Senor v. Western Millers' Mutual Fire Insurance

79 S.W. 687, 181 Mo. 104, 1904 Mo. LEXIS 104
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedMarch 23, 1904
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 79 S.W. 687 (Senor v. Western Millers' Mutual Fire Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Senor v. Western Millers' Mutual Fire Insurance, 79 S.W. 687, 181 Mo. 104, 1904 Mo. LEXIS 104 (Mo. 1904).

Opinion

FOX, J.

“This suit was instituted October 19, 1900, in the circuit court of Jackson county, Missouri, and is on a fire insurance policy issued by defendants June 28, 1899, which contained, among others, the following provisions.

“ ‘In consideration of the stipulation herein named and of $123.75 premium, does insure C. M. Señor for the term of five years, from the 28th day of June, 1899, at noon, to the 28th day of June, 1904, at noon, against all direct loss or damage by fire and lightning, except as hereinafter provided to an amount not exceeding forty-five hundred dollars, to the following described property, while located and contained as described herein, and not elsewhere, to-wit: $1,200 on his three-story and basement frame partition steam flouring mill building, with metal roof and including grain bins therein, and one-story iron brick-lined boiler and engine house with metal roof adjoining, situated in Conway Springs, Sumner county, Kansas, and known as “The Pioneer Roller Mills.”
“ ‘$1,600 on mill machinery, mill wright work, shafting, gearing, belting, tools, implements and fixtures in use, and all bins, except grain bins, while in said mill building.
“ ‘$700 on steam boilers, engines and connections, heaters, pumps and connections while in said boiler and engine house.
“ ‘$1,000 on grain, flour, meal, stock in process, offal, cooperage, and bags while in said building.
“ ‘$3,500 .total insurance permitted, concurrent herewith, on buildings, boiler, engines and machinery. Other insurance permitted concurrent herewith on stock.
“ ‘This entire policy, unless otherwise provided by agreement, indorsed hereon or added hereto, shall be [108]*108void, if the insured now has or shall hereafter make or procure any other contract of insurance, whether valid, or not, on property covered in whole or in part by this policy.
“ ‘It is hereby further agreed, that such loss or damage as shall have been ascertained and proven to be due under this policy to C. M. Senor shall be held payable for his account unto P. Muntz, post office address, Kansas City, Mo;, as his interest may appear.
“ ‘This slip is attached to and forms part of Policy No. 1705, of The Western Millers’ Mutual Fire Insurance Company, of Kansas City, Mo.
“ ‘June 28, 1899.
“ ‘Rob’t Atkinson, Secretary.
“ ‘It is hereby further agreed that such loss or damage as shall have been ascertained and proven to be due under this policy to C. M. Senor shall be held payable for his account unto Bank of Conway Springs (Hooper, Douglad and Lutz, owners), post office address, Conway Springs, Kan., as its interest may appear.
“ ‘This slip is attached to and forms part of Policy No. 1705 of the Western Millers’ Mutual Fire Insurance Company, of Kansas City, Mo.
“ ‘July 1, 1899.
“ ‘Rob’t Atkinson, Secretary.’ ”

This cause was submitted to the court upon an agreed statement of facts. As there are only three controverted questions involved in this cause, it is unnecessary to burden this opinion by the insertion of the entire facts agreed upon; hence, we deem it sufficient to add only such portions of the agreed statement as are applicable and material to the intelligent discussion of the propositions presented. It is disclosed, by the agreed statement of facts upon which this cause was tried, that plaintiff, Senor, did obtain a second policy of insurance from the “Commercial Union Assurance [109]*109Company,” for $2,000, five hundred of which was applicable to plaintiff Señor’s frame flour mill building, including boiler house, being some of the same property covered by defendant’s policy of insurance in suit. It also appears, from the agreed statement, that plaintiff, Phillip Muntz, had no notice or knowledge of the application for and issuance of the policy by the Commercial Union Assurance Company.

The policy of insurance upon which this suit is predicated and which is made a part of the agreed statement of facts, contained this provision: “If, with the consent of this company, an interest under this policy shall exist in favor of a mortgagee or of any person or corporation having an interest in the subject of insurance other than the interest of the insured described herein, the conditions hereinbefore contained shall apply in the manner expressed in such provisions and conditions of insurance relating to such interest as shall be written upon, attached or appended hereto.”

The following provision is also contained in the agreed statement of facts: “It is further agreed that after the issuance of said policy and the delivery thereof to the plaintiff Señor, the said policy or any loss thereunder was made payable to Phillip Muntz, as his interest may appear, and that for that reason he is joined as a coplaintiff. It is further agreed that the interest of said Muntz at the date of the loss by fire of said property was three thousand dollars. It is further agreed that Señor was the owner of the property at the time of the loss which is described in the proof of loss, subject to the interest,of Phillip Muntz.”

This is a sufficient recitation of the facts to indicate the theories upon which the conflicting contentions of counsel for appellant and respondent are based.

Upon the submission of the cause to the court, its finding was for the plaintiffs for the full amount of the [110]*110policy, together with interest, and judgment was accordingly entered for the sum of $4,815.

From this judgment, defendant, in due form, prosecuted his appeal to this court, and this cause is now before us for review.

OPINION.

The record in this cause presents but two vital propositions for our consideration:

First. Under the provisions of this policy, did it operate a forfeiture of it, by reason of the additional insurance obtained from the Commercial Union Assurance Company, covering some of the same property em-, braced in the policy upon which this action is based?

Second. If the first proposition is answered in the affirmative, and the policy declared forfeited, does the result of such conclusion affect the interest of coplaintiff Muntz, and defeat his right of recovery for his interest in the policy?

The question involved in the first proposition may be briefly summarized thus: there is a provision in the policy which, in terms, prohibits the making of any additional contracts for insurance, unless otherwise provided for in the pplicy.

Plaintiff Señor procured from another company insurance to the extent of $500, covering some of the same property embraced in the policy upon which this suit is predicated.

The contention insisted upon by appellant is that this action of plaintiff operated a forfeiture of the entire policy and that he is not entitled to recover.

On the other hand, respondents contend that such additional insurance as was obtained is authorized by another provision of the policy, which provides: $£< 3,500 total insurance permitted Concurrent herewith, on buildings, boiler, engines and machinery. Other insurance permitted concurrent herewith on stock.”

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Bluebook (online)
79 S.W. 687, 181 Mo. 104, 1904 Mo. LEXIS 104, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/senor-v-western-millers-mutual-fire-insurance-mo-1904.