Stockberger v. Meridian Mutual Insurance

395 N.E.2d 1272, 182 Ind. App. 566
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedOctober 25, 1979
Docket3-278A46
StatusPublished
Cited by65 cases

This text of 395 N.E.2d 1272 (Stockberger v. Meridian Mutual Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Stockberger v. Meridian Mutual Insurance, 395 N.E.2d 1272, 182 Ind. App. 566 (Ind. Ct. App. 1979).

Opinions

STATON, Judge.

Delbert J. Stockberger owned a 1960 pickup truck which was involved in an accident on August 22, 1974. When Meridian Mutual Insurance Company received Stock-berger’s accident claim, it denied insurance coverage on the truck. Stockberger filed a complaint on contract seeking damages against Meridian and Harvey Clary, d/b/a Rouch Agency. Additionally, Stockberger alleged that Clary was negligent. At the close of Stockberger’s presentation of evidence, the trial court granted motions tendered by Meridian and Clary for judgment on the evidence, pursuant to Ind. Rules of Procedure, Trial Rule 50(A). The court found, as a matter of law, that Stockberger was not entitled to coverage and that Clary was not negligent.

Stockberger appeals. We affirm.

Stockberger’s action against Meridian and Clary developed from the following factual situation. In October, 1973, Stockber-ger purchased a 1960 one-ton pickup truck and a 1952 pickup truck, both not operable and not licensed. Neither vehicle was insured. On February 11, 1974, Clary issued Stockberger a policy with Meridian to renew coverage on a 1963 Vfc-ton pickup truck, effective from April 3, 1974 to October 10, 1974.

Stockberger, Clary, and other gentlemen in the community would often drink their morning coffee together at a coffee shop in Rochester. While they were having their morning coffee one day in May, 1974, Stockberger told Clary that the 1960 pickup was being repaired and would probably be ready for use in 2 weeks. Stockberger and Clary both testified that the conversation occurred, but their recollections of the discussion vary.

Stockberger insisted that he requested Clary to transfer coverage from the 1963 truck to the 1960 truck. He testified that Clary requested the serial numbers from the truck. Stockberger recalled checking for the numbers and was sure that he provided them to Clary at a later date. Clary’s version of the conversation was that he advised Stockberger that the truck should be insured but nothing further was discussed about insurance coverage.

While the truck was being driven by Stockberger’s wife, it was involved in a collision with another motor vehicle on August 22, 1974. Stockberger notified Clary of the accident, but Clary could not find any cards indicating coverage on the 1960 truck. Clary did refer the matter to Meridian. Meridian wrote Stockberger a letter on September 6, 1974 which denied coverage of the 1960 truck and stated that Meridian would not provide a defense for Stockberger in any legal actions arising from the collision.

The 1963 truck was in good condition and had been used as a second vehicle. When the 1960 truck was put into operation, the 1963 truck was parked in Stockberger’s barn lot. Stockberger was not anxious to [1275]*1275sell the 1963 truck at that time, but did sell it in April, 1976. After the accident with the 1960 truck, the 1963 truck was used.

At the time of the accident Stockberger had four vehicles insured through Clary, including the 1963 truck, but not all of the policies on these vehicles were with Meridian. Clary would procure insurance for his customers with any of several companies, depending upon the type of coverage desired. For example, Clary was not aware that Stockberger owned the 1952 truck until after the accident with the 1960 truck occurred.

The relevant provisions of the policy on the 1963 truck are set forth as follows:

“INSURING AGREEMENTS
“1. COVERAGE A — BODILY INJURY LIABILITY.
COVERAGE B — PROPERTY DAMAGE LIABILITY.
“To pay for the Insured all sums which the Insured shall be legally obligated to pay as damages because of:
“A. bodily injury sustained by any person, and
“B. property damage,
“arising out of the ownership, maintenance or use of the described automobile or a non-owned automobile, and to defend any suit against the Insured for such damages, even if groundless, false or fraudulent; but the Company may make such investigation and settlement of any claim or suit as it deems expedient.
* * * * * *
“COVERAGE D — COMPREHENSIVE — EXCLUDING COLLISION.
“1. To pay for direct and accidental loss of or damage to the described automobile or a non-owned automobile except by collision. For the purpose of this coverage, breakage of glass and loss caused by missiles, falling objects, fire, theft or larceny, explosion, earthquake, windstorm, hail, water, flood, malicious mischief or vandalism, riot or civil commotion, or colliding with a bird or animal, shall not be deemed to be loss caused by collision. “PARKED CAR COVERAGE (COVERAGE D).
“2. To pay for damage by collision to the described automobile when such automobile is legally parked except at an automobile business, is not occupied by any person and is in the custody of the named Insured.
* * * * * *
“HI. DEFINITION OF AUTOMOBILE ‘Automobile’ means a land motor vehicle, trailer or semitrailer, and includes its equipment and other equipment permanently attached thereto.
‘Described automobile’ means the private passenger or utility automobile described in the declarations, and also includes:
******
“2. a newly acquired automobile;
***.***
“ ‘Utility automobile’ means an automobile with a load capacity of fifteen hundred pounds or less of the pickup body, sedan delivery or panel truck type.
******
“ ‘Newly acquired automobile’ means a private passenger or utility automobile, ownership of which is acquired by the named Insured:
“1. during the policy period, or
during the last 30 days of the previous policy period and notice of the acquisition has been given to the Company within 30 days after its acquisition; if either it replaces an automobile described in the declarations of this policy or the Company insures all automobiles owned by the named Insured on the delivery date of the newly acquired automobile; provided, the named Insured shall pay any additional premium required because of the application of the insurance to such newly acquired automobile.”

On appeal, the central issue Stockberger raises against Meridian is: was the policy [1276]*1276ambiguous as to the qualifications of a replacement vehicle? He contends that the 1960 truck could not qualify as a replacement vehicle until the time that it was rendered operable for use on the highways. Therefore, he provided timely notice of acquisition to Clary during the conversation in May, 1974.

Meridian maintains that for purposes of the policy provisions the vehicle was acquired in October, 1973. Thus, the requisite 30-day notice of acquisition was not timely.

I.

Automatic Coverage

An automatic insurance clause in standard automobile liability policies is for the insured’s benefit, and

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Indiana Restorative Dentistry, P.C. v. Laven Insurance Agency Inc.
999 N.E.2d 922 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2013)
West Bend Mutual Insurance Co. v. 1st Choice Insurance Services
918 N.E.2d 684 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2009)
Wurster Construction Co. v. Essex Insurance Co.
918 N.E.2d 666 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2009)
Brennan v. Hall
904 N.E.2d 383 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2009)
Billboards 'N' Motion, Inc. v. Saunders-Saunders & Associates, Inc.
879 N.E.2d 1135 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2008)
Harris v. Albrecht
2004 UT 13 (Utah Supreme Court, 2004)
Harris v. Albrecht
2002 UT App 98 (Court of Appeals of Utah, 2002)
American Family Mutual Insurance Co. v. Hall
764 N.E.2d 780 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2002)
Foster v. Auto-Owners Ins., Co.
703 N.E.2d 657 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1998)
Firstmark Standard Life Insurance v. Goss
699 N.E.2d 689 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1998)
Colonial Penn Insurance v. Guzorek
690 N.E.2d 664 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1997)
Colonial Penn Insurance Co. v. Guzorek
669 N.E.2d 1042 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1996)
American Family Mutual Insurance v. Welton
926 F. Supp. 811 (S.D. Indiana, 1996)
Benante v. United Pacific Life Insurance Co.
659 N.E.2d 545 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1995)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
395 N.E.2d 1272, 182 Ind. App. 566, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stockberger-v-meridian-mutual-insurance-indctapp-1979.