Kirshbaum v. Hanover Fire Insurance
Kirshbaum v. Hanover Fire Insurance
Opinion of the Court
This action was brought by the appellant against the Hanover Fire Insurance Company to recover for a loss by fire to certain buildings and machinery of the Portland Milling Company. Jacob R, Jones and the appellee, Hanlin, were made parties defendant. The cause was put at issue and was tried by the court. At the request of the appellant, the plaintiff below, the court made a special finding of the facts, and thereon stated its conclusions of law. To the conclusion of law, the appellant excepted. Over appellant’s motion for a new trial, and exception, judgment was rendered in favor of appellee, Hanlin, for 1821.34.
The facts found by the court were substantially as follows: On the 21st day of October, 1886, the Port
The Hanover Fire Insurance Company, by agreement made in open court with the appellant and appellee, Hanlin, and receiver Jones, paid into court the sum of $821.34, and ten dollars for costs, and was discharged from further liability on account of the policy sued on. Neither the appellee, Hanlin, nor the receiver, ever saw the policy in suit until the day of the trial
. “1st. That the plaintiff, Raphael Kirshbaum, take nothing by his complaint.
“2d. That the cross-complainant, Jacob R. Jones, receiver of the Portland Milling Company, take nothing by his cross-complaint.
“3d. That the cross-complainant, John T. Hanlin, should have and recover of and from the defendant, the Hanover Fire Insurance Company, the sum of $821.34.
“4th. That the cross-complainant, John T. Hanlin, should have and recover of and from the defendants to his cross-complaint, to-wit: Raphael Kirshbaum and Jacob R. Jones, receiver, his costs by him in this suit paid, laid out and expended, except such costs herein as have been paid by the defendant, the Hanover Fire Insurance Company.”
The first error assigned calls in question the ruling of the court in admitting John T. Hanlin as party defendant on his own application. In his application, he shows that he is a stockholder in the milling company on whose property the policy in the suit was issued; that the policy should have been made payable to him, and not to the appellant, but by mistake of the insurance company’s agent, and without his knowledge or consent, the policy was made payable to the appellant, of which fact he was ignorant until after the insured property was destroyed by fire; and that he paid for the insurance for which suit is brought by the appellant. We think this shows that he has such an interest in the subject-matter as entitles him to be made a party defendant, under section 274, Burns’ R. S. 1894 (273, R. S., 1881). Pickrell v. Jerauld, 1 Ind. App. 10.
The demurrer to the second paragraph of appel
As we view the special finding, it must be considered as based' exclusively upon the second paragraph of the cross-complaint of Hanlin. This being true there could be no reversible error in overruling the demurrer to .the first paragraph to appellee, Hanlin’s cross-complaint. If there was error in such ruling it was harmless. Chicago, etc., R. R. Co. v. Fenn, 3 Ind. App. 250; Taylor v. Wootan, 1 Ind. App. 188; Hill v. Pollard, 132 Ind. 588.
The demurrer to the second paragraph of the cross-complaint was for want of facts; and, “2. That there is a defect of parties plaintiff in this, that Ira Denney, John R. Perry, Patterson M. Hearn, and A. Bergman should.be made parties defendant.”
In any view of the pleader’s meaning, the presence of the parties named was not necessary to a complete determination of the issues between the appellant and the appellee, Hanlin. They had paid nothing by reason of their suretyship, but all that had been paid was paid by the appellee, Hanlin, and the amount paid by him was in excess of the whole insurance: Nor did they pay or agree to pay the premium, or any part of it. Under an agreement to which the appellant was a party, the insurance company had paid into court the amount for which it was agreed it was lia
As the insurance company’s liability on the policy had been determined by an agreement in court, there could be no necessity for a reformation of the policy. The appellant admits, in his brief, that the facts found are almost identical with the averments of the second paragraph of appellee, Hanlin’s cross-complaint. The facts found are substantially the facts alleged in that paragraph of the cross-complaint, and by his exceptions to the conclusions of law the appellant admitted, for the purpose of the exception, that the facts were fully and correctly found by the court McCrory v. Little, Gdn., 136 Ind. 86; Blair v. Blair, 131 Ind. 194; Warren v. Sohn, 112 Ind. 213.
From the facts found, the conclusions of law, stated by the court, necessarily follow, that the appellant take nothing by his complaint, and that the appellee, Hanlin, was entitled to recover from the defendant insurance company the sum of $821.34, and from the defendants to his cross-complaint, Kirshbaum and Jones, receiver, his costs, except such costs as had been paid by the insurance company.
A new trial is asked because the finding is not sustained by the evidence, and that it is contrary to law. We have carefully examined the record and it cer
It is also urged that the court erred in permitting certain impeaching questions to be asked a witness for the appellant, and in admitting the impeaching evidence itself, for the reason that the time fixed was too indefinite. In fixing the time of a conversation the words “about one year ago” were used, and objection is made to this part of the question only.
In laying the foundation for the impeachment of a witness, the time and place of the conversation, and the person with whom it was held, should be specified with sufficient definiteness to enable the witness clearly to identify it. The name of the person and the particular building in which the conversation in question took place are given. In the case of Bennett v. O’Byrne, 23 Ind. 604, it is said: “The rule upon this subject is a practical one, and is founded upon clear principles of common sense. The exact time of a conversation it is often impossible to fix, and to require it would be simply to cut off all opportunity of impeachment in such cases. The object to be attained is to call the witness’ attention to a particular conversation, so that he may not be taken by surprise. * * * Usually, dates are the least efficient of all means which can be used to refresh one’s memory of events, and sometimes they afford no aid whatever.” Under the circumstances of this case, we think the foundation for the inpeaching evidence was sufficient.
The only remaining error complained of by appellant, in his brief, is in refusing to allow the plaintiff to
We find no error in tbe record for wbicb tbe judgment should be reversed.
Judgment affirmed.
Black, J., absent.
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