Wells Whip Co. v. Tanners Mutual Fire Insurance
Wells Whip Co. v. Tanners Mutual Fire Insurance
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
The main element in determining the value of the property destroyed by the fire for which appellant Under its policy became liable to pay appellee, in consequence of a-total loss, was the percentage representing what is known as gross profits to be deducted from the book or sales valuation of the manufactured goods taken from the factory during the year just pre
The appellee contended that such percentage was thirty-three and one third per cent and amounted to the sum of $45,450.18. That with this deduction from the book or sales valuation, to wit: $136,350.55, there was thus shown that $90,900.37 was the actual amount of material, etc., taken out of the factory during the year of the fire and represented by the manufactured product. That deducting this latter sum from the aggregate of $140,373.93 which represented valuation which had gone into the factory up to the date of the fire, the residue represented the actual valuation there at the time of the fire, to wit: $49,472.13, and allowing a deduction from this of three per cent for depreciation, etc., the actual value became $47,988.55, and therefore the property destroyed by fire was $47,988.55, The aggregate of appellee’s insurance in different
Appellant’s contention was that appellee’s proofs in support of such claim were not sufficient to establish it and was directed especially to the quality of the proofs relating to the inventory and to the percentage of gross profits. The evidence does not warrant the conclusion that there was any bad faith shown or any misrepresentation made by the appellee. Soon after the fire an expert accountant representing the insurance companies, including appellant’s representative met the officers of the appellee, and made a careful examination with them for the purpose of ascertaining the extent of the loss occasioned by the fire. He states that appellee furnished him with such books, papers and accounts as had not been destroyed and that he examined them and they were sufficient for him to make up a statement of the loss. His figures representing the amount of the loss were substantially the same as those of appellee except the amount to be deducted for percentage to represent gross profits. If he had made the deduction of thirty-three and one third per cent as claimed by appellee they would have been substantially the same. The extent of the loss by fire therefore practically turned upon such percentage. If the same was a smaller percentage, that would indicate a larger amount of materials taken out during the year, but if the percentage was larger that would represent a smaller amount of goods taken out as represented in the manufactured product, and therefore a larger amount on hand at the time of the fire. Appellant claimed that such percentage should not exceed twenty-six per cent while appellee contended that it was in fact not less than thirty-three and one third per cent. The secretary of the company testified that he had been twenty-two years in the business and that he knew that' the value of the goods in the factory in November, 1901, was $47,988.55. He testified that he had personal knowledge of it derived from the books of the appellee and from an inventory made by the company at that date. That he had such knowledge from his bookkeepers and clerks who assisted him in keeping the books that were entirely under his control. That when
With goods to the value as testified by him as being there at that time and with the subsequent value added during the year, there was a total representing a sum of $140,373.10, but there was represented in the manufactured product as taken out of the factory during the year, a book or sales valuation amounting to $136,350 55, but in order to reach the exact amount of materials, etc., so taken out of the factory, and represented in the manufactured product, the percentage < f gross profits must necessarily be deducted. Because in the year previous to the fire the percentage was twenty-six and a fraction per cent, such percentage was relied upon by the appellant as the proper basis for the year of the fire, but appellee’s witnesses testified that the percentage of gross profits was larger during the year in which the fire occurred, because during the year previous the prices were cut the greater part of the year, and during the year of the fire, there was a fixed
Accordingly appellee’s witnesses testified that the percentage to be deducted was thirty-three and one third per cent. The question therefore upon the proofs was one of fact for the jury and the learned trial judge so left it. The evidence warranted its submission to them and a refusal to do so would clearly have been error. The jury having found that the percentage established by the proofs was thirty-three and one third per cent, the appellee was entitled to a verdict for the full amount of its policy.
The policy contained the usual covenant in regard to an examination under oath, production of books of account, bills, vouchers, invoices and certified copies at a place designated by the insurers. Prior to the trial appellant made no request for the performance of these conditions and hence it follows that no question could have been successfully raised as to the right to bring the present suit in consequence of the neglect or refusal of appellee to comply with a request to perform these conditions when made by appellant. When there has been a neglect or refusal to compty with such conditions, they being made an essential to the right to sue, such refusal or neglect has operated to defeat recovery, but in the present case no such question of right to sue can be raised. After suit was brought and before trial the usual notice was served upon appellee to produce upon such trial stock books and sales books, also bills for goods purchased by the appellee during 1900 and 1901. The original bills and invoices were destroyed. • Appellee entered in its merchandise account simply the amounts of purchases without the names of the vendors and such duplicates as they had were submitted to the ac
In view of the conclusion that there was no substantial error in the ruling of the learned trial judge in regard to the main questions involved it becomes unnecessary to discuss the subordinate assignments of error.
The assignments of error are not sustained and the judgment is affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Wells Whip Company v. Tanners Mutual Fire Insurance Company
- Cited By
- 9 cases
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- Published
- Syllabus
- Insurance—Fire insurance—Evidence—Witness. In an action by a corporation on a policy of fire insurance for a total loss of a stock of goods and a building containing the goods, it appeared that about a year before the fire plaintiff had caused an inventory to be made of the stock then on hand. Plaintiff’s secretary then testified that he knew of the value of the goods on hand at the time of the inventory; that the inventory was made under his direction by bookkeepers and clerks, and that he, the treasurer, and manager of the plaintiff had subsequently verified it. There was evidence as to the value of the goods during the year after the inventory was made and also as to the value of the goods taken out. In order to reach the value of the goods at the time of the loss it was necessary to ascertain and deduct the percentage of gross profits represented in the manufactured product. For this purpose comparisons with the previous year were necessary. Held, that the secretary was competent to testify as to the accuracy of the inventory, and to refresh his memory from it in order to show in his opinion what was the percentage of net profits. Insurance—Fire insurance—Covenant—Production of books—Bequest for performance of covenant—Bight to sue. Where a policy of fire insurance contains the usual covenants in regard to an examination under oath, production of books of account, bills, vouchers, invoices and certified copies at a place designated by the insurers, and the insurers have made no request for the performance of these'conditions, they cannot at the trial successfully raise a question as to the right of the insured to bring the suit because of a violation of the covenant. Where an insurance company calls upon the insured to produce at the trial stock and sales books and also bills for goods and it appears that the original bills and invoices were destroyed, the plaintiff cannot be convicted of neglect in refusing properly to answer the call, because he did not produce certified copies or duplicates of the bills.