Harron v. City of London Fire Insurance
Harron v. City of London Fire Insurance
Opinion of the Court
This is an action to recover five thousand dollars upon an alleged parol contract for the insurance of furniture, etc., in the Southern Hotel, at Bakersfield, in Kern County. The verdict and judgment were for plaintiff, and defendant appeals.
The defendant is a corporation organized under the laws of Great Britain, and does business in the Pacific states and territories under the management of W. J. Callingham, and its head office under Ms charge is in San Francisco. It has local agents in various cities and towns, and on July 6, 1889, its agent at Bakersfield was, and for a long time had been, H. A. Blodget. On that
Blodget had a written commission from defendant, which certifies that he is appointed agent of defendant, with full power to receive proposals for insurance against loss or damage by fire in Bakersfield and vicinity, to fix rates of premium, and to receive moneys on behalf of the City of London Fire Insurance Company, Limited, of London, England, subject to the rules and regulations of said company, and such instructions as may be given from time to time by the general agents of the western department of the United States.” .(The foregoing words in quotation, marks are the only words in the instrument which either grant or restrict the powers of Blodget.) Appellant con
Furthermore, it appears in evidence that defendant had taken policies on the-Southern Hotel; that on April 11, 1889, in a letter to Blodget about those policies, Calling-ham wrote as follows: “I dropped you a line yesterday asking if there would be some insurance required on the hotel furniture and other contents of the building. .... If any insurance is required as suggested, I shall be very glad to give my attention to it ”; and that on April 10th, he had written to Blodget as follows: “If the furniture of the Southern Hotel is to be insured, I could take care of the whole line for you, and would place it in any companies that you specially desire.” We think that this testimony and evidence was sufficient to justify the jury in finding that Blodget had authority to make the contract with
Judgment and order denying the motion for a new trial affirmed.
Sharpstein, J., and Beatty, C. J., concurred.
Hearing in Bank denied.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- M. L. HARRON v. CITY OF LONDON FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY
- Cited By
- 4 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Fire Insurance—Parol Contract — Authority op Special Agent—Instructions from General Agent. — Power given to a special agent of a fire insurance company to receive proposals for insurance, and to receive premiums, subject to the rules of the company and to the instructions given by its general agent, includes power to make a parol contract for insurance sanctioned by instructions from the general agent. In. —Waiver of Written Application — Oral Promise of Policy—Proof of Agent’s Authority. — A declaration by the special agent to the assured, made at the time of his application for insurance, that it was unnecessary for him to make a written application, as the general agent was asking for the insurance, and a promise by the special agent that a policy should be given to the assured which would cover the insurance applied for from the date of the oral application, taken in connection with letters from the general agent asking if the insurance would be required, and promising to give attention to it, and to place the insurance in any companies specially desired, is sufficient proof of the special agent’s authority to hind the company for insurance from the date of the oral application.