Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance v. Rochester German Insurance

56 L.R.A. 108, 88 N.W. 265, 85 Minn. 48, 1901 Minn. LEXIS 829
CourtSupreme Court of Minnesota
DecidedDecember 20, 1901
DocketNos. 12,726-(120)
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 56 L.R.A. 108 (Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance v. Rochester German 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
Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance v. Rochester German Insurance, 56 L.R.A. 108, 88 N.W. 265, 85 Minn. 48, 1901 Minn. LEXIS 829 (Mich. 1901).

Opinion

LEWIS, J.

The St. Paul Cold Storage Company insured a certain building in the appellant company, taking out two policies, one for $2,500 and another for $2,000. The property was described as follows:

“Their four-story and basement brick building, with composition roof, and brick engine and boiler house attached, including steam [50]*50heating and hoisting apparatus, steam, brine, water, gas pipes and fixtures, and all other permanent fixtures occupied for warehouse purposes, situáte numbers 201, 203, 205 Eagle street, St. Paul, Minnesota. The insurable value of the building and addition in first item is hereby stated to be $22,500.”

The interest of the insured in these policies was assigned to respondent, and, a fire having occurred, it was claimed by respondent that within the terms of the policy there was a total loss. This appellant denied, claiming the damage did not much exceed $14,000, and demanded a submission of the amount of loss to appraisers^ according to the provisions of the policies. Respondent refused to comply with the demand for arbitration, and brought this action to recover the entire amount covered by the policies. Upon the trial the jury rendered a verdict for the full amount of the policies, and from an order denying a motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict and for a new trial the insurance company appealed.

The principal question in the case is: What is the meaning of the term “total loss,” as used in the standard policy? That part of the contract necessary for our consideration reads as follows:

“In case of loss, except in case of total loss on buildings, under this policy and a failure of the parties to agree as to the amount of loss, it is mutually agreed that the amount of such loss shall be referred to three disinterested men,” etc.

The evidence as to the condition of the building and the amount of the damage was conflicting. One witness produced by respondent testified that, in order to rebuild, the front wall would have to be taken down, three stories of the south wall, and the entire rear walls; that the three stories of the north wall could be left standing; also that the walls which would not have to be taken down were of the value of $2,485, in place, for the purpose of rebuilding. Another of respondent’s witnesses testified that the north wall could be used in rebuilding, except twenty-two feet of the top, which would have to be removed; but that the other walls would have to come down in rebuilding, being so much damaged that the cost of repairing them would exceed the cost of new walls. And another witness stated that the north wall would have to [51]*51come down entirely, and the northwest corner of the west wall would have to come down to the foundation, but that the southwest corner, for about the height of one story, would be all right. Witnesses called on behalf of appellant testified that, having made a careful examination of the building, the foundation walls, and at least the first and second stories of the brick walls on both sides and ends of the main building, were in good condition, and suitable for rebuilding, with some repairing; that the value of the brick and stone walls, in place, which were safe to be used in rebuilding was about $6,000, exclusive of the brick engine house addition. The city engineer of St. Paul testified that the two top stories of the brick walls ought to be taken down, but that the remaining portion of the walls was all right, in place, for rebuilding, after some inside repairs.

Upon the question of total loss the court instructed the jury as follows:

“The fact that the walls which remain standing have some value, and that portions of them may continue to stand, and be used in rebuilding upon these premises, will not prevent it being a total loss, nor be sufficient to defeat plaintiffs recovery in this action, if the identity and specific character of the building has been destroyed as stated.”

The court further charged that it was not necessary that all of the materials of the building should have been consumed by the fire, nor that the walls should have fallen as the result thereof; that it was the building, as such, which was insured, and not the materials; and if, as the result of the fire, the building no longer exists, there remaining only the ruins, so that the structure has lost its identity and specific character as such, then the loss is a total -one.

From the evidence it appeared that there was a one-story brick engine house, attached to the main building, which was not materially injured by the fire. In reference to it the court charged the jury as follows:

“This building, together with the engine room attached, and the fixtures that were therein contained, are to be considered as an entirety. And the question before you to be determined, is wheth[52]*52er or not, considering the insured objects as a whole, — as an entirety, — whether or not the loss was partial or total?”

To these instructions exception was taken, and the following requests were submitted by appellant, but refused by the court:

“A building is not a total loss, within the meaning of the policies in this casé, unless it has been so far destroyed by the fire that no substantial part or portion of it above ground remains in place capable of being safely utilized in restoring the building to the condition in which it was before the fire.” Also: “These words Total loss,’ when applied to a building, mean totally destroyed as a building; that is, that the walls, although some portion of them remain standing, are unsafe for use for the purpose of rebuilding, and would have to be torn down, and a new building erected throughout.”

Appellant also requested the court to give the following instruction:

“There can be no total loss of a building so long as the remnant of the structure left standing above ground is reasonably and safely adapted for use (without being taken down) as a basis upon which to restore the building to the condition in which it was immediately before the fire; and whether it is so adapted depends upon the question whether a reasonably prudent owner of the building, uninsured, desiring such a structure as the one in question was before the fire, would, in proceeding to restore the building, utilize such standing remnant as such basis. If he would, then the loss is not total.” Also: “If you believe from the evidence that the brick engine and boiler house addition mentioned in these policies was substantially uninjured by the fire, and that it was not thereby rendered unfit to be occupied and used for the purpose of an engine and boiler house in connection with the warehouse mentioned in the policies, then I charge you that there has not been a total loss, and your verdict must be for the defendant.”

In the first place, it would be well to determine the nature and extent of the contract embodied in the standard policy, and to state some of the elementary propositions in reference thereto. A contract of insurance is a contract of indemnity. When there are no limitations as to the amount of the loss, and no stipulated value of the property, the insured is to be reimbursed for the actual amount of -his loss. In the policy in question the parties stipulated that the value of the building was $22,500; conse[53]

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
56 L.R.A. 108, 88 N.W. 265, 85 Minn. 48, 1901 Minn. LEXIS 829, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/northwestern-mutual-life-insurance-v-rochester-german-insurance-minn-1901.