New Jersey Fire Ins. Co. v. Baird
New Jersey Fire Ins. Co. v. Baird
Opinion of the Court
Appellees sued appellant upon a policy of insurance issued hy the latter to W. R. Lynch, insuring him against all direct loss or damage hy fire to his two-story frame residence at 901 West Ninth street, Dallas, Tex., in an amount not exceeding $3,000. Appellees alleged that they were the owners of the insured premises as well as the beneficiaries in the policy of insurance. They also alleged that while the policy was in force the insured promises were totally destroyed by fire, subsequent to which they observed and performed all things required of them by the policy to be performed, and that appellant had investigated the loss and satisfied itself that it .was hound upon the policy, and offered to pay ap-pellees $2,700 thereon, which they refused. They made W. T. Henry, Esq., and S. J. McFarland, Esq., to whom the insurance was first payable as trustees for the Security National Bank, as security for an indebtedness of $2,500, parties to the suit, and prayed judgment for the full amount of the policy, according to its terms and the rights of the beneficiaries therein named.
For the purpose of this appeal appellant answered that the policy, save in reference to the amount of the bank debt for which it was liable in any event under its attached mortgage clause, was void and unenforceable for the reason that appellees had, without the consent of appellant, obtained additional insurance upon the insured premises. Appellant' offered in its answer to pay the amount of the hank’s claim, upon being sub-rogated to the bank’s security under the provision in its policy conferring that right. By subsequent appropriate pleading, appel-lees alleged that appellant was cognizant of the additional insurance and consented thereto, which appellant in turn denied. The defendant 'trustees by appropriate pleading sought judgment against appellant for the amount of the debt due the bank. A jury was demanded and impaneled. Upon conclusion of the testimony the jury, in compliance with peremptory instruction from the court, returned verdict for the bank for $2,723.28, its accumulated debt, and for appellees for $419.22, the balance of the policy. Judgment was in accordance .with the directed verdict and from which this appeal is prosecuted, save that no attack is made upon the verdict and judgment for the hank.
On November 25, 1912, W. R. Lynch was owner of the residence at 901 West Ninth street, Dallas, Tex., and the land upon which same was situated. On that date, appellant insured Lynch against loss on the building by fire to the extent of $3,000, with the loss payable to R. H. Clem, trustee, as his interest might appear. January 13, 1913, the *357 appellant by indorsement upon its policy made any loss thereunder payable to Messrs. Henry and McFarland, who were trustees for the Security National Bant, owner of a mortgage debt thereon. On and prior to February 10, 1913, Martha C. Beaupre acquired the property from Lynch. Before purchasing the property, however, Mrs. Beau-pre called on Lynch, who represented himself to be the agent of appellant, and asked him if she could obtain additional insurance, on the premises. With her was O. H. Ver-schoyle, the agent of the company, .who proposed to write the additional insurance. After advising Lynch what she desired he, assuming to act for the appellant, told Mrs. Beaupre in effect that he consented to the additional insurance.- After this conversation Mrs. Beaupre acquired the premises, the other policy of insurance was issued, and Lynch assigned the existing policy to Mrs. Beaupre, to which assignment appellant consented in writing. Afterward Mrs. Beaupre sold and conveyed the premises to O. E. Roderick, assigning the appellant’s policy to him and to which appellant in writing consented. Roderick in turn sold and conveyed the premises to J. J. McClurg, assigning appellant’s policy, and to which appellant also in writing consented. McClurg sold and conveyed the premises to appellee, Mrs. Emma C. Baird; she also assigning appellant’s policy and to which appellant in writing consented. The other policy of insurance was in similar manner assigned to the successive purchasers of the land and premises. Subsequent to all of the foregoing, the insured premises were totally destroyed by fire. After the fire, agents of appellant attempted to adjust the loss with appellees, during which negotiations liability on the policy was not denied because of the additional insurance, although one of the agents knew of the additional insurance when he attempted an adjustment. Among other provisions of the policy was one declaring that the entire policy should be void, in the event the insured should procure other insurance on the premises without securing the consent of the insurer indorsed upon or added to the policy. There was no such indorsement upon the policy. The agency of Lynch was disputed by appellant, and we will state the facts on that issue at another place. Otherwise the foregoing is* in our language the substance of the essential facts adduced at trial.
Of the foregoing facts there is no contradiction. Lynch was a commissioned agent with authority, according to his statement, to solicit insurance, issue policies, and collect premiums. However, he did, on cross-examination, admit that the policies were written in and issued from the office of John R. Hancock & Co., who, we assume, .were general agents, and that they passed on the risk. This admission is at most a limitation of 'his authority and does not at all disprove agency. Further, while the appellant, who commissioned Lynch as agent, was not compelled to deny or admit the agency, yet its failure to do so inferentially, at least, supports his claim that he was its agent. Then, under the uncontradicted facts of agency, with the admitted limitation, was he authorized to consent to the additional insurance? An accepted authority says that there “is a ‘veritable maze’ of conflict in regard to the authority of agents to waive forfeitures and conditions in insurance policies.” 3 Cooley’s Ins. Briefs, 2475. After pointing out that officers, general agents, and other agents with named powers may waive forfeitures and conditions, he adds that local agents likewise possess similar’ authority. We mention local agents for the reason that we conclude that Lynch was under the powers conferred upon him in contemplation of law a local agent. The authority just cited holds that while the term local agent is meaningless, so far as relates to such agent’s authority, yet such agent is, in law, one who represents his company in a particular place or locality. Id. 2481. Lynch was such an agent, since it appears without dispute that he was commissioned by appellant, his authority being that which we have detailed. Admitting that as between Lynch and the appellant he was without authority to waive the provision of the policy he did waive, yet, according to Mr. Cooley, “if he is (the local agent), he has general authority to act for the company and can waive conditions and forfeitures, unless his authority is specifically limited, to the knowledge of the insured.” Id. 2481-2, and cases cited. It does not appear from the evidence in this case that ap-pellee had knowledge of the fact that Lynch was without authority to waive any provision of the policy. Hence the rule stated controls the disposition of this appeal, since, if Lynch being a local agent could, in the absence of knowledge on part of appellee to the contrary, waive the forfeiture clause, the case will necessarily have to he affirmed; since it is further well settled in this state at least that when the right to waive exists it may be done verbally, notwithstanding the provision of the policy that it shall be in writing. Crescent Ins. Co. v. Griffin, 59 Tex. 510; New Orleans Ins. Co. v. Griffin, 66 Tex. 232, 18 S. W. 505; Wagner & Chabot v. Westchester Fire Ins. Co., 92 Tex. 549, 50 S. W. 569.
The judgment is affirmed.
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