Robb v. Millers Mutual Fire Insurance
Robb v. Millers Mutual Fire Insurance
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
This was a suit on a policy of fire insurance, resulting in a verdict for the plaintiff. A motion for judgment non obstante prevailed in the court below, and the appeal is from the judgment thus entered. In the opinion filed the plaintiff’s case was adjudged insufficient on several grounds. But one of these needs to be considered. The policy sued on contains this express stipulation, “This entire policy, unless otherwise provided by agreement indorsed hereon or added hereto shall be void .... if mechanics be employed in building, altering or repairing the within described premises for more than fifteen days at any one time.” The insurance was upon a two and a half story frame building used and occupied for milling purposes, and the machinery and fixtures therein. The policy issued May 26, 1900. We derive from plaintiff’s testimony these facts. Shortly after the policy issued various changes and improvements were made within the mill by mechanics employed for the purpose; but in none of these did the employment of the mechanics exceed fifteen days. -All these changes were made in the early months of 1901, and nothing more was done, excepting some repairs to the roof, until sometime in August, 1904, when the plaintiff entered upon the specific work of raising the main building fifteen feet, in order to supply an additional story. Mechanics were employed to do t-his work, and they were so engaged until' towards the close of the following month. The exact date of completion does not appear, but it does conclusively appear from the plaintiff’s testimony, that the mechanics were engaged in the work for more than fifteen days. It would be almost a necessary inference from plaintiff’s testimony that mechanics were engaged on this work for at least thirty days, not consecutive however, before its completion. The work involved raising the roof, a new or addi
The assignment of error is overruled and the judgment is affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Robb v. Millers Mutual Fire Insurance Company
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- 3 cases
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- Syllabus
- Insurance — Fire insurance — Stipulation as to employment of mechanics — Waiver. 1. Where a policy of fire insurance provides that the insurance shall be void if mechanics are employed upon the building for more than fifteen days at any one time without the consent of the company, the court commits no error in holding as a matter of law that the insurance is void, where the uncontradicted evidence shows that the owner entered upon the specific work of raising the building, that this was done with a well defined plan as a whole to be carried on from commencement to completion, that the work was given to different contractors, no one of whom exceeded the fifteen days’ limit, but that the work covered at least thirty days, not however consecutively, before its completion. 2. In such a case the company will not be deemed to have waived the forfeiture by evidence that at the time the insurance was placed the owner told the secretary of the company of the proposed change, and that the latter said that it was all right, and that it ought to be done and pretty soon, and that it would increase the value of the property and decrease the hazard. Such language of the secretary, even if it were more than a mere, expression of his opinion, and held out as an inducement to secure the contract, would not bind the company where it appears that both the written application for insurance and by-laws of the company printed in the policy stipulated that the company should not be bound by any act or statement of an agent, unless inserted in the application, indorsed on the policy, or otherwise acknowledged in writing by the president or secretary of the company.