Nielsen v. Mutual Service Casualty Insurance

67 N.W.2d 457, 243 Minn. 246, 1954 Minn. LEXIS 709
CourtSupreme Court of Minnesota
DecidedDecember 3, 1954
DocketNo. 36,286
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 67 N.W.2d 457 (Nielsen v. Mutual Service Casualty Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Nielsen v. Mutual Service Casualty Insurance, 67 N.W.2d 457, 243 Minn. 246, 1954 Minn. LEXIS 709 (Mich. 1954).

Opinion

Knutson, Justice.

This is an action to recover on an automobile collision insurance policy. In May 1950, plaintiff purchased a Chevrolet automobile from Downtown Chevrolet Company in Minneapolis. His son Harold had selected the automobile, but Harold, being a minor, could not purchase the car in his own name. The invoice and conditional sales contract were made out to plaintiff. The title was registered in plaintiff’s name, and the original insurance was issued to him. The down payment was $1,885, of which Harold paid $1,300. Plaintiff paid the balance of $85. The installments falling due in June, July, and August were paid by Harold. In August Harold entered the armed services. Thereafter, the September and October installments were paid by plaintiff, and in October he paid up the balance of the contract in order to save any further interest.

After the car was purchased it was driven by plaintiff; his sons, Harold, David, and Leonard; and his daughters, although Harold drove it most of the time. When the balance of the contract was paid, the insurance on the car was cancelled, and the car was not thereafter driven until Harold came home on leave. Plaintiff had a Nash automobile which was used by the entire family. In December Harold came home on leave and wanted to drive the Chevrolet. Plaintiff wanted it covered by insurance if it was to be driven. He tried to contact his own insurance agent but could not locate him. [248]*248He then was introduced to Lewis Herfindahl, who was one of defendant’s agents, by a friend of the family. Plaintiff and his sons Harold and David went to the home of Mr. Herfindahl where plaintiff signed the application for insurance and obtained the coverage here involved.

The application contains three questions, among others, that are involved in this litigation. These questions and the answers written on the application are as follows:

“Except with respect to bailment lease, conditional sale, mortgage or other encumbrance, is the named insured the sole owner of the automobile? yes
* * * * «■
“Is any frequent operator of the described automobile under 28 years of age? yes
“List those who in addition to the Named Insured will frequently drive the described automobile.
“Name of Driver Age Eelationship to % of Total
_Insured_Driving Done
“David Nielson 16 son — Father 2%
always with him
“Harold Nielson 19 son — in service less than
wears uniform 1%
“Have you or any of the frequent drivers listed above: (a) Any physical defects? No (b) Ever been arrested for drunken or reckless driving or had his driver’s license suspended or revoked? No”

While there is some dispute in the evidence, the jury could find that plaintiff exhibited the registration card and conditional sales contract to Herfindahl and informed him of facts as to ownership of the car. The evidence will be considered more in detail later in the opinion.

Harold was again home in January for a ten-day leave, during which time he drove the car most of the time, although David also drove it. During Harold’s absence between leaves, the car was [249]*249driven by plaintiff and other members of the family. His next leave was in April. When he left for camp at that time, he took the Chevrolet with him to Kentucky and, while there, was involved in a collision out of which this litigation arose. Defendant denied liability on the ground that there had been material misrepresentations in the application which avoided the policy. The jury returned a verdict for plaintiff, and defendant appealed from an order denying its motion for judgment nothwithstanding the verdict or a new trial and from the judgment.

The applicable and controlling statute in this case is M. S. A. 60.85, which reads:

“No oral or written misrepresentation made by the assured, or in his behalf, in the negotiation of insurance, shall be deemed material, or defeat or avoid the policy, or prevent its attaching, unless made with intent to deceive and defraud, or unless the matter misrepresented increases the risk of loss.”

In construing this statutory provision in Johnson v. National L. Ins. Co. 123 Minn. 453, 456, 144 N. W. 218, 219, we said:

“* * * a material misrepresentation, made with intent to deceive and defraud, avoids the policy. A material misrepresentation, not made with intent to deceive or defraud, does not avoid the policy, unless by the misrepresentation the risk of loss is increased. If a material misrepresentation increases the risk of loss the policy is avoided, regardless of the intent with which it was made. An immaterial representation, though made with intent to deceive and defraud, does not avoid the policy.”2

This construction of our statute has since been followed in many cases. See, for instance, Mack v. Pacific Mut. L. Ins. Co. 167 Minn. 53, 208 N. W. 410; Schaedler v. New York L. Ins. Co. 201 Minn. 327, 276 N. W. 235.

[250]*250In Mack v. Pacific Mut. L. Ins. Co. we said (167 Minn. 57, 208 N. W. 412):

“* * * Usually it is for a jury to decide whether a misrepresentation has in fact been made, whether it is material, whether it is made with intent to deceive and defraud or whether the matter misrepresented, in fact, increases the risk of loss.”

The general rule that, where there is an ambiguity, the language chosen by the insurer should be construed against it applies as well to an application for insurance as to the policy itself. Villiott v. Sovereign Camp of Woodmen of World, 145 Minn. 349, 177 N. W. 356; Holtorf v. Rochester Farmers Mut. F. Ins. Co. 190 Minn. 44, 250 N. W. 816; 9 Dunnell, Dig. (3 ed.) § 4659.

Where a representation relates to future conduct, events to take place in the future, or things not susceptible of present, actual knowledge, they amount to statements of intention, opinion, or belief. As to such representations, the good faith of the insured is the criterion of truth for they can be false only when the intention, opinion, or belief, as declared, is not honestly entertained. Yance, Insurance (2 ed.) § 107.

With these rules in mind and viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the verdict as we must on appeal, we have no difficulty with the first two questions on the application quoted above. The jury could find that, at the time this application was prepared and signed; the parties considered plaintiff the owner of the Chevrolet, with a contingent right in Harold that he could acquire the car, upon payment of the amount which his father had advanced, when he had finished his service with the army. Plaintiff not only paid a substantial part of the purchase price but the title was in his name. The entire family used the car at times. It is true that Harold was to become the owner of the car when he paid his father the amount he had invested, but the evidence will support a finding that until that was done the father was the owner of the car. At least, the understanding between father and son was so indefinite that the jury could well have found that any representations as to the ownership were not made with an intent to defraud or deceive.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Pioneer Industries, Inc. v. Hartford Fire Insurance
639 F.3d 461 (Eighth Circuit, 2011)
Farmers State Bank of Russell v. Western National Mutual Insurance Co.
454 N.W.2d 651 (Court of Appeals of Minnesota, 1990)
Waseca Mutual Insurance Co. v. Noska
331 N.W.2d 917 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1983)
Usher v. Allstate Insurance Company
218 N.W.2d 201 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1974)
COMMERCIAL U. INS. CO. OF NY v. Security Gen. Ins. Co.
211 So. 2d 477 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1968)
Preferred Risk Mutual Insurance Co. v. Anderson
152 N.W.2d 476 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1967)
Larson v. UNION CENTRAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
137 N.W.2d 327 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1965)
Barth v. Nitke
126 N.W.2d 452 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1964)
Mayflower Insurance Exchange v. Gilmont
280 F.2d 13 (Ninth Circuit, 1960)
Craigmile v. Sorenson
80 N.W.2d 45 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1956)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
67 N.W.2d 457, 243 Minn. 246, 1954 Minn. LEXIS 709, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/nielsen-v-mutual-service-casualty-insurance-minn-1954.