Western Casualty & Surety Co. v. Lund

234 F.2d 916
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
DecidedJuly 13, 1956
DocketNo. 5297
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 234 F.2d 916 (Western Casualty & Surety Co. v. Lund) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Western Casualty & Surety Co. v. Lund, 234 F.2d 916 (10th Cir. 1956).

Opinion

BRATTON, Chief Judge.

The Western Casualty & Surety Company, hereinafter referred to as Western, instituted this action against Donald Herbert Sprague, hereinafter referred to as Sprague, Halliburton Oil Well Cementing Company, hereinafter referred to as Halliburton, and Billy Fred Lund, hereinafter referred to as Lund, for a declaratory judgment determining the rights and obligations of the parties in respect to a certain policy of automobile liability insurance issued by Western. The Standard Insurance Company, hereinafter referred to as Standard, later became a party defendant. These facts were established at the trial. Sprague was an employee of Halliburton. On January 17, 1954, Sprague purchased a DeSoto automobile in Duncan, Oklahoma; and on the same day, Duncan Finance Company purchased the note given in payment for the automobile. L. A. Edwards, hereinafter referred to as Edwards, was a co-partner in the ownership and management of the finance company; and Edwards was also local agent at Duncan for Standard. Acting through Edwards as its local agent, Standard issued to Sprague its policy of automobile insurance covering liability arising out of the operation of the DeSoto automobile. The limits of liability in the policy were $5,000 for each person, $10,000 for each accident, and $5,000 for property damage for each accident. The policy was not delivered to Sprague. It was retained in the files of the finance company. On February 15, 1954, Sprague applied to Edwards for insurance coverage with limits of $50,000 for each person, and $100,000 for each accident. Edwards immediately wrote a letter addressed “To Whom It May Concern” in which it was stated that the coverage of the policy issued to Sprague was being increased to $50,000 and $100,000, respectively; and he gave the letter to Sprague for delivery to Halliburton. Sometime after Sprague left with the letter, Edwards recalled or realized that Sprague was under 25 years of age and that it was not the policy of Standard to issue policies of the enlarged amounts stated in the letter to persons under that age. R. K. Arnold, hereinafter referred to as Arnold, was the agent of Western in Duncan. The next morning after Sprague left with the letter stating that the Standard policy had been increased in amounts, Edwards requested Arnold to issue and mail to Edwards a policy covering Sprague’s liability arising out of the operation of the DeSoto automobile with limits of $50,000 for each person, $100,000 for each accident, and $5,000 for property damage for each accident. Arnold issued and mailed to Edwards the policy of Western, dated February 16, [918]*9181954. By letter dated February 16,1954, Edwards advised Sprague that the Standard policy was being cancelled, effective that day; that Arnold was writing Sprague a policy with limits of $50,000 and $100,000; and that the reason for such action was that Standard did not desire to insure persons under 25 years of age for such higher limits. On February 16 or 17, Sprague traded the DeSoto for a Ford; and later he traded the Ford for an Oldsmobile. On February 17, Edwards received from Arnold the Western policy. On the same day, Edwards understood that the DeSoto had been repossessed, and he thereupon returned the Western policy to Arnold and requested that it be canceled flat. Arnold ran through a flat cancellation of the Western policy and returned such policy to Western. On March 8, 1954, the Oldsmobile was involved in an accident. Lund sued Sprague and Halliburton in the state court for damages arising out of the accident. Demand was made upon Western to defend on behalf of Sprague and Halliburton the action in the state court and to pay within the limits of the policy any judgment recovered against them. The court, in this proceeding for a declaratory judgment, determined that at the time of the accident the policy issued by Standard was effectively canceled; that Standard bore no liability in connection with the accident; and that the policy issued by Western was in effect. Judgment was entered accordingly and Western appealed.

The first contention urged for reversal of the judgment is that the policy issued by Western was never delivered to Sprague and never became effective. Edwards acted as agent or broker for Sprague in obtaining such policy. And the delivery of the policy to Edwards constituted delivery to Sprague. Tarleton v. De Veuve, 9 Cir., 113 F.2d 290, 132 A.L.R. 343, certiorari denied 312 U.S. 691, 61 S.Ct. 710, 85 L.Ed. 1127. The premium was not paid upon delivery of the policy to Edwards. But Edwards had from time;to time obtained policies of insurance from Arnold, and it was their custom and practice for Arnold to submit monthly statements covering the premiums on such policies and for the finance company to make payment according to such statements. In the issuance and delivery of the policy in question, Arnold looked to the finance company for payment of the premium in accordance with such custom and practice. Edwards expected the finance company to make payment upon receipt of the monthly statement. And where credit is extended for the premium on a policy of insurance in accordance with a prevailing usage and custom, the policy becomes effective upon its delivery. Miller v. Life Insurance Co., 12 Wall. 285, 26 L.Ed. 398; Insurance Co. v. Colt, 20 Wall. 560, 22 L.Ed. 423; Smith v. Provident Savings Life Assurance Society of New York, 6 Cir., 65 F. 765.

The further contention is in substance that Edwards had general authority to return the policy issued by Western, and that when he returned such policy to Arnold its coverage was effectively terminated. Edwards was not the general agent or broker of Sprague with power to procure insurance from time to time in order to keep Sprague continuously protected against liability arising out of the operation of the DeSoto. He was authorized to act as agent or broker for Sprague in obtaining a policy of insurance for the increased amounts, respectively.. But he was not expressly authorized to cancel the insurance after it was issued. And express authority of an agent or broker to procure insurance does-not of itself create implied authority to effectuate cancellation of the insure anee after it has been obtained. Grace v. American Central Insurance Co., 109 U.S. 278, 3 S.Ct. 207, 27 L.Ed. 932; Spann v. Commercial Standard Insurance. Co. of Dallas, Texas, 8 Cir., 82 F.2d 593; Hermann v. Niagara Fire Insurance Co., 100 N.Y. 411, 3 N.E. 341; Michelson v. Franklin Fire Insurance Co., 252 Mass. 336, 147 N.E. 851; Insurance Co. of North America v. Forcheimer, 86 Ala. 541, 5 So. 870; Urey v. Southern Fire Insurance Co., 197 N.C, 385, 148 S.E. 432; Waterloo Lumber Co. v. Des Moines Insurance Co., 158 Iowa 563, 138 [919]*919N.W. 504, 51 L.R.A.,N.S., 539; Quong Tue Sing v. Anglo-Nevada Assurance Corp., 86 Cal. 566, 25 P. 58, 10 L.R.A. 144; Emery v. Pacific Employers Insurance Co., 8 Cal.2d 663, 67 P.2d 1046; Moser Manufacturing Co. v. Donegal & Conoy Mutual Fire Insurance Co., 362 Pa. 110, 66 A.2d 581.

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Western Casualty & Surety Company v. Lund
234 F.2d 916 (Tenth Circuit, 1956)

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234 F.2d 916, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/western-casualty-surety-co-v-lund-ca10-1956.