Waldron v. Home Mutual Insurance
Waldron v. Home Mutual Insurance
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was delivered by
— The defects of the complaint caused by the omission to declare that the respondent had an insurable interest in the building at the time of the loss, and the failure to allege value, were cured by the admission of evidence on both points without objection at the trial, and by the verdict.
The complaint declared upon a contract for a policy upon a certain two-story building, to cover five hundred dollars, at a premium of ten per cent. Upon the trial the evidence of the plaintiff upon cross examination clearly showed that the contract, if any, was for a policy upon two buildings upon the same lot, to cover six hundred dollars, at a premium of ten per cent., and that after the fire a tender was made of fifty dollars, only. Five hundred dollars was specified as the amount to be insured upon one building, and one hundred on the other. No application for leave to amend was made. A motion for a non-suit, upon the ground that a contract different from the one alleged had been proved, and that the tender of fifty dollars was insufficient, was denied. There was judgment for four hundred and fifty dollars, and the defendant appeals.
This motion should certainly have been sustained. But one contract was pleaded, and but one was proved, a different one from that alleged. Because one amount was to be insured on one building and another amount on another did not sever the transaction into two contracts, and the respondent would not have been entitled to two policies. This was not a mere variance, but proof of a totally different cause of action. Since time was given, and the payment of the premium became a mere debt, tender of the
Judgment reversed, and cause remanded with directions to sustain the motion for a non-suit.
Hoyt and Anders, JJ., concur.
Dunbar, C. J., concurs in the result.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- C. W. Waldron v. Home Mutual Insurance Company
- Cited By
- 2 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- INSURANCE — ACTION ON POLICY — DEFECTIVE PLEADING-— CURER — EVIDENCE — VARIANCE. In an action on a fire insurance policy the omission by plaintiff of allegations showing his insurable interest in the building at the time of the loss and of the value of the property destroyed are cured by the admission of evidence thereon without objection, and by the verdict. In an action upon a fire insurance policy in which the complaint declares upon a contract for insurance upon a certain building to cover five hundred dollars at a premium of ten per cent., the plaintiff should be non-suited when the evidence shows that the contract for a policy was for one in the sum of six hundred dollars upon two buildings on the same lot.