Molin v. Anderson
Molin v. Anderson
Opinion of the Court
— This was a suit upon a building contract bond. The defendant casualty company has appealed from a judgment against it.
It is first contended by the appellant that respondent cannot recover because she was guilty of fraud, actual or legal, in procuring the bond. This requires us to make an examination of the facts: On the 24th day of October, 1918, respondent entered into a written contract with Anderson for the construction by the latter for the former of four dwellings in Seattle. The houses were to be completed by January 20,1919. The contract did not provide for any bond. The testimony, however, convinces us that, shortly after Anderson started work on these dwellings, the respondent demanded or requested of him a bond for the faithful performance of the contract, and that he agreed to give it, but that it was not given until December 21, 1918, although respondent had more than once demanded it. On that day Anderson was asking for more money than respondent thought he had earned, and the latter refused to make that payment till the bond was furnished. Thereupon Anderson visited the appellant’s agents in Seattle and obtained the bond sued upon and delivered it to the respondent. Neither she nor any person for her was present when the bond was applied for or written, nor did she, or any person for her, make any representations to appellant or its agents concerning the contract or the work done under it. The trial court made findings in accord with the faets as we have stated them. It is plain, therefore, that respondent was not guilty of any active fraud.
• The written contract between the respondent and Anderson provided that the four dwellings were to be constructed on 24th avenue north, between Graham and Lynn streets, in Seattle, on property belonging to
Appellant also contends that it should not be held liable for loss which occurred prior to the issuance of the bond. We are unable to see any merit in this contention. The condition of the bond was that the contractor should perform the whole contract and not a part of it. The mere fact that the bond was written after the work on the houses had been commenced could not affect the liability on the bond.
The testimony shows that, on the 18th of January, 1919, the respondent learned that the contractor had abandoned the work; the formal written notice to the appellant of such abandonment was given on February 10. In other words, the formal notice was given twenty-three days after the respondent learned that the contractor had abandoned the job. It is contended that the respondent should not be permitted to recover because she did not give the notice within the' time provided by the bond. Ordinarily speaking, under a provision of the character here in question, it is the duty of the owner to give the notice within a reasonable time after he has learned of the default. The testimony shows that appellant had knowledge of the default of the contractor before it received the formal written notice, and there is nothing to show that it was injured or damaged because the formal notice was not sooner given. Under these circumstances, it is plain that the notice was given within a reasonable time.
The judgment is affirmed.
Parker, C. J., Fullerton, Mitchell, and Tolman, JJ., concur.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Mairiam S. Molin v. A. S. Anderson, New Amsterdam Casualty Company
- Cited By
- 7 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Principal and Surety (8) — Liability—Fraud of Obligee — Evidence — Sufficiency. The obligee under a building contractor’s bond is not chargeable with fraud in failing to notify the bonding company that the contractor was in default on his contract and had already been paid a considerable sum thereon, it being the bonding company’s privilege to inquire, and not the obligee’s duty to volunteer the information. Same (8) — Liability—Fraud of Obligee — Knowledge of Facts as Constituting Fraud. Where a contractor’s bond was given to protect the owner under a contract calling for the erection of four dwelling houses, the fact that the building contract recited that all the houses were on one street, while in fact one of them was on another street in the same block, would not constitute a defense against the bond where the bonding company by investigation could readily have learned the fact, it further appearing that the surety was not misled to its injury, since the total cost was not increased. Same (19) — Extent of Liability — Performance—Building Contracts. The fact that a contractor’s bond was written after the work on the houses covered thereby had been commenced would not affect liability under the bond, where it was conditioned that the contractor should perform the whole contract and not a part of it. Same (40) — Discharge of Surety — Failure to Give Notice. Notice to a surety on a building contractor’s bond of his abandonment of the contract, given by the obligee twenty-three days after learning thereof, is within a reasonable time, under a provision of the bond calling for formal notice immediately after knowledge of the default of the contractor, where the surety already had knowledge of the default and there is no showing of injury or damage because formal notice was not sooner given.