Soso Trucking, Inc. v. Central Insurance Agency

236 So. 2d 398, 1970 Miss. LEXIS 1486
CourtMississippi Supreme Court
DecidedJune 8, 1970
DocketNo. 45858
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 236 So. 2d 398 (Soso Trucking, Inc. v. Central Insurance Agency) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Mississippi Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Soso Trucking, Inc. v. Central Insurance Agency, 236 So. 2d 398, 1970 Miss. LEXIS 1486 (Mich. 1970).

Opinion

JONES, Justice.

This is an appeal from a final decree of the Chancery Court of the Second Judicial [399]*399District of Jones County, Mississippi, regarding an insurance policy on a truck-tractor and trailer unit wherein a decree was entered in favor of the defendants-appellees denying a $9,000 recovery sought by the complainant-appellant under a collision insurance policy for the total loss of a truck-tractor and trailer in a highway collision.

This matter was heard in chancery court upon complainant-appellant’s bill of discovery in regard to said insurance policy and prayer for a judgment thereon. Complainant-appellant’s bill was dismissed with prejudice.

Complainant-appellant appeals here, assigning principally as error that the conclusions of the court in its opinion and final decree are manifestly erroneous as not being based on the evidence presented in the trial of this case, and contrary to the law and overwhelming weight of the evidence, and that the chancery court erred in holding that the policy was cancelled for nonpayment of premiums for the reason that the premiums had been paid at policy issuance to appellee, Southern Insurance Company, by Central Insurance Agency, Inc., on behalf of appellant, Soso Trucking, Inc.

The facts necessary for a decision in this case are as follows. The appellant, Soso Trucking, Inc., is a Mississippi corporation in the trucking business, with its principal place of business located at Soso, Jones County, Mississippi. F. R. Welch is sole stockholder and president of appellant corporation. The corporation owns several tractor-truck and trailer units which it utilizes in its business.

In February of 1967, Soso Trucking, Inc., through its president, F. R. Welch, negotiated with Central Insurance Agency, Inc., of Jackson, with whom it had done business the year before, for liability, collision and cargo insurance on some of its trucks. During these negotiations Central Insurance Agency, Inc. [hereinafter referred to as “local agent” or “Central”], noted that Soso Trucking, Inc., was in arrears on the premium for the 1966 policy and demanded payment for the balance of 1966 "and a substantial part of the 1967 premium. The sum requested was $3,500. Whereupon, Soso Trucking, Inc., gave Central a check dated February 22, 1967, for this amount.

Central had an arrangement with Dupuy-Busching General Agency, Inc. [hereinafter referred to as “general agent” or “Dupuy-Busching”], of Jackson, Mississippi, for securing insurance coverage for Central’s customers. Dupuy-Busching was an authorized agent to issue policies for several companies, including appellee, Southern Insurance Company [hereinafter sometimes referred to as “insurance company”], not contractually represented by Central. When Dupuy-Busching placed business for Central with appellee, Southern Insurance Company, Dupuy-Busching rendered Central a monthly bill for the premiums on said policies. Southern billed Dupuy-Busching for the premiums. Dupuy-Busching billed Central, who, in turn, collected the premiums by billing its customers.

The policy of insurance which is the subject of this suit bore an effective date of February 21, 1967, and was for a period of one year. That policy was Southern Insurance Company Policy Number CA099085 issued through Dupuy-Busch-ing for Central. The premium of $1,720 due on this policy was paid to Dupuy-Busching by Central after its issuance. Dupuy-Busching in turn paid the premium to Southern. The policy, when originally issued, covered a total of five units.

By endorsement dated March 3, 1967, to become effective March 17, 1967, two additional units were added: one tractor-truck unit, serial number DF17006F1658J [designated as unit six], and one trailer unit, serial number 14585 [designated as unit seven]. These are the units destroyed for which insurance benefits are sought in this suit.

[400]*400The additional premium for the endorsement was $720.11, to afford coverage of $5,000 on the tractor and $4,000 on the trailer. This endorsement was added to the policy; however, Soso Trucking, Inc., was never billed for it.

The February 22, 1967, check of Soso Trucking, Inc., to Central for $3,500 was returned on two occasions for “insufficient funds.” Central tried to get the check honored after the policy had been cancelled and reinstated. After the check was twice returned for lack of funds, Central instructed Dupuy-Busching to issue a cancellation notice of the policy in question. The check in evidence shows that after the check was first returned Central turned it over to the collection department of Deposit Guaranty Bank on March 2, 1967. When it was again returned, Central took it to First National Bank for special collection on March 22, 1967.

Dupuy-Busching issued the requested notice of cancellation on March 14, 1967, to become effective on March 26, 1967. The cancellation notice was mailed by Dupuy-Busching and received by appellant. Even after the cancellation notice was mailed, Central was still trying to get Soso Trucking, Inc.’s, check honored, as indicated above.

Appellee, Southern Insurance Company, contends that it did not actually know of the cancellation of the policy by its agent, Dupuy-Busching, at this time. Because of the loss of a reinsurance contract with an unnamed company, Southern’s office in Dallas, Texas, mailed a cancellation notice of the policy in question directly to the appellant on March 22, 1967. Thereafter, Southern was able to obtain a new “reinsurance contract,” whereupon Southern then sent appellant, by mail, a notice of reinstatement of the policy in question with effective date of March 22, 1967. Apparently, subsequent to receiving the notice of reinstatement from Southern, appellant received the notice of cancellation the following day from Southern out of Dallas, Texas. The notice of cancellation was dated March 22, 1967, and the cancellation was to be effective April 1, 1967. Moreover a final notice of cancellation was sent by Southern to Appellant on May 11, 1967, to be effective May 22, 1967.

On March 28, 1967, the wreck of the tractor-trailer insured under the policy in question occurred. The tractor-trailer struck a bridge between West Point, Mississippi, and Starkville, Mississippi, and was totally destroyed.

The check for $3,500 written on February 22, 1967, by Soso Trucking, Inc., to Central cleared the bank, according to the bank perforations on the check, on March 31, 1967.

As aforementioned, the effective date of the notice of cancellation of the policy sent out by Southern from Dallas on March 22, 1967, was April 1, 1967, and final notice of cancellation was effective May 22, 1967.

From the foregoing résumé it appears that a rider had been attached to the original insurance policy issued by the insurance company on February 21, 1967, insuring two additional units, number six (tractor-truck) and number seven (trailer unit). The effective date of the rider was March 17, 1967. These two units were totally destroyed on March 28, 1967. At the time the property was destroyed the insurance company had reinstated the insurance policy effective March 22, 1967. It was later cancelled effective April 1, 1967, first, and later a notice was given cancelling the policy by the insurance company to become effective May 22, 1967. Both cancellation dates were effective after the accident and loss of the insured vehicles.

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Bluebook (online)
236 So. 2d 398, 1970 Miss. LEXIS 1486, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/soso-trucking-inc-v-central-insurance-agency-miss-1970.