Minnehoma Insurance Co. v. Oklahoma State Board for Property & Casualty Rates

1977 OK 63, 562 P.2d 1152, 1977 Okla. LEXIS 533
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedApril 12, 1977
DocketNo. 49378
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 1977 OK 63 (Minnehoma Insurance Co. v. Oklahoma State Board for Property & Casualty Rates) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Minnehoma Insurance Co. v. Oklahoma State Board for Property & Casualty Rates, 1977 OK 63, 562 P.2d 1152, 1977 Okla. LEXIS 533 (Okla. 1977).

Opinion

LAVENDER, Vice Chief Justice:

Minnehoma Insurance Company (Company), an Oklahoma insurance corporation, by an independent filing, sought approval of a certain insurance policy form. The filed policy would modify a kind of casualty insurance coverage known as “vendor’s single interest (VSI)” so as to provide a dual interest protection to both lenders and debtor-owners.

After hearing, the State Board for Property and Casualty Rates for Oklahoma (Board) issued its order, containing findings of facts and conclusions of law, that disapproved the filing. The order concluded the policy was ambiguous and would be misleading to the debtor-owner. Company seeks review of that order.

VSI (single interest) insurance coverage is approved and available in Oklahoma. A dual interest policy, as filed here, has not been approved and is not available in this state.

VSI coverage stems from a lender’s right, as usually provided in a security agreement, to insure against casualty the collateral used to secure installment loans. Company’s brief suggests normal collateral is an automobile, a motor home, a recreational vehicle, a motorcycle, or a power boat and motor. The VSI policy form here in evidence appears to be limited to automobiles as collateral. The VIS policy is titled “Single Interest Policy.” The lender is the sole named insured. The debtor-owner pays the premium, but does not receive a copy of the policy. Coverage is conditioned on (1) default of the loan, and (2) repossession of the collateral by the lender. Payment is the lesser of (1) cost of repair, (2) remaining amount of the unpaid loan, or (3) actual cash value.

Here, the filed policy gives the same coverage as a VSI policy but extends that coverage to a dual interest so as to include the debtor-owner along with the lender. Both, the lender and the debtor-owner, are the named insureds. The debtor-owner pays the premium which is higher than the VSI premium. Debtor-owner receives a copy of the policy. The collateral is not limited to automobiles. The filing included rates for both automobiles and motor boats. The policy is titled “Collateral Protection Policy.” Payment amount is the same as a VSI policy. That amount is the lesser of (1) cost of repair, (2) remaining amount of the [1154]*1154unpaid loan, or (3) actual cash value. Default of the loan and repossession of the collateral by the lender are not made conditions for coverage. Settlement may be made with the debtor-owner, as well as the lender, with joint payment unless lender demands otherwise. Removal of the two coverage conditions and allowing settlement with the debtor-owner are the principal differences between a VSI policy and the filed policy. Company says those differences are important advantages to the debtor-owner at a reasonable additional cost.

A review of the record shows Board’s concern for the level of understanding of the dual interest policy by the debtor-owner as opposed to the sophisticated lender in the single interest policy. Board wants the policy titled with words incorporating “automobile insurance.” Board believes the title “Collateral Protection Policy” is not understandable. It wants the policy to follow a recognizable format for automobile insurance. Finding number 15 says the combined factors there set out may purport an understanding of coverage to the debtor-owner that he does not have.

Board argues the findings numbered 8, 12, 13, 14, and 15 in the order support its conclusions. These findings are:

“8. The Board finds that the benefits under this policy are reduced as the debt is reduced and that option (2) of the settlement options listed in the preceding paragraph, the unpaid loan balance due the lender, will frequently be the limit of the company’s liability.
“12. The Board finds that to date it has required insurers through its decisions to file policies providing- automobile insurance to their policyholders (in the case the debtor-owner) that follow a recognizable format, with a title incorporating the words ‘automobile insurance’ with agreements, exclusions and conditions considering that there is a movement at present to make automobile insurance policies more readable with such policies referred to as plain talk insurance policies.
“13. The Board finds that the proposed policy form is not entitled automobile policy, but is entitled, a collateral protection policy and does not follow a recognizable format for automobile insurance.
“14. The Board finds that proposed policy form follows the format generally employed for lender’s interest coverage only with extension of limited coverage to the debtor-owner incorporated therein.
“15. The combination of these factors—
—option settlements same as vendor’s single interest (insurance solely for lender),
—policy being issued in insured’s náme,
—option settlements result in limited coverage for insured’s interest,
—policy selected by party other than insured,
—much responsibility for giving the debtor-owner notice as to the type of coverage depends upon people who are not agents of the insured,
persuade the Board that this unfamiliar form of insurance may purport to give the debtor-owner coverage that he does not have.”

Briefs of both parties, the Company and the Board, agree policy form approval by the Board is necessary, and grounds for disapproval are statutory. 36 O.S.1971, §§ 3610, 3611. Parties agree the Board’s order must reflect a correct legal theory, and must be reasonably supported by the evidence. Oklahoma Insp. Bur. v. State Bd. for Prop. & Cas. Rates, Okl., 406 P.2d 453 (1965). Board rests its legal theory on § 3611 A, subd. 2 and 3. There is no contention the form of policy violates and does not comply with Insurance Code. See subd. 1.

Section 3611 provides in part:

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Related

Kerr-McGee Corp. v. Admiral Insurance Co.
1995 OK 102 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1995)

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Bluebook (online)
1977 OK 63, 562 P.2d 1152, 1977 Okla. LEXIS 533, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/minnehoma-insurance-co-v-oklahoma-state-board-for-property-casualty-okla-1977.