the aforesaid canned tomatoes were destroyed by fire on May 13, 1921, but that the insurance above mentioned has not been paid, and that due proof of loss has been made by Davis & Bobinson, and that Davis & Bobinson were insolvent.

The prayer of the original petition is as follows:

“Wherefore plaintiff prays that he be subrogated to all the rights of said Davis & Bobinson in and to the aforesaid policy of fire in *121 surance issued to them by the said defendant, and that said defendant be enjoined and restrained from paying same to the said Davis & Robinson, or either of the members of said firm, or to any other person, or persons, firm or corporation to whom they may have assigned their interest therein, and that they (the insurance company) by proper order and decree of this court be required to pay same to plaintiff, or so much thereof as may be necessary to satisfy and discharge the aforesaid judgment, and for all proper relief. ’ ’

Upon the petition, supra, summons issued on September 27, 1921, and was served upon the insurance company September 28th. Nothing further was done until the next term. January 23, 1922, P. R. Davis and Dan Robinson were made parties defendant on motion of plaintiff, and on same day plaintiff was given leave to file an amended petition on or before the last day of the March term,' 1922. Thereafter on February 14,1922, plaintiff filed an amended petition wherein the insurance company, P. R. Davis and Dan Robinson were named as defendants. The first three paragraphs of the amended petition are almost identical with the first three paragraphs of the original petition. The 4th paragraph of the amended petition contains the same allegations as does the 4th paragraph of the original except in the original it is alleged that a motion for a new trial was pending in another suit and in the amended petition it is alleged that the other cause had been appealed.

In the 5th paragraph of the amended petition it is alleged that the aforesaid canned tomatoes were destroyed by fire on May 13, 1921, and due proof of loss made, but that the defendant insurance company had not paid the insurance thereon, and refused to pay plaintiff said insurance or recognize that he had any rights in said insurance, and that defendants Davis & Robinson denied that plaintiff was entitled to said insurance or any part thereof. Plaintiff also alleges in the 5th paragraph of the amended petition that Davis & Robinson were insolvent. The prayer of the amended petition is the same in effect as the prayer of the original petition.

February 27, 1922, a summons in garnishment was issued out of the circuit court of Webster county against the defendant insurance company, and was served, but the date of service does not appear. May 8, 1922, the venue of the cause was changed from Webster to Greene county. August 9, 1923, plaintiff filed what is designated as the “first amended petition,” which was in two counts. This petition was in fact the second amended petition. The insurance company and Davis & Robinson were named as defendants as in the first amended petition.

The allegations in the first count of the second amended petition are substantially the same as in the first amended petition. The *122 last paragraph and prayer of the first count of the second amended petition are as follows:

“That plaintiff has no remedy at law and that in equity and good conscience defendants should not be permitted to settle and appropriate to their use the insurance fund when this plaintiff is equitably entitled to said fund or so much thereof as may be necessary to pay the judgment obtained against defendants, Davis & Robinson, as above set forth.

Wherefore, plaintiff prays the court that said insurance fund be declared a trust fund and that defendant, Commercial Assurance Company, Ltd. of London, be enjoined and restrained from paying same to defendants, Davis & Robinson, or either of them or to anyone to whom they may claim to have assigned any interest in the same; that plaintiff be decreed to have an equitable lien on said fund to the amount of his aforesaid judgment against defendants, Davis & Robinson, and be subrogated to all the rights of said defendants, Davis & Robinson, in and to the aforesaid policy of fire insurance and that so much of the proceeds thereof as may be necessary to satisfy and discharge said above-mentioned judgment be decreed to be paid to this plaintiff.”

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
279 S.W. 740, 220 Mo. App. 115, 1926 Mo. App. LEXIS 62, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/julian-v-commercial-assurance-co-moctapp-1926.