United States Fidelity & Guaranty Co. v. George S. Schauer Co.

126 N.E. 860, 73 Ind. App. 171, 1920 Ind. App. LEXIS 84
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 6, 1920
DocketNo. 10,304
StatusPublished

This text of 126 N.E. 860 (United States Fidelity & Guaranty Co. v. George S. Schauer Co.) 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
United States Fidelity & Guaranty Co. v. George S. Schauer Co., 126 N.E. 860, 73 Ind. App. 171, 1920 Ind. App. LEXIS 84 (Ind. Ct. App. 1920).

Opinion

Nichols, C. J.

The complaint in this cause avers in substance that appellant was a surety company and authorized to transact business in this state. On September 20, 1912, the Reliable Construction Company [172]*172entered into a written contract with the city of Indianapolis to construct a local sewer in Cornelius avenue, and that said construction company, as principal, and appellant, as surety, executed a construction bond, conditioned among other things that said principal would faithfully comply with the conditions of its contract, including the obligation to pay any and all moneys due' to any person or persons furnishing material to be used in the construction of said improvements. On October 28, 1912, said construction company for a consideration executed its written assignment of said contract with the city to appellee George S. Schauer Company, which assignment was accepted on said day, and the Schauer company agreed to be bound by the terms and conditions of said contract. On said day appellant consented to execute its written assent to the assignment and on said day the city consented and approved such assignment. On October 28, 1912, said Schauer company and the testatrix, Mary E. Zimmer, for a good and sufficient consideration, executed to appellant a written indemnity contract, which, omitting acknowledgment, is as follows :

“Indianapolis, Indiana, October 28, 1912.
“Whereas on September 20, 1912, a certain contract was entered into between the Reliable Construction Compány and the City of Indianapolis, by the terms of which the said Reliable Construction Company agreed to construct a local sewer in Cornelius Ave. from Maple Road to 44th Street under Improvement Resolution No. 6877 for the consideration and upon the conditions stated in said contract;
“And whereas the United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company of Baltimore, Maryland, is .surety upon the bond given to secure the faithful performance of said contract, which bond is in the penal sum of eight thousand one hundred nineteen dollars forty cents, ($8,119.40) ;
“And whereas said Reliable Construction Com[173]*173pany has defaulted in.the performance of said contract and is unable to proceed with and complete the work covered thereby;
“And whereas said contract, for value received, has been assigned to George S. Schauer Company, which company has assumed all the obligations of said contract and has agreed to proceed with the construction of said sewer under the terms of said contract, and to complete the same with despatch;
“And whereas said George S. Schauer Company has requested said United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company to continue as surety upon the bond guaranteeing the performance of said contract, as aforesaid, which the said United States Fidelity Company has consented to do;
“Now therefore, in consideration thereof, the said George S. Schauer Company, as principal and Mary E. Zimmer, as surety, hereby indemnify and agree to save harmless the said United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company from any and all loss and damage and expense of whatsoever description, including court costs and attorneys’ fees, which the said United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company may sustain by reason of its continuance as surety upon said bond.
“And the said George S. Schauer Company, and Mary E. Zimmer, as surety, hereby agree to reimburse the United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company for any and all loss and damage or expense of whatsoever description, including court costs and attorneys’ fees which the said United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company may sustain by reason of its continuance as surety upon said bond.
“George S. Schauer Company.
By George S. Schauer, Pres.
Mary E. Zimmer.”

Said Schauer company became indebted to divers persons and companies, for which indebtedness judgments were rendered in due course of law against said Schauer company and appellant, as its surety, in the total sum of $29,444.80, and appellant was compelled to, and did, pay the total amount of said judgments. That in the defense of the actions out of which said judgments [174]*174grew, appellant incurred attorneys’ fees and other expenses in the total sum of $500. Due notice was given to the testatrix, Mary E. Zimmer, of the commencement of each of said actions, but in each case she failed to come into court and defend. There was a demand for judgment in the sum of $4,000.

Appelleé Schauer company answered by general denial and made no contest, has not disputed the judgment taken against it, and is not resisting the present appeal. The defendant Mary E. Zimmer now represented by her executor, Joseph F. Zimmer, demurred to the complaint for want of facts, which presented the question as to whether there was any consideration for the indemnity bond sued on, in view of the then present liability of the appellant upon the bond given by it for the performance of the same contract by another obligor. This demurrer was overruled and thereupon said defendant answered in three paragraphs, the first being a general denial; the second, no consideration; and the third, that her signature to the bond' was procured by fraudulent representation.

The case was put at issue by a reply and denial. Thereafter and before trial, the defendant Mary E. Zimmer died, and appellee as her executor, was substituted. Change was taken from the Hon.'Linn D. Hay, of Marion Superior Court, and the cause was tried by a jury before the Hon. John J. Rochford, regular judge of such superior court. At the conclusion of the appellant’s evidence appellee Zimmer moved the court to direct a verdict in his favor, which motion was sustained, and the jury was instructed to return a verdict for the appellant as against appellee Schauer company in the sum of $4,050, and in favor of appellee Jos. F. Zimmer as against appellant. Judgment was rendered on the verdict, and, after motion for a new trial which was overruled, this appeal.

[175]*175The only error assigned is the ruling of the court in overruling appellant’s motion for a new trial. The grounds of the motion which are presented are that the verdict is not supported by sufficient evidence; that the verdict'is contrary to law; error of the court in directing the jury to return a verdict in favor of appellee Jos. F. Zimmer, executor of the last will of Mary E. Zimmer. There was evidence in proof of all of the averments of the complaint. A demurrer to the complaint had been overruled. If this ruling, which was made by the first judge to whom the cause was submitted, was correct, then the-action of the judge who presided at the trial in directing a verdict was error, and the ruling of the court in overruling the motion for a new trial was error.

It is contended by appellee that the indemnifying bond was executed without consideration.

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Bluebook (online)
126 N.E. 860, 73 Ind. App. 171, 1920 Ind. App. LEXIS 84, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-fidelity-guaranty-co-v-george-s-schauer-co-indctapp-1920.