Lee v. Travelers Fire Ins.

44 So. 2d 497, 1950 La. App. LEXIS 495
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedFebruary 17, 1950
DocketNo. 3198
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 44 So. 2d 497 (Lee v. Travelers Fire Ins.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lee v. Travelers Fire Ins., 44 So. 2d 497, 1950 La. App. LEXIS 495 (La. Ct. App. 1950).

Opinion

ELLIS, Judge.

This is a suit by the plaintiff, Ivy G. Lee, against the defendant, Travelers Fire Insurance Company, for the recovery of $975.00 which is alleged to be due the plaintiff under the terms of a contract of fire insurance issued by the defendant to the plaintiff, covering a certain Ford truck owned by the plaintiff, and for the additional sum of $243.75 and the sum of $500.00 as attorney fees, both of the latter being allegedly due by reason of the failure and refusal of the defendant insurance company to pay plaintiff’s claim within sixty days from the date .upon which it received the proof of notification of loss in accordance with Section 3, Act. No. 59, of the Extra Session of the Legislature for the year 1921.'

The defendant in its answer admitted having issued a fire insurance policy to the plaintiff, but denied that the plaintiff had sustained the- loss, of $975.00, and further denied liability under the contract of insur-[499]*499anee, contending that the policy did not apply where there existed upon the insured property encumbrances which were not declared on or described in the policy and that at the time the defendant issued the policy to the plaintiff covering the Fo.rd truck, such was the case. Counsel entered into a stimulation as to the facts and the case 'was submitted on such facts and the pleadings."

The case resulted in a judgment in favor of the plaintiff for the amount of the loss by fire to the Ford truck in the amount of $800.00 and for an additional sum of $200.-00, being 25% of the amount of the loss as damages, and for the further sum of $150.00 as attorney fees, making a total judgment of $1150.00 with legal interest from date of judicial demand until paid and all costs of this suit, from which judgment the defendant has appealed.

Counsel for both parties agreed that under the law and jurisprudence of this state a fire insurance policy should not be declared void by an insurer for the breach of any representation, warranty or condition contained in the policy unless such breach shall exist at the time of the loss and shall be such a breach as would increase either the moral or physical hazard under the policy. Act No. 222 of 1928; Knowles v. Dixie Fire Insurance Company of Greensboro, N.C., 177 La. 941, 149 So. 528; Godfrey v. Security Insurance Company, La.App., 147 So. 101; Brough et al. v. Presidential Fire & Marine Ins. Co., La.App., 176 So. 895.

Thus, the question to be decided in this case is whether or not at the time of the loss the plaintiff’s breach of the provisions of the policy were such as would ordinarily increase the moral hazard under the policy. The answer to this question is to be determined by the particular! facts and circumstances of each case and the burden of proof in establishing that there has been such a breach of representation, warranty or condition and that the moral hazard has been increased rests upon the fire insurer.

Under the stipulation of facts it is shown that the- insurance policy was issued -on April 15, 1947 and that the truck burned ón June 28th, 1947,'and that, on these respective dates the truck was encumbered with the following mortgages:

1. Chattel mortgage dated November 7, 1946, executed by plaintiff in favor-of Riemer Calhoun, securing a note for $790.00, due in eight 'monthly installments of $98.75 each, beginning December 7, 1946, covering said truck and a Nabor’s trailer. ' April 15; 1947 — Balance Due, $395.00j in arrears one monthly installment; June 28th, 1947— Balance due, $395.00; in arrears three monthly installments. Paid in full subsequent to September 19th, 1947.

2. Chattel Mortgage dated January 11, 1947, executed by Homer Lee, the son of plaintiff, in favor of P. C. Fair Insurance Agency, securing a note for $737.81, due in-ten monthly installments of $73.79 each, beginning on February 11, 1947, covering said' truck and a Nabor’s Trailer. April 15th, 1947 — Balance due $664.02; in arrears 2 monthly installments; June 28th, 1947— Balance due $64.02, which was subsequently paid.

3.. Chattel mortgage dated February 28,. 1947, executed by plaintiff in favor of V. H. Brumley, securing a note for $200.00,, due June 1, 1947, covering said truck. Past due on June 28th, 1947, remains unpaid.

4. Chattel mortgage dated April 15,. 1947, executed by plaintiff in favor of Fred' Rivers, securing a note for $1152.00, due in twelve monthly installments of $96.00> each, beginning May 17, 1947, covering-said truck, agreed value $1100.00; one Dual Wheel Trailer, agreed value $350.00;' One-Craden Wench, agreed value $150.00; and', one pair of horses, agreed value $350.00, or a total value of $1950.00. The note secured' by this chattel mortgage was immediately-sold to Caddo Finance Corporation and it is this encumbrance which was declared in the fire insurance policy. The trial judge-in his reasons for judgment stated that counsel for defendant in his brief gave as. the balance due on the’ date that the truck: burned $990.00 which would show a payment of $162.00 on this mortgage indebtedness which, even under this statement would place the plaintiff in arrears $30.00-' on June 15, 1947. We do not doubt’ the-statement of the trial judge in the least but [500]*500on this appeal we do not-have the brief filed in the lower court and under the stipulation of facts there-was nothing paid on this mortgage on the date of the fire and there is no contention by counsel for plaintiff in brief filed that any payment was made, however, defendant in his brief admits that in its, trial brief it was stated that, there was $990.00 due on this mortgage on the date of the fire.

The question involved in this case was the subject matter of Act No. 222 of t-he Legislature of 1928 as well as many cases decided by the Courts of this and other states. Section. 1 of Act No. 222 of 1928, Louisiana General Statutes, § 4191, provides in part: “No policy of fire insurance issued by any insurance company, corporation, association, firm or individual, on property in this State,. shall hereafter be declared void by the insurer for the breach of any representation, warranty or condition contained in the said policy, or in the application therefor, nor shall any such breach avail the insurer to avoid liability, unless such breach shall exist at the time of the loss and shall be either such a breach as would increase either the moral or physical hazard under the policy, * *

“Moral Hazard” is defined in Vol. 27 “Words and Phrases”, Perm.Ed., Page 548, as follows: “ ‘Moral Hazard,’ in insurance, is but another name for a pecuniary interest in the insured to permit the property to burn. Statistics, experience, and observation all teach that the moral hazard is least when the pecuniary interest of the insured in the protection of the property against fire is greatest, and that the moral hazard is greatest when the insured may gain most by the burning of the property. Syndicate Ins. Co. v. Bohn, 8 Cir., 65 F. 165, 170, 12 C.C.A. 531, 27 L.R.A. 614.”

In the Godfrey v. Security Insurance Company case, La.App., 147 So. 101, 103, the Court in quoting the trial judge stated: “If the property insured was mortgaged for more than its value or for a sum approximating its value, there is little doubt that as a legal proposition the moral hazard would be- -increased, because the interest of the insured would be greatly lessened or eliminated, and he would not have the same interest in protecting it from loss; *

The Supreme Court in the case of Knowles v. Dixie Fire Insurance Company of Greensboro, N.C., 177 La.

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Related

Lee v. Travelers Fire Ins. Co.
53 So. 2d 692 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1951)

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44 So. 2d 497, 1950 La. App. LEXIS 495, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lee-v-travelers-fire-ins-lactapp-1950.