Millers Mutual Fire Insurance Company v. Jackson

359 S.W.2d 510, 1962 Tex. App. LEXIS 2656
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJune 25, 1962
Docket7169
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 359 S.W.2d 510 (Millers Mutual Fire Insurance Company v. Jackson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Millers Mutual Fire Insurance Company v. Jackson, 359 S.W.2d 510, 1962 Tex. App. LEXIS 2656 (Tex. Ct. App. 1962).

Opinion

CHAPMAN, Justice.

This is an appeal by Millers Mutual Fire Insurance Company from a judgment based upon a jury verdict rendered upon a suit on a fire insurance policy to recover damages caused by fire to gin machinery and equipment owned by appellee.

The policy of insurance upon which the suit was based contained the following provisions under the heading, “Warranties by the Insured:”

“(a) Should fire occur on gin property— that a watchman shall be maintained con *511 tinuously for 24-hours thereafter. This requirement is waived during hours when gin is in operation with full work force on duty.”

"(b) Bale cotton on gin plant premises— that as to any building insured while ginning crew is not on premises, no baled cotton will be stored or kept temporarily in or within 40 feet thereof on the platform attached thereto. * * * ”

“(c) This company shall not be liable for loss by fire or lightening occuring during failure to comply, in so far as same is under insured’s control, with any or all of the warranties or conditions.”

Article 6.14 of the Insurance Code, V.T. C.S., provides: “No breach or violation by the insured of any warranty, condition or provision of any fire insurance policy, contract of insurance, or applications therefor, upon personal property, shall render void the policy or contract, or constitute a defense to a suit for loss thereon, unless such breach or violation contributed to bring about the destruction of the property.”

All emphasis shown herein are ours unless otherwise designated.

It has been held that the purpose of Article 6.14 is to prevent insurance companies from avoiding liability under technical provisions of their policies where the act of the insured breaching such technical provisions does not contribute to the loss. Holston et al. v. Implement Dealers Mut. Fire Ins. Co., 5 Cir., 206 F.2d 682.

The jury found a fire occurred on the gin property within 24-hours of the time of the fire in question; that appellee failed to maintain a watchman continuously for 24 hours after such fire occurred on the gin property; that appellee left a bale of cotton within 40 feet of the platform of the gin; and that he kept baled cotton on the platform of the gin while the ginning crew was not on the premises.

However, on questions submitted the jury found none of these situations contributed to bring about the damages. Therefore, the first question with which we are presented is whether the damaged property was personalty or real property. If personalty the jury’s answer had the effect of voiding the warranties because of Article 6.14, supra, of the Insurance Code providing no breach of the warranties shall constitute a defense to damages to personal property unless such breach[s] contributed to bring about the destruction of the property, which, as stated, the jury found they did not.

The contract of insurance by the parties hereto provides: “It is understood and agreed that each item, or subject of insurance under this policy (other than the building or buildings) is, for the purpose of this contract of insurance, to be treated and considered as personal property.”

In submitting the issues the court inquired of the jury if the different warranties were violated and then asked if such violations contributed to bring about the damages to the personal property in question. Thus, the court in the submission of the issues assumed the machinery and equipment, the loss of and injuries for which damages were sought, were personal property. Probably such assumption was based upon the agreement of the parties to the insurance contract, as shown in the preceding paragraph.

However, appellant did not at any place in the record before us object to that form of submission but simply objected to the giving of the issues “for the reason that the uncontradicted evidence shows that * * all of said fixtures, machinery and equipment, as a matter of law, became real property.

It has been held that the burden is upon the party contending that a motor had become a part of the realty to plead and prove such fact. Burns v. Union State Bank of Carrizo Springs, Tex.Civ.App., 265 S.W.2d 164. (N.R.E.). It has also been held that ordinarily the question of whether person *512 alty Ras become part of the realty depends on the intention with which it was annexed, and such question involves one of fact for the jury. Dallas Joint Stock Land Bank of Dallas v. Lancaster, Tex.Civ.App., 100 S.W.2d 1029, (Writ dismissed); City of Houston v. Priester et al., Tex.Civ.App., 302 S.W.2d 948. Thus we do not believe it can be said from this record that the damaged or destroyed machinery and equipment was as a matter of law a part of the realty.

The contract of insurance lists and values the items separately, listing the buildings separate from the machinery and equipment. One item listed in the policy and insured for $33,540.00 was: “On fixed and movable furniture, fixtures, machinery and equipment of all kinds incident or necessary to the handling and ginning or reginning and baling of cotton. * * * ” Outside of the electrical equipment this item included practically all the damaged equipment for which recovery was sought. Under such item were the two press boxes which appellee testified were not attached to the building. Also damaged was the condenser and several lint cleaners. Appellee testified the condenser was mounted on the lint cleaner which was installed by sliding it into place on the floor of the building. There is evidence to show the lint cleaner was stationary so it would not slide around on the floor but no probative evidence it was attached to the building by bolts, screws, or nails. There is evidence that the machinery wears out often and is replaced from time to time; that it is not made a permanent part of the building and can be removed; and that practically every year something has to be replaced.

Our Supreme Court in the very early case of Hutchins v. Masterson, 46 Tex. 551, 554 established certain criteria to determine whether a chattel has become an immovable fixture in the following language:

“It is said, the weight of the modern authorities establish the doctrine that the true criterion for determining whether a chattel has become an immovable fixture, consists in the united application of the following tests
“1st. Has there been a real or constructive annexation of the article in question to the realty?
“2d. Was there a fitness or adaptation of such article to the uses or purposes of the realty with which it is connected ?
“3d.

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Fenlon v. Jaffee
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359 S.W.2d 510, 1962 Tex. App. LEXIS 2656, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/millers-mutual-fire-insurance-company-v-jackson-texapp-1962.