Kamm & Schellinger Brewing Co. v. St. Joseph County Village Fire Insurance

134 N.W. 999, 168 Mich. 606, 1912 Mich. LEXIS 577
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 12, 1912
DocketDocket No. 196.
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 134 N.W. 999 (Kamm & Schellinger Brewing Co. v. St. Joseph County Village Fire Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kamm & Schellinger Brewing Co. v. St. Joseph County Village Fire Insurance, 134 N.W. 999, 168 Mich. 606, 1912 Mich. LEXIS 577 (Mich. 1912).

Opinion

Stone, J.

This is an action on a fire insurance policy. The plaintiff is, and since March, 1887, has been, a corporation organized and existing under the laws of Indiana, the business of which corporation is described in its articles to be the manufacture and sale of beer and malt, to be carried on in the town of Mishawaka, St. Joseph county, Ind. On the 25th day of April, 1905, the plaintiff bought by warranty deed from Mary Withers, the then owner, a lot, including the business building thereon, situate in the village of Constantine, St. Joseph county, Mich. At the time of this purchase the said premises were, and for several years theretofore had been, occupied by William E. Withers, husband and tenant of said Mary Withers, as a saloon. From and after said purchase in 1905, and until the fire hereinafter mentioned, said William E. Withers continued to occupy said premises for a saloon under a lease to him from the plaintiff. Such lease *608 bears date March 6, 1905, and contained the following clause:

“ It is understood and agreed by and between the parties hereto that second party while occupying said saloon under this lease shall use the Kamm & Schellinger keg beer exclusively, and also handle bottle beer of said Kamm & Schellinger, and give same the preference in sales of bottle beer. Second party to have the privilege of using the ice in the ice-house on said premises, and agrees and undertakes to replace all ice so used, and to refill said ice-house before May 1, 1906.”

The defendant at the time of said fire was, and for about 20 years theretofore had been, a mutual fire insurance company, organized and existing under chapter 132, 1 How. Stat. (2 Comp. Laws, § 7266 et seq.), and the amendments thereto. By its charter it was authorized to insure business and residence buildings in St. Joseph county, Mich. By said charter the general management and control of said insurance company was vested in the board of directors, consisting of the president, secretary, treasurer, and six directors. Specifically, said board of directors had authority to adopt by-laws, assess members, adjust losses, classify property, make rates, cancel policies, and audit claims against the company. Said charter also provided for a notice of loss to the secretary, or one of the directors, and for the meeting of the board of directors to adjust the loss. By said charter the board of directors directs the secretary to make an assessment roll to meet losses and expenses for the preceding year; and upon approval by said board of such roll they certify the same to the treasurer, directing him to collect the same. Upon receiving such certified roll, it is made the duty of the treasurer to immediately serve a notice upon each and every member of the company, which notice snail contain a statement showing the total amount insured by the company, the amount of loss, and name of person sustaining the loss in each case for which the assessment is made, the amount of expenses, the amount of assessment on each $1,000 in *609 the base class, the amount of his or her assessment, and a demand for the immediate payment of the same; also the name of the person to whom payment shall be made. Article 26 of said charter reads as follows:

“ The insurance of any member shall cease upon the sale or transfer of the title of property insured, but such member shall be liable for all assessments upon such property, and for his or her equitable share of all losses and expenses incurred "by the company, until his or her policy shall be surrendered or canceled. Provided, that upon the sale of any property insured by this company the vendor may assign his or her policy to the purchaser, but such assignment of policy shall not be valid as against this company without the written consent of the secretary indorsed on the policy.”

Article 27:

“ Any member may withdraw from this company at any time upon surrendering his or her policy to the secretary and the payment of his or her equitable share of all losses and expenses incurred by the company up to the time the policy shall be surrendered.”

By the by-laws of defendant company a schedule of classification of risks was provided, by which 12 classes were established; class No. 3 being the base class.

As the circuit judge directed a verdict for the defendant, the plaintiff is entitled to the most favorable view which can be taken of the evidence produced upon the trial. James A. Marsh, a witness for defendant, who testified that he had been a director of defendant company since 1899, and a collector since 1894, testified as follows, on direct examination, as to the practice when the holder of a policy sold the insured property and assigned the policy to the purchaser:

“Q. Now, in answer to Mr. Howell’s question in which he asked you whether you considered a person a member after an assignment, what have you to say about what is necessary to be done in order to be a member? Now, when did you regard them as members ?
“A. As soon as there was an assignment made, they *610 took the place of the member who had taken out that policy.
“Q. Well, before the approval of the secretary?
“A. Oh, no.
Q. When the assignment was made and approved by the secretary ?
“A. I always consider when the assignment is handed to me that that is just as good as the approval, because I then forward it to the secretary.
“Q. But there is no assignment ever handed to you ?
“A. No.
“Q. No policy ever handed to you?
“A. No.
“Q. No application ever made to you ?
“A. No, sir.
“Q. For approval of the assignment?
“A. No, sir.
“Q. What do you consider the assignment includes when you become a member ?
“A. I consider that when a policy is assigned to a second person that second person becomes a member in place of the first person.
“Q. When?
*'A. When presented to me or the company.
“Q. And approved?
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. Have you ever been given any right to approve by any action of the board, to approve of the transfer by assignment of policies ?
“A. No, sir. I don’t approve them.
“Q. You don’t approve them ?
“A.

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Bluebook (online)
134 N.W. 999, 168 Mich. 606, 1912 Mich. LEXIS 577, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kamm-schellinger-brewing-co-v-st-joseph-county-village-fire-insurance-mich-1912.