Manns v. Indiana Lumbermen's Mutual Insurance Co. of Indianapolis

482 S.W.2d 557, 1971 Tenn. App. LEXIS 250
CourtCourt of Appeals of Tennessee
DecidedJanuary 12, 1971
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 482 S.W.2d 557 (Manns v. Indiana Lumbermen's Mutual Insurance Co. of Indianapolis) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Manns v. Indiana Lumbermen's Mutual Insurance Co. of Indianapolis, 482 S.W.2d 557, 1971 Tenn. App. LEXIS 250 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1971).

Opinion

CARNEY, Presiding Judge.

Complainants-appellants are Carlos R. Manns, Mrs. Carlos R. (Trice) Manns, and Junius P. McQueen, Administrator of the estate of Mrs. Frank G. (Allie McQueen) Morton. Mrs. Morton was killed on March 17, 1968, in an automobile collision while riding in a 1958 Ford station wagon automobile owned by the appellants, Carlos R. Manns and/or wife. The accident occurred in the State of Arkansas. Occupants of the other automobile have filed damage suits against Manns and wife totaling some $200,000. These suits are pending.

The driver of the other automobile was an uninsured motorist. At the time of the collision the complainants, Manns and wife, were covered by liability and uninsured motorist coverage on their GMC truck by a policy issued by defendant Indiana Lumbermen’s Mutual Insurance Company of Indianapolis, Indiana.

The Ford station wagon in which they were riding had been acquired by Mr. or Mrs. Manns less than thirty days prior to the date of the accident. Notice of its acquisition was given the defendant insurance company and the premium paid after the accident but within the thirty-day period required by the GMC policy.

Defendant Indiana Lumbermen’s Mutual admits the policy on the GMC would have covered the Ford station wagon except for the fact that Mr. or Mrs. Manns was the owner of a 1959 Studebaker and 1948 Wil-lys which were not insured by the defendant. The policy expressly excluded coverage on an after-acquired automobile unless all private passenger automobiles owned by the policyholder were insured by the defendant company. On this ground the defendant company refused coverage under its policy.

[559]*559The complainants filed suit in Chancery-Court seeking a declaration of liability against the defendant insurance company. The Chancellor found in favor of the defendant insurance company and the complainants have appealed and assigned error.

Mr. and Mrs. Manns lived in Memphis, Tennessee, but they often went to Arkansas to a fishing camp. In June, 1967, the Manns owned and operated two automobiles: (1) A 1940 GMC pickup truck which had been purchased in 1962. This is the GMC truck covered by the policy in question. It was titled in the State of Arkansas and not in the State of Tennessee and was used by the complainants, Manns and wife, for travel to and from their fishing cabin in Arkansas. (2) They owned a 1959 Studebaker titled in the State of Tennessee in the name of Mrs. Manns and they used this automobile as their Tennessee automobile to drive about over the City of Memphis.

In 1959 Mr. and Mrs. Manns had bought a 1948 Willys automobile which they used until January 1, 1963, when it was parked in the back yard of the Manns’ home. The 1948 Willys has not been driven since January 1, 1963. It was in bad repair and Mr. and Mrs. Manns bought the 1959 Studebaker to replace it.

On June 17, 1967, Mr. Manns was injured when he fell off his garage in the City of Memphis while making certain repairs to it. He was unable to drive a car from June 17, 1967, until February 6, 1968. On the date of his injury on June 17, 1967, the Studebaker automobile was covered by a liability insurance policy issued by MFA Insurance Company which did not expire until August, 1967. Likewise, it bore a Memphis Motor Vehicle Inspection Sticker which did not expire until the end of August, 1967, and it bore a 1967 Tennessee license plate.

On June 17, 1967, when the complainant fell off the garage and injured himself, the Studebaker was sitting in the street in front of the complainant’s home where it had been driven or parked on June 15, 1967. Complainant testified the condition of the Studebaker was such that the motor knocked and would barely turn over; it used lots of oil; the floorboard was badly rotted; the tires were flat; the brakes were bad; the gear shift assembly was bad; the clutch grabbed; and the whole exhaust system was worn out; that replacement parts were not available and that it would cost too much to repair the car; that the car had no trade-in value; the Studebaker was never driven after complainant’s injuries on June 17, 1967.

Sometime after June 17, 1967, the Studebaker was pushed into the complainant Manns’ front yard and later into his back yard. The determinative question before the court below and before this court on appeal is whether or not the Studebaker and Willys were, within the meaning of the policy, private passenger automobiles at the time complainant acquired the 1958 Ford on February 29, 1968, or were junked and abandoned automobiles.

The Chancellor held that the Studebaker was not a junked or abandoned car and that its condition was such that it was not beyond repair with reasonable cost and effort and was a private passenger automobile within the meaning of the policy. Since the Studebaker was not insured by the defendant company, coverage of the 1958 Ford was expressly excluded by the terms of the policy on the GMC pickup truck. The Chancellor did not mention the Willys in his findings.

On February 9, 1968, complainant Manns had recovered to the extent that his doctor advised him he could resume driving an automobile. On February 17, 1968, complainant, before driving any automobile, called his local agent, John L. Peden, for liability coverage. Peden was the local agent who had written the liability insurance through MFA Mutual on the Studebaker beginning February 8, 1964. The MFA policy on the Studebaker expired August 8, 1967. It was renewed from time to time during the period above mentioned.

[560]*560When called by complainant on February 17, 1968, the local agent, John L. Peden, sent his assistant, James F. Gunn, to see the complainant about the insurance. Gunn brought with him the expired automobile policy covering the Studebaker automobile. Peden had previously represented MFA but on February 17, 1968, was representing the defendant, Indiana Lumbermen’s Mutual Insurance Company of Indianapolis, Indiana.

Complainant explained to the assistant agent, Gunn, that he wanted insurance on the GMC truck and did not want any coverage on the Studebaker and Willys located in the back yard because they were worn out and that complainant did not intend to run either of them. Assistant agent, Gunn, returned to the office and discussed complainant’s written application for insurance on the GMC with the local agent, John L. Peden. Gunn told Peden that complainant did not want insurance on either the Studebaker or the Willys in the back yard because they were worn out and the complainant did not intend to drive either car. Complainant Manns had a good driving record. His application was approved and the policy issued on the GMC pickup truck.

After the complainant obtained insurance dated February 17, 1968, on the GMC pickup truck, he bought a 1961 Plymouth, on February 22, 1968, as an additional car to the GMC pickup truck. He traded the Plymouth on February 29, 1968, for the Ford station wagon. Complainants were riding in the Ford at the time of the accident on March 17, 1968. Notice of the purchase of the Ford station wagon and of the collision was given defendant company a couple of days after the collision but within thirty days of the acquisition of the Ford as provided by the policy. The premium was paid thereon. The acquisition of the Plymouth is of no consequence in this lawsuit.

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Bluebook (online)
482 S.W.2d 557, 1971 Tenn. App. LEXIS 250, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/manns-v-indiana-lumbermens-mutual-insurance-co-of-indianapolis-tennctapp-1971.