Siebert v. State Farm Mutual Insurance Co.

103 N.W.2d 757, 251 Iowa 1060, 1960 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 611
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedJune 14, 1960
Docket49945
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 103 N.W.2d 757 (Siebert v. State Farm Mutual Insurance Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Siebert v. State Farm Mutual Insurance Co., 103 N.W.2d 757, 251 Iowa 1060, 1960 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 611 (iowa 1960).

Opinion

Garrett, J.

The plaintiff was injured while riding as a passenger in an automobile owned and operated by Robert W. Chapman, who at the time of the accident was insured by the State Farm Mutual Insurance Company. An SR-21 Form was filed with the Commissioner of Public Safety of the State of Iowa, in order to comply with the requirements of the Financial Responsibility Law. The company admitted- that the SR-21 Form has never been revoked, canceled or rescinded.

Plaintiff filed a law action against Chapman and the company through its attorneys filed an appearance. Another lawsuit had been filed by one Ford against Chapman for injuries received by him as a passenger in another vehicle involved in the same collision. That action was settled.

The company filed an answer in the case of Siebert vs. Chapman, and when the case was set for trial it filed a motion for continuance and a motion for leave to- withdraw its appearance on the ground Chapman had refused to come to Iowa to attend the trial and had thereby breached the co-operation clause of his policy. Said motions were sustained.

The case of Siebert vs. Chapman resulted in a default judgment for plaintiff against Chapman for $7000. Being unable to collect the judgment, Siebert commenced this action which was submitted to the jury upon the question of whether the actions of Chapman were such as to allow the company to escape liability under the co-operation clause of its policy. The jury returned a verdict in favor of the company. Plaintiff filed a motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict which was overruled and plaintiff has appealed.

*1062 I. Appellant raises no question as to the evidence and instructions. His first assignment of error is: “That the trial court erred in failing to sustain a motion for verdict in favor of this plaintiff at the close of all of the evidence for the reason that the plaintiff has plead and the Company has admitted that the Company has on file an SR-21 Form with the Commissioner of- Public Safety which form acknowledges that there was a valid policy of insurance in force at the time of the accident, that the Company has not revoked or cancelled said filing and by virtue thereof has waived all policy defenses and has waived the right to disclaim liability on the ground of lack of co-operation by the insured.”

A procedural question is raised at this point which controls our decision in this case. Rule 243, Iowa Rules of Civil Procedure, is: “Judgment notwithstanding verdict, etc. Any party may, on motion, have judgment in his favor despite an adverse verdict, or the jury’s failure to return any verdict: * * * (b) If the movant was entitled to have a verdict directed for him at the close of all the evidence, and moved therefor, and the jury did not return such verdict, the court may -then either grant a new trial or enter judgment as though it had directed a verdict for the movant.”

Appellee in its argument states: “Appellant does not claim to have made a motion for directed verdict at the close of all of the evidence and, therefore, the motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict shows on its face that it does not state sufficient grounds upon which it could be granted.”

In Volume 3, Iowa Rules of Civil Procedure, Revised Edition, by Cook, page 24, under “Author’s Comment” following rule 243, it is stated: “The right to present this motion under Rule 243(b) depends on having properly moved for a directed verdict. If the directed verdict was not asked on the proper ground; or rested on a point not properly presentable by such motion, it is the same as no directed verdict had been asked. -In such cases, the motion permitted by this Rule cannot be made: Friedman v. Colonial Oil Co., 236 Iowa 140, 18 N.W.2d 196; Jensvold v. C. G. W. Ry., 236 Iowa 708, 18 N.W.2d 616.”

*1063 “The purpose of Rule 243(b) is to give the trial court an opportunity to correct its error in failing to sustain a motion for directed verdict. Here the motion for judgment was based upon a proposition not raised in plaintiff’s motion for directed verdict. The situation was the same as though plaintiff had made no motion for directed verdict. Under the circumstances plaintiff had no right to the remedy which Rule 243(b) affords to a litigant whose motion for directed verdict has been erroneously overruled.” Friedman v. Colonial Oil Co., supra, page 145 of 236 Iowa.

“The right to a judgment notwithstanding verdict under Rule 243, Iowa Rules of Civil Procedure, is based upon the fact that the movant had moved for a verdict to which he was entitled. * * * not having been properly presented to the court on the motion to direct or the motion to withdraw, there is no basis for a judgment notwithstanding verdict and the same should have been overruled.” Jensvold v. Chicago Great Western R. Co., supra, page 715 of 236 Iowa.

In Bokhoven v. Hull, 247 Iowa 604, 606, 75 N.W.2d 225, 226, we said: “Defendant’s motion for judgment notwithstanding verdict, under rule 243, Rules of Civil Procedure, was overruled and he has appealed. Such an appeal is limited to questions raised in the motion for directed verdict and repeated in the motion for judgment notwithstanding verdict. Marxen v. Meredith, 246 Iowa 1173, 1177, 69 N.W.2d 399, 401.”

If appellant moved for a directed verdict at the close of all the evidence the record should clearly show such fact. No such motion is shown. The trial court, in its ruling on the motion for judgment notwithstanding verdict, said: “The legal questions raised in Paragraphs 1 and 2 of said motion were orally argued to the court at the time of trial and prior to the reading of the instructions to the jury in said trial. The court dictated into the record the ruling on each of the legal propositions presented in this motion and gave reason for such ruling.” It did not say the oral argument referred to related to a motion for directed verdict but rather indicated it related to the instructions.

In oral argument on this appeal appellant’s counsel stated *1064 lie was reasonably certain a motion for directed verdict bad been made but be was unable to produce any record of it and stated that the court reporter, although he had made a search through his notes, was unable to find any such motion reported therein.

Appellant having failed to show, on this appeal, that he moved for a directed verdict at the close of the evidence, the implication arises naturally that no such motion was made. In this situation the trial court had no alternative other than to overrule appellant’s motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict, and its order must be sustained.

II.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
103 N.W.2d 757, 251 Iowa 1060, 1960 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 611, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/siebert-v-state-farm-mutual-insurance-co-iowa-1960.