Roberson v. Allstate Insurance Company

278 S.W.2d 179, 1955 Tex. App. LEXIS 2604
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 24, 1955
Docket3246
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 278 S.W.2d 179 (Roberson v. Allstate Insurance Company) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Roberson v. Allstate Insurance Company, 278 S.W.2d 179, 1955 Tex. App. LEXIS 2604 (Tex. Ct. App. 1955).

Opinion

TIREY, Justice.

This is a suit on an automobile insurance policy brought by the owner of the automobile and the mortgagee against the insurance carrier. The trial court sustained defendant’s motion for summary judgment and the plaintiffs have appealed. The cause is here by virtue of an order of the Supreme Court equalizing the dockets of the Courts of Civil Appeals.

The judgment is assailed on three points, and they are substantially: (1) the .court erred in rendering judgment for defendant and against the -mortgagee because as a *180 matter of law under the undisputed facts the insurance policy was not cancelled as against the mortgagee; (2) because the court erred in holding that there.was an absence of any material issue of fact and in rendering judgment for the insurance carrier because a material fact issue was raised as to whether the insurance premium was actually paid to the defendant company; and (3) because the court erred in holding that there was an absence Of any material issue of fact because .there was a fact issue as to whether defendant insurance carrier actually mailed the notice of cancellation to the plaintiff Roberson and there was the further fact question as to whether such notice was received by Roberson. Appellee’s counter points are substantially: (1) the court correctly held that the mailing of the notice of cancellation by the appellee to the insured Roberson at the address shown in the policy was an effective cancellation both as to him and to the loss payee or mortgagee; (2) the court correctly held that the affidavit submitted by appel-lee showed conclusively that notice of cancellation had been mailed to Roberson at the address shown in the policy more than ten days prior to the effective date of cancellation and more than eleven days prior to the collision loss, thereby effectively cancelling the policy prior to the collision loss; and (3) the affidavit of Mrs. E. A. Roberson does not raise an issue of fact as to the cancellation of the policy.

In deciding the questions here presented, we are bound by the interpretation given Rule 166-A of our Texas Rules of Civil Procedure by the decision of our Supreme Court in Gulbenkian v. Penn, 151 Tex. 412, 252 S.W.2d 929, pts. 1, 3 and 4, being particularly applicable and controlling here. The last expression by our’Supreme Court on the rule here before us is found in Smith v. Bolin, Tex., 271 S.W.2d 93, which opinion reaffirms the pronouncements made in the Gulbenkian case. Having the above rule in mind, what do we find to be the factual situation here before us? It is without dispute that the plaintiff Roberson owned a 1952 Kaiser automobile upon which J-C-S Federal Credit Union held a mortgage. The defendant Allstate Insurance Company issued an insurance policy on.this car which contained, among other provisions, , a $50 deductible “collision or upset clause.” The policy was from September 6, 1952 to September 6, 1953. The name of the insured was listed as E. A. Roberson, and immediately thereunder on the policy was this language: “Loss is payable as interest may appear to the named insured, J-C-S Federal Credit Union, 522 Browder Street, Dallas, Texas.” The policy contained the following provision: “This policy may be cancelled by the company by mailing to the named insured at the address shown in this policy, written notice stating when not less than ten days thereafter such cancellation shall be effective. The mailing of notice as aforesaid shall be sufficient proof of notice and the effective date and hour of cancellation stated in the notice shall become the end of the policy period.” The premium for the policy, was $144.75, .of which $53.50 was paid at the time the policy was issued. On August 9, 1953, the automobile covered,by the policy was damaged in a collision. At that time the amount of the indebtedness owed by Roberson to the mortgagee was $953.73. After the. collision a controversy arose between the parties because Allstate Insurance Company contended that it had cancelled the insurance policy as to both Roberson and the mortgagee and therefore denied any liability thereunder. Plaintiffs seasonably filed a request for admissions, addressed to the defendant, but defendant denied all of the admissions except 17 and 18, and further stated that it could not truthfully either admit or deny the matters inquired about in Question 19. We quote requests 17 and Í8, which were admitted: “17. Prior to August 9, 1953, the defendant, Allstate Insurance Company, had not mailed a written notice to the plaintiff, J-C-S Federal Credit Union,- that automobile insurance policy. No. W564305 was or would be cancelled.” (Admitted) “18. Prior to August 9, 1953, the defendant, Allstate Insurance Company, had not mailed a written notice to the plaintiff J-C-S Federal Credit Union at its address at 522 Browder Street, Dallas, Texas, that *181 automobile insurance policy No. W564305 was or woiild be cancelled.” (Admitted) Defendant in its motion for summary judgment specifically set out: “This motion is based upon (a) the pleadings of both plaintiffs and defendant on file in this action; (b) Ozalid' copy of cancellation notice of Policy No. W564305, attached hereto as Exhibit A; (c) Ozalid copy of PORS list showing mailing of cancellation notice for Policy No.- W-564305,. attached hereto as Exhibit B; (d)'the affidavit of Bill Harris; and (e) specimen copy of Allstate Aut'onlo-bile Collision policy showing cancellation provisions.” The motion further alleged that there is no genuine material issue of fact to be tried and defendant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
278 S.W.2d 179, 1955 Tex. App. LEXIS 2604, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/roberson-v-allstate-insurance-company-texapp-1955.