Officer v. American Eagle Fire Ins. Co.

139 So. 719
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedFebruary 8, 1932
DocketNo. 904
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 139 So. 719 (Officer v. American Eagle Fire Ins. Co.) 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
Officer v. American Eagle Fire Ins. Co., 139 So. 719 (La. Ct. App. 1932).

Opinion

ELLIOTT, J.

Dr. II. R. Officer, owner and holder of a note on which there is due $511.20 with 8 per-cent, per annum interest on certain installments from maturity until paid and 15 per cent, in addition thereon as attorney’s fees, brought suit on the note against Mrs. Lucy Ferguson individually and as tutrix.

And alleging that a conflict in interest existed between himself and two insurance companies, the existence of a conflicting interest between the insurance companies and Mrs. Ferguson individually and as tutrix, and that there existed a conflict in interest between the insurance companies themselves as to the amount of their respective liability on account of the destruction of a certain automobile by, collision or fire, he proceeded against said parties en concurso.

The note sued on was originally for $767, payable in installments, but by the. payment of a number of the installments, the principal was reduced to the amount stated. The note was payable to the order of P. L. Ferguson and was indorsed by him 'and R. S. Copelands Garage. It represents the balance due on the purchase price of an automobile; Buick make, sedan design, purchased by said Ferguson from R. S. Copelands Garage on February 11, 1930; the price being $1,692. The purchase was by authentic act, executed before J. R. Ferguson, notary public. The note bearing date as above said was secured by a chattel mortgage, on the automobile, retained by Copelands Garage and granted thereon by said Ferguson in the act.

The plaintiff alleges that a vendor’s privilege existed on the automobile, in favor of Copelands Garage, as a result of the sale and unpaid price.

That P. L. Ferguson, on the same day that he purchased the automobile, obtained insurance thereon against loss by fire from the American Eagle’ Fire Insurance Co. to the extent of $1,150.

That P. L. Ferguson also, on the same day, obtained insurance on the automobile against loss, injury, or destruction of the same from American Employers’ Insurance Company.

That on or about September 26, 1930, the automobile was destroyed by collision or fire.

That P. L. Ferguson lost his life in an automobile accident on January 21, 1931, leaving no will, but left Mrs. Lucy Ferguson, his widow in community, and three minor children. Mattie Rose, Lucy, and Miriam Ferguson, all born of his marriage with her his sole heirs and of whom Mrs. Ferguson had qualified as natural tutrix.

That as owner and holder of said note by. virtue of said indorsement he was entitled to the rights of mortgage, which existed on said automobile before it was destroyed, in favor of R. S. Copelands Garage. That by virtue of stipulations in the act of sale and chattel mortgage to that effect, he is entitled to the proceeds of any insurance effected on said automobile, up to the amount due him.

That by reason of the provisions of Act No. 263 of 1916 he is entitled to a vendor’s privilege against the proceeds of said policy obtained from American Eagle Fire Insurance Company, up to the amount due him, with interest and attorney’s fees, and should be paid thereout by preference and priority over all other claimants.

That Mrs. Lucy Ferguson individually and as tutrix is entitled to the proceeds of said policies after the amount due him has been paid.

He prays that American Eagle Fire Insurance Company and American Employers’ Insurance Company and Mrs. Lucy Ferguson individually and as tutrix be each cited and served with a copy of the petition and ordered to appear and answer his proceedings, and that after legal delays and trial on the merits, for judgment in his favor against the defendants, ordering American Eagle Fire Insurance Company to deposit in the registry .of the court the sum of $1,150, the amount due under its said policy, ordering American Employers’ Insurance Company to deposit $1,-[721]*721692, the purchase price of the automobile, and when said deposits have been made that said policies be canceled. He prays for judgment against Mrs. Lucy Ferguson individually and as tutrix and against each of the said insurance companies for $511.20 with interest and attorney’s fees thereon, for recognition of his vendor’s privilege on the proceeds of the policies, and that the amount due him be ordered paid out of the proceeds of the policies by preference and priority over all other claimants. That after the amount due him and Mrs. Ferguson individually and as tutrix has been paid, that the remainder of the deposits, if there be any, be returned to the insurance company depositing the same.

An order was issued, citation made, and copies of the petition and order of the court was served on each of the defendants as prayed for.

Each of the defendants appeared and filed exceptions, all of which were by the court referred to the merits. The defendants then each filed an answer.

American Eagle Fire Insurance Company alleges in its answer, with other matters, an appraisal agreement between itself and P. L. Ferguson. That P. L. Ferguson and itself appointed appraisers, who estimated the loss to the automobile as the result of the fire, at $200. That under a supplemental agreement its maximum liability under the policy was fixed at 75 per cent, of the loss. That therefore allowing said 25 per cent, deduction, it owes $150 on account of said loss, which it tendered to the court for Mrs. Ferguson individually and as tutrix, and prays that she be ordered to accept same in full payment.

American Employers’ Insurance Company for answer denies liability, but avers that if it owes any amount on account of collision, it does not exceed $200. It prays that plaintiff’s demand against it be rejected, but if the rule be made absolute, that the amount deposited by it be limited to $200.

Mrs. Ferguson individually and as tutrix appeared, and for answer to plaintiff’s demand against her, admits most of his aver-ments, but denies that he is the assignee and subrogee of R. S. Copelands Garage, and the existence of any privilege in his favor on the proceeds of the policies, but joins him in praying that the liability of the insurance companies be fixed by the court.

She intervened in the suit and alleges in her petition of intervention that American Eagle Fire Insurance and American Employers.’ Insurance Company should be together compelled to pay her the sum of $1,692, the value of the automobile when purchased by her husband.

The parties went to trial on these issues, and the court rendered judgment making the rule absolute and decided the case en con-curso.

The amount due by American Eagle Fire Insurance Company on its policy was fixed at $487.50, the amount due by American Employers’ Insurance Company at $600, and each was ordered to deposit the amount due in the registry of the court, together with 8 per cent, per annum interest thereon from September 11, 1930, until paid and 15 per cent, in addition thereon as attorney’s fees, and upon making said deposits within a reasonable time, their policies were to be cancelled.

Judgment was rendered in favor of Dr. Officer and against American Eagle Fire Insurance Company and American Employers’ Insurance Company and Mrs. Ferguson individually and as tutrix for $511.20, with 8 per cent, per annum interest thereon from September 11, 1930, until paid, and for 15 per cent, in addition thereon as attorney’s fees.

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Bluebook (online)
139 So. 719, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/officer-v-american-eagle-fire-ins-co-lactapp-1932.