Higgins v. Windsor County Mutual Fire Insurance
Higgins v. Windsor County Mutual Fire Insurance
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was delivered by
The seventh section of the act of incorporation of the defendant company fixes a limitation of time within which
“ If the party suffering is not satisfied with the determination of the directors, . . . the said party may bring an action against said company for loss or damage, at the next court to be holden in and for the county of Windsor, or in the county in which said party may reside, or in which said loss or damage by fire may have happened, and not afterwards, unless said court shall be holden within sixty days after said determination; but if holden within that time, then at the next court holden in said county thereafter.”
The plaintiff resided in Concord in the county of Essex, at the time of the application for the policy, and has ever since resided there, and the buildings were situated there. The loss occurred on the 17th day of June, 1878. The defendant’s directors rejected the claim October 11, 1878. By said provision of the charter, the plaintiff was required to bring his suit either to the March Term, 1879, of Essex County Court, or to the December Term, 1878, or May Term, 1879, of the Windsor County Court. He commenced this suit, making the writ returnable to the September Term of Essex County Court, 1879. This was too late, not being within the time specified in the charter. Dutton v. Vt. M. F. Ins. Co., 17 Vt. 369 ; Williams & Bliss v. Same, 20 Vt. 222; Wilson v. Ætna Ins. Co., 27 Vt. 99.
The plaintiff claims that this provision of the charter should not be held a bar to the action, because the jury found specially that he did not receive the notice of disallowance sent by the defendant on the day the claim was rejected. The defendant sent this notice to the proper address of the plaintiff by a registered .letter, which was delivered to and receipted by a person in the plaintiff’s name. We infer the plaintiff denied on trial that he was that person, or received the letter. There is no provision in the defendant’s charter or by-laws requiring the company to give notice of the allowance or disallowance of claims; nothing in reference to the method of notice if they do give it. If the company had any duty cast upon it under these circumstances to notify the plaintiff that his claim was rejected, the question is,
The foregoing view would affirm the judgment of the County Court. For reasons not material to be here stated, it is thought best not to express the views of the court on the other questions in the case.
Judgment affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- WILLIAM R. HIGGINS v. WINDSOR COUNTY MUTUAL FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published