Farmers & Breeders Mutual Reserve Fund Live Stock Insurance v. Elliott
Farmers & Breeders Mutual Reserve Fund Live Stock Insurance v. Elliott
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
The questions presented by this appeal have been considered in two recent opinions by this court. This action is brought to recover premiums due on policies of live stock insurance. The court- below deemed the affidavit of defense insufficient and entered a summary judg
The policies, issued on the 10th of August, 1912, insured a number of horses for five years; the premiums accruing thereon were payable quarterly. The first premium continued the insurance until November 30th, and under paragraph two of the policies thirty days grace was added in which to pay the next premium due. The appellant, not having paid the premium due November 30th, and thereafter declining to pay premiums during the remaining five years, this action was brought to recover for all premiums accruing during this period.
The affidavit of defense in effect stated that seven of the horses insured under the policies died during the first period in which the insurance was effective; and in accordance with the terms of the policies due notice of the loss was given and a demand for payment of the insured value of the animals, $1,050, was made upon the company ; it declined to pay and the policies were then duly surrendered for cancellation. Under the terms thereof they expired, or in other words, were void. _ The affidavit also averred that eleven of the horses were sold. Although a little ambiguous as to the date of the sale, there is no doubt that some of the horses were sold while the insurance was in force; that by reason of these sales the policies were void and no premium could be due from the defendant after an animal was sold.
The statement of claim seeks to recover premiums on account of insurance for the animals sold, as well as the animals dead, and this for the remainder of the five years after their sale and death. As a part of the affidavit, a counterclaim was presented wherein the defendant claimed for the insured value of the animals that died. While this claim might be of no avail as a counterclaim by reason of the fact that an action was not begun within a year after the loss arose as provided by the policies, there are sufficient averments in -the affidavit which would make the claim good as a bar to the plaintiff’s ac
With respect to the sale of the eleven animals, the policies would be void as between the insured and the insurer only as to the animals sold. As to those remaining in life, the policies would still be in force. Where insurance policies are in a situation such as presented by the facts in this case, that is, where the insurance company has failed to perform an act necessary on its part to keep policies alive, and such acts are a part of the consideration for insurance, a different question is presented than in those cases where the default is on the part of the insured; or the.property remains covered by the insur
We think the court erred in entering a summary judgment. While the affidavit is not as precise as it might be, it contained sufficient averments which required the submission of the case to the jury.
The judgment of the court below is reversed and procedendo awarded.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.