Vernon Insurance & Trust Co. v. Bank of Toronto
Vernon Insurance & Trust Co. v. Bank of Toronto
Opinion of the Court
Suit upon a policy of fire insurance by appellees against the appellant. A trial by the court resulted in a judgment in favor of appellee, the Bank of Toronto, for $913 and costs. The errors assigned are that the court erred in overruling the demurrer, which was for want of facts to constitute a cause of action to the complaint ; in refusing to permit the appellant to file a demurrer to the evidence; in rendering judgment on the evidence in favor of the appellee; in overruling appellant’s motion for a new trial.
The complaint alleges that the policy was issued to the John Eaton Company, Limited, and that said company after the fire sold and assigned to the appellee Bank of Toronto all its interest in said policy. The objections urged to the complaint are that it does not show that the John Eaton Company, Limited, owned the property either at the time the policy was issued or at the time of the loss.
Because of the foregoing allegations of the complaint, and provision of the policy, appellee claims that the objections to it are not well taken. In numerous cases it has been held that an averment of ownership or of facts showing an insurable interest both at the time of the insurance and of the destruction of the property, is necessary to make
In Aurora Ins. Co. v. Johnson, supra,— from the opinion in which appellee quotes,' — -“all of said property (fully described in schedule A, and filed herewith,) was accidentally and by misfortune totally consumed by fire.” The complaint alleged in terms that the insured had an interest in the property destroyed. The court held that the allegations of loss and damage were sufficient. In Phenix Ins. Co. v. Pickel, 119 Ind. 155, 12 Am. St. 393, cited by appellee, the sufficiency of the complaint was called in question for the first time upon appeal. It was held g’ood. The case is not applicable. When a “complaint is not demurred to, it must be held to be sufficient after verdict, for the reason that its omissions were- probably supplied by the evidence and cured by the verdict.” Cox v. Hunter, 79 Ind. 590.
Th(e other questions discussed may not arise upon a second trial. The judgment is reversed, with instructions to sustain the demurrer to the complaint.
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