Nye-Schneider-Fowler Co. v. Nebraska Lumbermen's Mutual Insurance
Nye-Schneider-Fowler Co. v. Nebraska Lumbermen's Mutual Insurance
Opinion of the Court
Tie facts in this case are not in dispute From the
The question to be determined is the amount of defendant’s liability under its policy. It conceded it was liable for $2,353.57, which it paid. If we place the construction on the policy contended for by plaintiff, then it has not discharged its full liability. On the other hand, if we.con
The appellee contends that the defendant’s liability has been determined by this court in Mangold v. American Ins. Co., 99 Neb. 656. The defendant in this case Avas a party defendant in that case, and contended there, as it does here, as to the construction that should be placed upon the policy, and its contentions in that case were sustained. The appellant insists that the Mangold case is not analogous or decisive of the case under consideration, and that the question in the Mangold case Avas not Avhether there Avere one or two locations, but whether there were two or five locations. The record does not warrant this contention. It is true that in that case the adjusters for a part of the insurance companies arbitrarily undertook to, and did, divide the property into five different premises, and on that basis they reached- the conclusion set forth in the opinion in that case. Rut it was the contention of the appellees, as is contended in this case by the appellee, that there were tAvo premises, places or risks, not five, covered by the policy, and the trial court took the vícav contended for by the defendant insurance companies, and the judgment was-affirmed by this court. In the Mangold case the average clause does not differ from the policy in suit. They are substantially the same. To-construe one is to construe the other. The question involved iii. the case.under discussion Avas fully discussed and decided by this court in the Mangold, case. . Chief Justice Morrissey, in the opinion, says: “Appellees, contend that the main -yard (lots 6, 7, 8 and 9), which "constituted'a single inclosúre, Avas one ‘premises’' o'i-" risk. * * * The (trial) court took the vierv contended for by appellees, and after a careful examination of the record Ave are constrained, to believe that this yard or inclosure is not susceptible.of. the arbitrary division which .the. adjusters attempted to make.’’. The appellee in this-case makes the same contention; that is, that the property insured and destroyed on block eight was one “premises”
The proper construction to be placed upon the policy in suit is that the appellee should pay only such percentage of the face of the policy as the amount of the loss bore to the value of the property insured. Any other construction would not give effect to the average clause as clearly expressed in the policy. This case presents for consideration the same question considered and decided in the Mangold case, and the holding in that case controls this case.
The judgment of the district court is right and is
Affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Nye-Schneider-Fowler Company v. Nebraska Lumbermen's Mutual Insurance Association
- Status
- Published