Phillips v. General Adjustment Bureau
Phillips v. General Adjustment Bureau
Opinion of the Court
The defendant-appellant, General Adjustment Bureau,
The adjustment of loss involved was for $6,680.09. The companies involved under the terms of the policies in question were to divide the loss on a •pro rata basis. A proof of loss was prepared, after the 60-day period required for filing a sworn proof of loss, signed by the plaintiffs and submitted to each insurance company.
The Insurance Company of North America paid its pro rata share but Washington Mutual Company refused payment on the grounds that the insurance policy had been cancelled prior to the loss; that it had not received proof of loss within the 60-day provision of the policy; and that General had no authority to act as an adjuster for Washington Mutual.
At trial, the Insurance Company of North America was granted a directed verdict. of no cause of action, upon the court’s finding that no valid cancellation of Washington Mutual’s policy at the time of the loss had been effected; and because the Insurance Company of North America had already paid its pro rata share, if had' no further liability to the plaintiffs. No appeal was taken,- from that order. , -
As to General, the trial court found that its'representations, though innocent, were in fact false, detrimental to the plaintiffs, and hence actionable. General was found liable to the plaintiffs in the amount of $3,215.05.
In its first assignment of error, and the only one we treat for we find it dispositive of the appeal, General attacks the trial court’s finding that an innocent misrepresentation is actionable in spite of the fact that General “did not actually profit” as a result of. the misrepresentation.
It is extremely difficult to ascertain from this record the role played by the Davis-Grant agency, but in deciding this issue we must assume that the agency did not properly retain General to act in behalf of the companies involved.
This State takes a minority position when dealing with the area of innocent misrepresentation. The Michigan rule is stated in 23 Am Jur, Fraud and Deceit, § 120, p 908, as follows:
See Rosenberg v. Cyrowski (1924), 227 Mich 508; Aldrich v. Scribner (1908), 154 Mich 23; Strand v. Librascope, Incorporated (ED Mich SD, 1961), 197 F Supp 743; Dykema v. Muskegon Piston Ring Company (1957), 348 Mich 129.
The plaintiffs cite cases to support their claim that a benefit to the party making the misrepresentation need not be present to uphold the injured party’s right to' recovery. All of the cited cases dealt with intentional fraud, however, we do not find them helpful authority here, where any misrepresentation made was admittedly unintentional. Whatever the rule may be elsewhere, Michigan requires a benefit to inure to the person making an innocent misrepresentation in order to render him liable to a party relying on it to his detriment.
The trial judge found that General had billed Washington Mutual for adjustment services but it -had not been established that General had been paid. The fact that General has an ostensible claim against Washington Mutual might be considered a benefit,
Reversed, costs to appellant.
Hereinafter referred to as General.
Concurring Opinion
(concurring). I concur in the result arrived at by my colleagues, but I prefer to plant my reversal solely on the following:
On April 12, 1966, plaintiffs, by their attorneys, filed the following discontinuance: ■
“Now come the plaintiffs ■ by their attorneys, Weiss & Bacalis, and herewith discontinue any claim against the Washington Mutual Insurance Company for the reason that plaintiffs now recognize that the defendant, Washington Mutual Insurance Company, has effected a valid cancellation of its policy number 105014 and that said policy was not in full force and effect when the plaintiffs sustained their casualty loss on December the 9th, 1963.”
Notwithstanding the discontinuance which was a' matter of record and called to the attention of the court, a written opinion was filed in which the court gave judgment for plaintiffs against General Adjustment Bureau. In the opinion'the court stated:
“Everyone acted on the assumption that the Washington Mutual Insurance policy was in full force and effect and the error was not discovered until after the aforementioned events.” (Emphasis supplied.)
Inasmuch as the plaintiffs’ policy was canceled at the time of the loss, they cannot complain and, in fact, should have known that any “innocent misrepresentation” by. General Adjustment was not detrimental to plaintiffs.
For the above reasons I join in the reversal.
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