Mamou Farm Services, Inc. v. Hudson Ins. Co.

488 So. 2d 259, 1986 La. App. LEXIS 6958
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 14, 1986
Docket85-129
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 488 So. 2d 259 (Mamou Farm Services, Inc. v. Hudson Ins. Co.) 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
Mamou Farm Services, Inc. v. Hudson Ins. Co., 488 So. 2d 259, 1986 La. App. LEXIS 6958 (La. Ct. App. 1986).

Opinion

488 So.2d 259 (1986)

MAMOU FARM SERVICES, INC., Plaintiff-Appellee,
v.
HUDSON INSURANCE COMPANY, Defendant-Appellant.

No. 85-129.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.

May 14, 1986.

*260 Broadhurst, Brook, Wayne & Shullaw, Lafayette, for defendant-appellant.

J. Jake Fontenot, Mamou, for plaintiff-appellee.

Before DOMENGEAUX, J., BABINEAUX[*] and TEEKEL[*], JJ. Pro Tem.

BABINEAUX, Judge Pro Tem.

This is an action by Mamou Farm Services, Inc., the insured, against Hudson Insurance Company, the insurer, instituted on August 12, 1983. It arises from a fire loss on June 3, 1983 which destroyed the insured's business establishment located in Mamou, Louisiana. The trial court rendered judgment in favor of the plaintiff and made the following awards:

*261
Main building                    $310,000.00
Inventory                         159,950.60
Machinery                          72,000.00
Contents                           48,000.00
Incidental Expenses                 7,383.75
Lumber                              5,000.00
Damages to Rear Building            1,064.00
TOTAL                            $603,398.35

The trial court additionally assessed penalties in the amount of $72,407.76 and attorney's fees of $22,500.00. The insurer instituted this appeal and the insured answered the appeal seeking an increase in attorney's fees for work done on the appeal.

In February of 1983, Mr. Barry Hopkins, an independent insurance agent, approached Mr. Terry Fontenot, president of Mamou Farm Service, Inc. to negotiate the possibility of contracting for insurance coverage with Mr. Fontenot. Mr. Hopkins was successful in convincing Mr. Fontenot to change his existing insurance and to contract for future coverage through Mr. Hopkins. Pursuant to these negotiations a written temporary binder was issued by the London Agency on behalf of the Hudson Company on April 5, 1983. This binder expired on May 5, 1983. It was replaced by a written binder issued by the Hudson Company effective May 5, 1983 through July 5, 1983. Both of these binders provided blanket coverage on the plaintiff's buildings and machinery in the amount of $430,000.00; blanket coverage on the contents (excluding inventory) of the plaintiff's buildings in the amount of $55,000.00; and, blanket coverage on the stock or inventory in the plaintiff's buildings in the amount of $500,000.00. Both of these binders make reference to a policy period of April 5, 1983 through April 5, 1984. These binders further state that replacement cost coverage is provided for the buildings and contents.

On June 3, 1983, a fire occurred on the insured premises. The main building, designated as 101 Mulberry, was totally destroyed as were nearly all of the contents including equipment and inventory. A rear building, 101(R) Mulberry, was partially damaged. The main building consisted of a wood frame structure housing a fertilizer blending and mixing plant. The main building was a specialized structure uniquely outfitted to fit the requirements of such a plant. Equipment within the plant building consisted of fixed equipment utilized in the plant as well as movable equipment characterized by the parties as personal contents. The building further housed inventory consisting mainly of fertilizer and some seeds and grains. The main building and nearly all of its contents, except for a small portion of the inventory, were totally lost in the fire.

On June 6, 1983, the scene was investigated by representatives of Mr. Hopkins' agency. Mr. Love, whose office had been retained by Hudson to adjust the loss, investigated the insured premises on June 6, 1983. Mr. Cagnina, from the same office, viewed the property on June 8, and he became the principal adjuster thereafter. The insurance policy which had been issued by Hudson was not delivered to the plaintiff until after the fire, on June 6, 1983, by Hopkins' office. The plaintiff filed suit on August 12, 1983, yet no tender of payment was made by Hudson until September 26, 1983, when the plaintiff received checks from Hudson totaling $434,003.77 for the totality of the loss. The insured had also received $15,482.82 on August 10, 1983 for the inventory which had been salvaged.

The first issue we must decide is whether the contract of insurance is governed by the binder or by the policy. The plaintiff sued the defendant on the insurance policy, attaching a copy of the policy to the petition. At trial the plaintiff introduced the binders over objections by the defendant. In its reasons for judgment, the trial court held that the binder was the only contract of insurance in existence at the time of the loss. This holding was based upon findings that the insurer unreasonably delayed delivery of the policy to the insured heightened by the fact that the policy contained endorsements which had not been agreed upon by the insured.

The binder which was effective May 5, 1983 through July 5, 1983 provided coverage in the same amounts provided in the policy. The basic differences are with regard to the endorsements. The binder *262 states that replacement cost coverage is provided without mention of the requirement that there be an actual replacement as is provided in the replacement cost endorsement attached to the policy. Furthermore, the binder makes no mention of the stock reporting endorsement which is attached to and made a part of the insurance policy.

After careful review of the entire record in this proceeding we conclude that the policy of insurance governs the relationship existing between these parties. The court below erred in holding the binder applicable.

The plaintiff filed this lawsuit seeking relief under the policy of insurance. The binders were not brought into the record in any way until after the trial had begun. Throughout the negotiations concerning the plaintiff's claim no mention of the binder was made. Mr. Fontenot submitted an inventory report for the month of May in conformity with the stock reporting endorsement. The evidence strongly supports the conclusion that the insured intended that the contract of insurance would include a stock reporting endorsement and that the replacement cost endorsement was included in the policy with the full knowledge of the insured. The evidence in no way reveals that the insured rejected the coverage provided in the policy by complaining of the inclusion of endorsements allegedly not bargained for. We feel the policy of insurance together with the endorsements accurately reflects the contract knowingly entered into by the insured and the insurer.

We find no merit to the argument that the policy is not applicable because it was not delivered until after the fire occurred. "Unless the policy itself provides, or positive law stipulates, that a delivery is essential to the contract's consummation, delivery is not sacramental." Morrison v. New Hampshire Insurance Company, 181 So.2d 418, (La.App. 4th Cir.1966), reversed on other grounds, 249 La. 546, 187 So.2d 729 (1966). See Also Pruitt v. Great Southern Life Ins. Co., 202 La. 527, 12 So.2d 261 (1943). Nor do we feel the evidence presented shows that delivery of the policy was unreasonably delayed.

The policy as written provides blanket coverage on all of the insured property. We find the replacement cost endorsement is inapplicable because the plaintiff elected not to replace the building and equipment destroyed. Therefore, evaluation of the plaintiff's property losses must be determined in conformity with the provisions of LSA-R.S. 22:695(B). It provides in pertinent part:

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Bluebook (online)
488 So. 2d 259, 1986 La. App. LEXIS 6958, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mamou-farm-services-inc-v-hudson-ins-co-lactapp-1986.