Morrison v. New Hampshire Insurance

181 So. 2d 418, 1965 La. App. LEXIS 3843
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedDecember 6, 1965
DocketNo. 1942
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 181 So. 2d 418 (Morrison v. New Hampshire Insurance) 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
Morrison v. New Hampshire Insurance, 181 So. 2d 418, 1965 La. App. LEXIS 3843 (La. Ct. App. 1965).

Opinion

McBRIDE, Judge.

The plaintiffs, the assured and the loss payees under a mortgage clause, sue for the proceeds under a fire policy issued in Mississippi by defendant-insurer covering property located near Pass Christian, that state. The defendant excepted to the service of process made on the Secretary of State and pleaded the court’s lack of jurisdiction over the person of defendant and over the subject matter, and prayed for a summary judgment dismissing the suit “since there is no genuine issue of material fact.” The defendant, a foreign insurance corporation, is authorized to do and actually does business in Louisiana. The question to be answered is whether the local statutes dealing with jurisdiction over and citation upon foreign insurance corporations exclude such an action as the one involved, where the policy is issued in another state and the loss occurs in that other state. The exceptions were maintained below, and a summary judgment was granted in favor of defendant dismissing plaintiffs’ suit at their costs.

On March 26, 1965, another citation on defendant was attempted, and upon the sheriff returning he was unable to find anyone locally authorized to represent defendant upon whom service could be made, service was then made on the Secretary of State on March 30, 1965, the same day the judgment dismissing the suit was rendered.

Plaintiffs applied for a new trial, or alternatively a rehearing, and in the further alternative for a modification of the judgment of March 30, 1965. The application sets forth the fact of the second service; it is alleged the judgment of March 30, 1965, should be limited to quashing the previous service of process, and the question of the sufficiency and efficacy of the second citation should be left open for further adjudication. The court dismissed the rule for a new trial, and plaintiffs have appealed.

. The conceded facts regarding the issuance and acceptance of the policy are: Defendant is a New Hampshire corporation authorized to write fire policies in Mississippi; Giadrosich Insurance Agency is its agent in the Town of Pass Christian, that state. Defendant is also qualified to do and does business in Louisiana. Plaintiffs Morrison and Hibernia National Bank are residents of New Orleans; plaintiff Parker-son resides in the Parish of Lafayette.

Morrison owned a dwelling near Pass Christian encumbered by mortgage held by Hibernia National Bank; the mortgage note is additionally secured by endorsement of plaintiff Parkerson. Morrison communicated with Montaldo Insurance Agency in New Orleans, with whom he had theretofore done business, with reference to a policy of fire insurance. Montaldo then communicated with Giadrosich Insurance Agency of Pass Christian making arrangements for the latter to issue a policy covering Morrison’s property in favor of Morrison with Hibernia National Bank and Parkerson named loss payees under a mortgage clause. Giadrosich issued defendant’s fire policy (sued upon) dated July 11, 1963, insuring the main building for $18,000 and the contents $7500, for a term of three years. The prevailing policy endorsement names James J. Morrison (no address given) as the assured, and Hibernia National Bank, [421]*421New Orleans, La., and James D. Parker-son (no address given) as loss payees “as their interest may appear.” The policy stipulates that to be valid it must be countersigned by Giadrosich. It was countersigned by Giadrosich and the same day was mailed to Montaldo in New Orleans; Montaldo in turn delivered same to Hibernia National Bank at its office and a “memorandum of insurance” to Morrison. The insured building and contents were totally destroyed by fire December 31, 1963, and the insurer has declined payment for the loss for a reason not appearing.

The premium was due at “inception” of the policy. According to appellants’ brief, the assured paid Montaldo in New Orleans “who presumably remitted same to Giadro-sich after deduction of whatever share of the commission he was entitled to retain.” Thus, Montaldo, the assured’s agent, paid the premium to Giadrosich in Mississippi.

Appellants argue the policy is a Louisiana contract because it was not completed until delivered in New Orleans by Montaldo, which was the agent of defendant for delivering the policy.

Unless the policy itself provides, or positive law stipulates, that a delivery is essential to the contract’s consummation, delivery is not sacramental. We quote from 44 C.J.S. Insurance § 263, p. 1051:

“Although in a few cases there are broad and unqualified expressions to the effect that delivery of the policy is essential, the general rule, in the absence of a statute otherwise providing, is that after acceptance of an offer applying for or tendering insurance the delivery of the insurance policy to insured is not essential to the completion, validity, or enforceability of the contract of insurance, unless it is expressly agreed by the parties, as by a stipulation in the application or policy, that the contract shall not become effective until the policy is delivered to or received by the applicant, or unless the parties have not previously agreed on all the terms of. the contract. * * * ”

An insurance policy is sui generis. In re Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen, 9 La.App. 74, 119 So. 79. The instant policy contains no stipulation that delivery is an ingredient of validity or when, where and in what manner a delivery is to be made.

Appleman, Insurance Law and Practice, Vol. 1, § 135, p. 207, regarding delivery states:

“It is not, of course, necessary unless specifically made so by the policy terms for the delivery to be made personally to the insured. It may be delivered to the beneficiary, a broker, or any third person whom the insured designates as a proper party to receive it. * * *
“Thus, the postal authorities are such proper third persons to whom such delivery may be made. Reasoning from this, the moment that the policy is placed in the mail, either by the home office of the company or the agent, addressed to the insured, it is binding, notwithstanding injury, illness or death occurring subsequent to its deposit therein. * * * ”

Appleman further states, Vol. 1, § 136, p. 210:

“It has been held that where there is no provision in the policy postponing its effective date until date of delivery, it is the rule that, as soon as the application is accepted by the insurer, the policy is effective, * *

The rules stated by Appleman have been enunciated by our Supreme Court. Chapman v. Mutual Life Ins. Co. of New York, 146 La. 658, 83 So. 887, holds the contract was consummated and delivery made, as between the insurer and the insured, the moment the policy was placed in the mails addressed to the local agent.

[422]*422The Pass Christian, Mississippi, agency accepted Montaldo’s application and prepared the desired policy and countersigned it the same day. The policy was mailed to Montaldo in New Orleans. This was the last requisite to the formation of a binding contract. Appleman, Insurance Law and Practice, Vol. 12, § 7088, p. 139, reads:

“If it is required that a policy be countersigned before going into effect, the place of countersignature is generally considered the place of the last effective act, and determines the controlling law. * * * ”

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Related

Mamou Farm Services, Inc. v. Hudson Ins. Co.
488 So. 2d 259 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1986)
Zimmerman v. United Benefit Life Insurance Co.
199 So. 2d 14 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1967)
Morrison v. New Hampshire Insurance Company
187 So. 2d 729 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1966)
Morrison v. New Hampshire Insurance
183 So. 2d 653 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1966)

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Bluebook (online)
181 So. 2d 418, 1965 La. App. LEXIS 3843, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/morrison-v-new-hampshire-insurance-lactapp-1965.