Nebraska & Iowa Insurance v. Segard

45 N.W. 681, 29 Neb. 354, 1890 Neb. LEXIS 253
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedApril 29, 1890
StatusPublished

This text of 45 N.W. 681 (Nebraska & Iowa Insurance v. Segard) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Nebraska & Iowa Insurance v. Segard, 45 N.W. 681, 29 Neb. 354, 1890 Neb. LEXIS 253 (Neb. 1890).

Opinion

Maxwell, J.

This is an action to recover back from the defendant certain losses paid the defendant’ which it is alleged the plaintiff did not insure against. On the trial of the cause the jury returned a verdict in favor of the defendant, upon which judgment was rendered.

It is alleged in the petition that on or about the 11th day of August, 1886, the plaintiff paid to the defendant the sum of $74.55 as a loss on a certain building insured by them in favor of the said defendant; that the said [355]*355building had been prior to that time destroyed by fire; and the plaintiff avers that after the payment of the said sum as aforesaid it learned that the said building had not been destroyed by fire as represented, but was still standing and uninjured on the premises of the defendant; that the said sum of money was procured to be paid by fraudulent representation on the part of the defendant and was paid by the plaintiff under a mistake of fact, and that it is entitled to recover the same from the defendant.”

To this petition the defendant filed an answer in which he alleges “that on the 11th day of August, 1886, the said plaintiff paid to the said defendant the sum of ’$74.55 as loss on a certain granary insured by it in favor of the said defendant, after having fully inquired into all the facts pertaining to said loss by fire, and after having fully inspected the premises so burned and destroyed. The said defendant denies that said sum of money was procured to be paid the said defendant by fraudulent representations on the part of the said defendant, and denies that the same was paid by the plaintiff under a mistake of fact, and denies that he is entitled to recover the same from the defendant, and denies each and every allegation in said plaintiff’s petition contained not hereinbefore admitted or denied.”

The testimony as to the insurance and adjustment of the. loss is very conflicting. The policy of insurance introduced is as follows:

“ On dwelling house, including foundation, cellar or basement walls, $300. On household furniture therein, $-. On barn No. 2 (including foundations), $-. On granary No. 1, $700. On grain in barns, granary, cribs, dwelling, or in stacks on farm herein described, except on prairie or prairie meadows, $150. On work horses and mules (not exceeding $100 on any one animal) on the premises, or at large within twenty miles of the premises (except in city, town, village^ livery, feed, or sale. [356]*356stable), and against loss by lightning wherever they may be, $200. On colts and unbroken horses (not to exceed $50 on any one animal) on the premises, and against loss by lightning wherever they may be, $100. On cattle (not to exceed .$30 on any one animal) on the premises, and against loss by lightning wherever they may be, $100. On hogs (not to exceed $5 on any one animal) on the premises, and against loss by lightning wherever they may be, $-. On sheep (not to exceed $3 on any one animal) on the premises, and against loss by lightning wherever they may be, $-. All situate (except as otherwise above provided) on and confined to the premises now actually owned and occupied by the insured, to-wit: 80 acres in sec. 32, tp. 9, range 17, township of Odessa, Co. of Buffalo, state of Nebraska.”

One Wm. C. Campbell, a witness called on behalf of the plaintiff, testified as follows:

Q,. Are you acquainted with the defendant, Jens Segard; and if so, how long ?

A. I am acquainted with him since the 9th day of August, 1886.

* * <: * * * *

Q. Now state what exhibits “A” and “B” are, and when did you first see them.

A. They are proof of loss and supplements that were made by me in adjusting Mr. Segard’s claimed loss, under policy No. 18376 of the plaintiff, the Nebraska & Iowa Insurance Company. They were made out by me on the 9th day of August, 1886.

Q,. At whose request were they made out; that is,to say, who gave you the facts alleged in the statement “A” and « B ” ?

A. Mr. Segard; the defendant.

Q. Where was the property situated that the defendant claimed was covered by said policy No. 18376, and claimed [357]*357by him to have been destroyed and injured by fire, and for which he claimed pay from the plaintiff ?

A. I can give it only as he, Mr. Segard, represented it to me, which is section 32, township 9, range 17 west, Buffalo county, Nebraska, said to belong to defendant.

Q,. What property did he claim was covered by the policy and injured or destroyed by fire for which he claimed pay from the plaintiff ?

A. It was a shed addition onto the barn twelve feet by thirty-two feet in dimensions.

Q. State what knowledge you had of the premises or of the property claimed to have been destroyed, or of the destruction or injury of any property of the defendant other than what he told you.

A. The only knowledge I had of it was, one of the agents of plaintiff and I were together at Mr. Segard’s place and defendant showed us the ashes of the barn; after he showed us I sent the agent that was with me back, and after that Mr. Segard said that there was the loss, and that was what said policy covered.

Q. State what you know about relying upon the truthfulness of the representations made by defendant as above stated, and what did you do with reference to the claim made by the defendant for compensation for alleged loss.

A. I relied upon what he, defendant, said to me, and made out the proofs of loss and recommended the payment of the same.

Q,. State what you know about how the defendant was paid for said claimed loss.

A. He was paid by a check and his premium note.

Q,. State what you know about the building which he claimed to have been destroyed by fire, the ashes of which he showed you and for which he was paid as you have above stated, not being covered by said policy, and what conversation you had with the defendant about it after he had received pay for it; state fully.

[358]*358A. I learned from the agent who wrote the application for insurance of the property, J. E. Lawless and C. C. Laurie, after the loss had been paid, that another building that stood west of the one destroyed, said building being 22x22 feet, used as a granary, and described as such in the original application given by the defendant, was the one covered by said policy, and not the building that was burned and for which the defendant was paid. I then called on Mr, Segard at his place and we had a talk about the loss. I wanted and demanded Mr. Segard to refund the money received by him and also amount of premium note and told him that building destroyed was not the building insured and he had misrepresented it to me; he said that he would return all the money he had received and would also deliver up said policy and cancel the insurance but would not deliver up the premium note, or pay it. I told him the company, plaintiff, would not accept that; then he said if they got anything, they would have to sue for it.”

One D. B. Whelpton also testifies on behalf of the plaintiff: “I am acquainted with the Nebraska and Iowa Insurance Company five years this month, and first met Jens Segard, to my knowledge, in the spring of A. D., 1887.

Q,.

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Bluebook (online)
45 N.W. 681, 29 Neb. 354, 1890 Neb. LEXIS 253, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/nebraska-iowa-insurance-v-segard-neb-1890.