Wicke v. Iowa State Insurance

57 N.W. 632, 90 Iowa 4
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedJanuary 27, 1894
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 57 N.W. 632 (Wicke v. Iowa State Insurance) 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
Wicke v. Iowa State Insurance, 57 N.W. 632, 90 Iowa 4 (iowa 1894).

Opinion

Kinne, J.

I. This is an action against the defendant, a mutual insurance company, upon two policies of insurance issued by it. Policy number 34067 was issued to Zabortskey & Loder, on November 12, 1888, for two thousand dollars, on a stock of goods, store furniture, etc., situated in a certain building in Fairfax, Iowa. Policy number 32293 was issued to Joseph Zabortskey for one thousand, five hundred dollars, on the building which contained said goods,- and which was used as a dwelling house and store room. These policies were transferred until finally plaintiff became the owner of them. September 10, 1890, the building and its contents were destroyed by fire. It is alleged that, after the fire, the company was duly notified of the loss, and proofs of loss duly made, as required by the policies. Judgment is asked for three thousand, five hundred and fifty dollars, with interest.' Attached to the petition is a copy of the policy, the application and by-laws of the defendant. The defenses are, as to the first policy: First. Other insurance upon the property, which was concealed from the defendant. Second. A violation of the terms of the policy, in permitting the building in which the insured property was, to be used for purposes other than those set out in the application, and which use increased the risk. Third. Allowing gasoline to be used upon the premises, in violation of the terms of the policy. Fourth. That proofs of loss were not furnished, according to the terms of the policy. As to policy number 32293, the defenses are: First. Change of occupancy of the building, contrary to provisions of the policy. Second. Use of gasoline in violation of the [6]*6terms of the policy. Third. Execution of a mortgage upon the insured building, in violation of terms of the policy. In a reply, plaintiff charges that defendant, with full knowledge of all the matters now relied upon as a defense, received and retains the premium notes, and has received and retained assessments provided for by its by-laws, and has thereby waived its right to insist upon such defenses; that the change of use in the building was a mere casual one, which did not increase the risk, and was not the cause of the fire; that gasoline was used only for testing gasoline stoves as it is ordinarily used in the business of selling such stoves, and that such use did not violate the terms of the policy; that the mortgage referred to was executed, and on December 29, 1888, indexed and filed for record, and recorded, as provided by law, and was notice to defendant, who thereafter made an annual assessment upon the then holder of the policy, and owner of the property, which he paid, and that same, as well as the premium note, is still retained by the defendant, which facts are pleaded as a waiver of defendant’s right to avoid the policy because of the giving of the mortgage. It is further alleged that, after the defendant had full knowledge of all the matters pleaded by it, it demanded of plaintiff further proofs of loss, and compelled the parties to submit to an examination under oath touching the loss, whereby defendant has waived its right to insist upon its defenses. The defendant denies all the allegations of the reply.

II. Appellee files a motion to strike the amended assignment of errors, the additional reply, and the second amendment to the abstract; All these motions must be overruled, as no notice of their filing was given to appellant. Sup. Ct. Eule, section 52.

III. A motion is made to strike the evidence, because the same has not been preserved by a proper bill of exceptions. We think that the motion is not [7]*7well taken, but, in view of wbat is hereafter said, we need not disenss the question further, or cite authorities in support of our conclusion.

IV. It is insisted that there is nothing in the abstract stating that it is an abstract of all the evidence. We have examined it, as well as the amendments thereto, with care, and find nothing therein indicating that it is claimed to be an abstract of all of the evidence. The only reference thereto is in the bill of exceptions, wherein it is stated: “And the above being all the evidence given, received, or offered on the trial of said cause,” etc. There is no doubt that the bill of exceptions contained all of the evidence. But such a statement in the bill of exceptions does not even tend to show that the abstract is an abstract of all of the evidence. We have held that such a statement in the bill of exceptions is not sufficient to show that we have an abstract of all of the evidence before us. Rice v. Plymouth Co., 53 Iowa, 635, 6 N. W. Rep. 23. With this condition of the record, we are limited to a consideration of such questions only as may be determined without reference to the evidence.

V. It is insisted that the court erred in giving the seventh instruction to the jury. It is as follows: “It having been shown by the undisputed evidence that after the mortgage referred to., covering the building insured under policy number 32293, was executed and acknowledged, and duly recorded and indexed in the recorder’s office of Linn county, Iowa, the defendant received and accepted from the assured payment of a premium on said policy, which defendant has since retained, the defendant is deemed to have thereby-waived the forfeiture of said policy 'by reason of said mortgage, and you will not consider said mortgage as constituting a defense to said policy, but will find for the plaintiff on that defense.” In the application upon which the policy was issued, the assured was asked, [8]*8“(12) Is the property mortgaged?” which he answered, “No.” One of the conditions of the policy was: “Should there afterwards, during the life of the policy, an incumbrance fall or be executed upon the property insured, this policy shall be void, until the consent of the company in writing, signed by the secretary, is obtained thereto, and indorsed on or attached to said policy.” In support of the instruction, Code, section 1944, is relied upon. It reads: “The recorder must indorse upon every- instrument properly filed in his office for record, the hour when it was so filed, and shall forthwith make the entries provided for in the preceding section [indexing the instrument], except that of the book and page where the record of the instrument may be found, and, from that time, such entries shall furnish constructive notice to all persons of the rights of the grantee conferred by such instrument.” By the instruction the jury were told that the filing, indexing, and recording of the mortgage would be constructive notice to defendant that such a mortgage had been executed upon the insured property, and any act of theirs done thereafter must be presumed to have been done with such knowledge. We think this instruction was clearly wrong. The statute makes such a filing notice to all persons of the rights of the grantee thereunder. No rights of the grantee or mortgagee acquired under the mortgage are involved in this action. The mortgagee is not a party to this proceeding; its determination can in no event affect his claim. By the contract of insurance, defendant did not acquire an interest in the property, in the sense that it could control it. Such contracts are purely personal in character. I May, Insurance, section 6. Furthermore, the statute by the language, “all persons,” evidently refers to persons dealing with reference to the title to the land,— those acquiring some interest in it, or lien upon it, — as purchasers, mortgagees, and the like. By its contract, [9]

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
57 N.W. 632, 90 Iowa 4, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wicke-v-iowa-state-insurance-iowa-1894.