Caldwell v. Fire Ass'n
Caldwell v. Fire Ass'n
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
By agreement of the parties, trial by jury was waived and the decision of this case was submitted to the learned president of the common pleas, who upon the facts found by him directed judgment in favor of the plaintiff for $1,467.15. His findings of fact together with his conclusions of law are set forth in the record and need not be repeated here.
The policy in suit provides, among other things, that it “ shall be void if the interest of the insured be not truly stated therein .... or if the interest of the insured be otherwise than unconditional and sole ownership.” The learned judge was asked to hold, as matter of law, that there had been such violation of these provisions of the policy that there could be no recovery thereon. This he refused to do ; and, in view of the facts, and for reasons suggested by him in support of his judgment we are not prepared to say there is any substantial error therein. We find nothing in the record that requires a reversal.
Plaintiff’s intestate, David Caldwell, acquired title to the property insured by sheriff’s deed in December, 1884. In January following he signed a paper recognizing the fact that George A. Port and three others had contributed to the purchase money of the property at the sheriff’s sale and agreeing that, when the property is sold or disposed of by him, he will distribute and pay to said contributors each Iris pro rata share of the proceeds. This declaration left the property in the hands of Caldwell, the sheriff’s vendee, with full power to sell or dispose of the same, as he might deem best, and account to the parties above referred to for their respective portions of the proceeds. In that way he held the legal title to the property and controlled the same until his death in April, 1893.
In January, 1891, when he applied to Mr. D’Armitt, defendant’s agent at Huntingdon where the property was located and where both the insured and the agent resided, for insurance on the buildings, said agent asked Caldwell “ who the title was in,” to which the latter replied: “ the title is in me, I have the deed.” D’Armitt further testified, in substance, that the rea
Where, at the time of issuing an insurance policy, the company knows that one of the conditions thereof is inconsistent with the facts, and the insured has been guilty of no fraud, the company is estopped from setting up the breach of said condition. The same rule prevails when the insurance company ought to have known the facts constituting the alleged breach: Wood on Ins. sect. 497; Peoples Ins. Co. v. Spencer, 53 Pa. 353.
Judgment affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- I. C. Caldwell, Adm'r of the Estate of David Caldwell v. Fire Association of Philadelphia
- Cited By
- 32 cases
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- Published
- Syllabus
- Insurance — Fire insurance — Statements in application. Where, at the time of issuing an insurance policy, the company knows or ought to know that one of the conditions thereof is inconsistent with the facts, and where the insured has been guilty of no fraud, the company is estopped from setting up the breach of said condition. In an action upon a lire insurance policy, it appeared that the insured acquired title to the property insured by a sheriff’s deed. About a month after the date of the deed, he signed a paper declaring that four other persons had contributed to the purchase money of the property at the sheriff’s sale, and agreeing that he would hold the title for the joint use of himself and the persons who had contributed, and that, when the property was sold or disposed of by him, he would contribute and pay to the contributors each his pro rata share of the proceeds. Seven years afterwards he applied to the defendant’s agent for insurance and the agent asked the insured “who the title was in,” to which the insured replied “ the title is in me, I have the deed.” The defendant subsequently accepted two annual premiums, and the insurance was renewed without any further information or inquiry. The company, through its agent, previously knew that more than one person was interested in the property or the proceeds thereof. Held, (1) that if a mistake had been made it was chargeable, not to the insured, but to the company’s agent, and it should be imputed to the company itself; (2) that a judgment on a verdict for plaintiff should be sustained.