Williams v. New Brunswick Fire Insurance

1935 OK 520, 45 P.2d 127, 172 Okla. 135, 1935 Okla. LEXIS 388
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedMay 7, 1935
DocketNo. 24136.
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 1935 OK 520 (Williams v. New Brunswick Fire Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Williams v. New Brunswick Fire Insurance, 1935 OK 520, 45 P.2d 127, 172 Okla. 135, 1935 Okla. LEXIS 388 (Okla. 1935).

Opinion

CORN, J.

The parties will be referred to herein - as they appeared in the court below.

This suit was commenced in the district court of McCurtain county, on June 2, 1931, by E. Williams, plaintiff in error, plaintiff below, against the New Brunswick Fire Insurance Company, defendant in error, defendant below, by filing in said court a petition for the recovery of damages upon a certain fire insurance policy resulting from loss caused by destruction by fire of certain household goods covered by said policy of insurance.

The petition sets forth three separate causes of action, but as the third cause of action is not briefed or argued by the plaintiff in error, we will treat the same as abandoned.

In the first cause of action it is alleged, among other things, that the defendant, prior to January 24, 1931, and for a valuable consideration, issued to the plaintiff a certain fire insurance policy, insuring the plaintiff against loss and damage by fire on certain household goods, while located in a dwelling situated upon lot 6, block 3, of the Dennison addition to the city of Idabel, Okla., in the sum of $2,000. That said policy was in force on the 24th day of January, 1931, and that while located- as aforesaid, on said date, the said household goods were totally .destroyed by fire and the plaintiff had sustained a loss in the sum of $2,800, and asked for judgment for $2,000 for the full amount of said policy.

In the second cause of action it was alleged practically the same state of facts as set forth in the first cause of action, relative to the issuance and liability of the defendant under said policy, also the loss sustained by the fire on January 24, 1931. In addition thereto it was further alleged, among other things, that soon after the loss occasioned by said fire and prior to the filing of this suit, on January 30, 1931, the plaintiff and the defendant, by its claim adjuster, reached an amicable agreement as to the amount to be paid by the defendant and accepted by the plaintiff in satisfaction of said loss and damages resulting from the destruction of said household goods by said fire. That the amount agreed upon in reaching said settlement of said damages was $968.75, which amount was accepted and approved by the defendant; that the defendant thereafter, and pursuant to said agreement, sent to its agent in Idabel a check for the said sum of $968.T5 to be delivered to the plaintiff in satisfaction of said claim, pursuant to said agreement. But before said check was delivered, defendant repudiated said agreement and recalled said check; and by reason of said agreement of settlement defendant became liable to the plaintiff in the sum of $968.75, less the sum of $500 paid on April 27, 1931, and praying for judgment in the second cause of action in the sum of $468.75.

The defendant filed its answer, in which it admitted the issuance of the policy and the provisions in said policy providing for the loss by fire of said household goods located upon said lot; and also admitted that said household goods were destroyed by fire while located in said dwelling and that the plaintiff claimed damages by reason of said loss. Defendant denied the value of said property and further pleaded as a defense that this defendant and said plaintiff compromised said claim of said plaintiff against defendant, and defendant had made a complete settlement with said plaintiff for any damages, or sum due, for the sum of $500, and that said sum of $500 was paid by defendant to plaintiff and by the plaintiff accepted in full settlement of any and all claims and demands whatsoever against the defendant.

That in payment of said sum of $500 by the defendant to said plaintiff, the defendant issued its draft in said amount, and that said plaintiff signed receipt on the back of said draft which receipt is in words as follows, to wit:

*137 “In consideration of the sum hereby paid, all claims and demands whatsoever against the New Brunswick Fire Insurance Company, New York, under this policy by reason of the within mentioned claim for loss and damage, were released, settled and forever discharged.
“(Signed) E. Williams.”

—and made said draft exhibit to answer.

The defendant further pleaded that after the draft was delivered to said plaintiff and the same was signed by him, he delivered it to Dan Strawn Insurance Agency, local agent for said defendant, with the request that same be cashed and that the proceeds from said draft in currency be delivered to said plaintiff, and that said draft was cashed at the Idabel National Bank in Ida-bel, and that- said sum of $500 in currency was paid to said plaintiff, E. Williams, and the said plaintiff, E. Williams, signed a receipt for said sum and delivered same to said local agent of said .defendant company, which receipt is in words and figures as follows, to wit:

“Idabel, Oklahoma
“Apr. 28, 1931.
“Received from Dan Strawn the sum of five hundred and no/100 dollars ($500.00), in currency, said money being the proceeds from a draft in said amount drawn -by the New Brunswick Fire Insurance Company in favor of Dr. E. Williams in full and complete settlement of any and all claims which the said Dr. E. Williams has or may have against said New Brunswick Fire Insurance Company under its policy No. DFW-146 issued at its Idabel, Oklahoma, agency.”
“Witnesses:
“R. D. Hanawalt.
“(Signed). Dr. Williams,
“A. H. Smith.”

That said plaintiff, E. Williams, surrendered to the defendant for cancellation of said insurance policy No. DFW-146 and released and discharged this defendant from any and all liability to the plaintiff for the payment of any and all sums whatsoever. The answer of the defendant to the second cause of action adopted the allegations contained in its answer to plaintiff’s first cause of action and makes the same a part hereof as if fully copied herein.

Plaintiff in his reply to the answer filed by the defendant denies that he and the defendant compromised and settled the $968.75 claim of plaintiff for $500, and denies that the $500 paid plaintiff by defendant was in full settlement and satisfaction of plaintiff’s claim against the defendant, admitting that he signed the receipts shown as exhibits B and O, but states that said receipts were without consideration as release of and satisfaction of plaintiff’s claim against defendant in full. That by agreement and settlement between the plaintiff and defendant as set forth in plaintiff’s second cause of action, the amount due plaintiff was $968.75, and was agreed upon and liquidated, and that the purported proof of loss as set forth in exhibit A to defendant’s amended answer was procured by a fraud, and that exhibits B and O were obtained from him by means of duress and menace practiced upon him by the agents and servants of the defendant; that he was struck and beaten by one Arthur Oallihan and that unless he accepted the $500 and signed the receipts that he would kill him, and that through fear of being arrested and through fear of receiving other bodily harm, he accepted said $500 and signed said receipts.

The facts of this case are substantially as follows:

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Related

Shadid v. Monsour
1987 OK CIV APP 48 (Court of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma, 1987)
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82 N.W.2d 656 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1957)
Williams v. Williams
1954 OK 199 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1954)

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Bluebook (online)
1935 OK 520, 45 P.2d 127, 172 Okla. 135, 1935 Okla. LEXIS 388, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/williams-v-new-brunswick-fire-insurance-okla-1935.