Munson v. German Fire Insurance
Munson v. German Fire Insurance
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
The policy of insurance on which the pending action was brought was issued to George B. Breon, who was the equitable owner of the property insured. Being indebted to the plaintiff as trustee for unpaid purchase money, the policy was assigned to him about three weeks after it was issued. The assignment was indorsed on the back of the policy and the company, through its agent, assented théreto. The plaintiff’s evidence was to the effect that the defendant was informed of the situation of the parties and that the insured desired to protect the plaintiff as a creditor; that the assignment was to be made as collateral security for the plaintiff’s debt and that the defendant’s agent advised them to make it for that purpose. After the assignment was executed, the policy was delivered to the plaintiff. Payments were made by the insured on the plaintiff’s debt from time to time, and at the date of the fire the purchase money was paid in .full. The title, however, had not been delivered by the plaintiff to Breon. Defense is now made against the payment of the loss to the
It is contended, however, that the action cannot -be maintained in the name,of the plaintiff. This objection is so technical that it ought to be supported by very persuasive reasons. The plaintiff has the legal title to the policy by permission of Breon.'and with the consent of the company. It was assigned to him to secure his indebtedness. By that assignment he was invested with the right to maintain an action thereon in his own name under the Act of March 14, 1873, P. L. 46. If the debt for which the assignment was made has been paid, the plaintiff holds the policy as trustee for the assignor in whose favor the insurance was taken and whoso right to indemnity is not destroyed when the plaintiff’s debt is paid. If there had been an absolute assignment of the policy, as in the case of the sale of land and the transfer of the policy of insurance on the buildings thereon to the purchaser, it may be conceded that the rights of the vendor under the policy would cease, but the evidence here shows, as we have seen, that tbe only object moving the parties to execute and receive the assignment was the securing of the plaintiff’s claim. Breon is co-operating with the plaintiff in collecting the claim as the evidence shows, and his interests under the policy are represented by the plaintiff in the action. It is a matter of no concern, therefore, to the defendant, how the plaintiff and Breon dispose of the proceeds of a judgment obtained in the action. We are of the opinion that the light of action in his own name which the plaintiff obtained by virtue of the assignment continues with the consent of Breon, and that on the facts shown a recovery may be had in the name of the plaintiff. This being so, the proofs of loss were properly furnished by the
The remaining defense relied upon was the omission of the plaintiff to furnish supplemental proofs of loss on notice from the defendant. The position of the plaintiff on this point was that the company had waived proofs of loss by refusing payment and basing its refusal solely on the ground that the plaintiff had no insurable interest in the property. The fire occurred April 11, 1905. The plaintiff made out proofs of loss May 12, 1905. Soon after the fire Mr. Peaslee, a member of the bar who represented the plaintiff and Mr. Breon, made several demands on Mr. Kuester, the agent of the company, for payment of the claim, and he testifies that as he recollects the conversations the agent declined to pay solely upon the ground that Mr. Munson had no insurable interest in the property. According to the testimony of the witness some of these conversations, at least, took place before the letter of June 5, 1905, from the company, demanding additional proofs, was received. The evidence of Mr. Peaslee was not contradicted, and the court submitted the question to the jury whether there had been a waiver of additional proofs by the company. Under the authorities this question was properly referred to the jury. A denial of liability on other grounds than the want of additional proofs where the loss was total and notice of the fire was immediately sent to the company is a waiver of technical proofs. A waiver of proofs of loss required in a policy may be inferred from any act of the insurer evincing a denial of obligation exclusively for other reasons: Roe v. Dwelling House Ins. Co., 149 Pa. 94 and cases there cited. The policy was assigned in good faith under the direction of the agent, the loss is not denied and we find no substantial merit in the defense set up.
- The assignments are, therefore, overruled and the judgment affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.