Hartford Fire Insurance Co. v. Gray

The opinion of the Court was delivered by

Mr. Acting Associate Justice C. J. Ramage.

This is an action on a note, and was called for trial at the spring, 1924, term of the Court of Common Pleas for Bamberg County.

The first exception relates to the refusal of a motion to strike out from the answer the defenses, but this exception was abandoned at the hearing.

At the trial plaintiff introduced the note which will be hereafter set out in full. Then defendants’ attorney moved for a nonsuit on the ground that when there was a default in any payment of any of the installments, the liability of the insurance company ceased, and it was no longer bound in any way whatsoever, and was consequently no longer a party to the contract; that therefore, after the lapse of the policy because of the default in payment, the contract automatically became a unilateral contract, and by reason thereof ceased to be valid in law. After some discussion, the Court did not grant a nonsuit, but directed a verdict for the plaintiff for $15.00 and a 25 per cent, attorney’s fee, making a total of $18.75. The Court used the following language:

“I am inclined tO' the view that the policy cancelled itself, when the premiums were not paid according to the terms of the note and policy. Plaintiff is only entitled to a proportionate amount of the one-year premium by virtue of the reduced rate.”

The Court, speaking to Mr. Ninestein:

“You have already made a motion for a nonsuit, and you are precluded from putting up testimony. I think that the plaintiff is entitled to the full amount of one-year insurance. You know they can get insurance cheaper by taking it for five years, and you are entitled, Mr. Crum, to recover the short rate that they get the benefit of.”

Plaintiff then appealed from the directed verdict for $18.75, upon exceptions which will be set out in the report of the case.

We shall not consider the exceptions seriatim, but confine ourselves tO' the questions that in our judgment determine this appeal.

It is well to note at the outset that the policy of insurance was never introduced, nor was there any testimony to sustain the defenses set up in the answer. The only thing of an evidentiary nature in the case was the note which will be set out in full later.

Judge Sease directed a verdict on his own motion, which is proper and allowable in a case where the law and facts warrant it, even in the absence of a motion to that effect, •or even where a motion for a nonsuit has been made as in the present case. But, as will be shown in the discussion later on, a verdict should not have been directed for $18.75. But, even had the judge passed on the motion for a nonsuit, under the law and facts of this case, he could not even have .granted that motion.

The following is the note:

“The company is authorized to insert in this note the number and date of policy.

“$320.72. For value received, in Policy No. F 1359 T I ■841 dated the 30th day of April, 1920, issued by the Hartford Fire Insurance Company, Flartford, Conn. We promise to pay to the said company or order (by mail, if requested) at the office of its Southern Farm Department, in Atlanta, Georgia, with expenses of collection and attorneys’ fees, and without relief from valuation or appraisement laws, three hundred twenty dollars and seventy-two •cents, payable in installments as follows: Eighty dollars ■and eighteen cents, each, upon the first day of May 1st, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, respectively, without interest.

“And it is hereby agreed that in case any of the installments herein named shall not be paid at maturity, or if any single payment, promissory note (acknowledged as cash or otherwise) given for the whole or any portion of the premium for said policy shall not be paid promptly when due, this company shall not be liable for loss during such default, and the said policy shall lapse until payment is made to this company at the Southern Farm Department at Atlanta, and the whole amount of installments or notes remaining unpaid on said policy may be declared earned, due, and payable, and may be collected by law. In settlement of any loss under above policy, this company may deduct therefrom the entire amount of unmatured installments of this note. This note is given in payment for above policy of insurance.

“Mrs. S. C. Gray.

“J. H. Rhoad.”

In the case of Continental Insurance Co. v. Boykin, 25 S. C., 323, we find:

“Defendants insured their residence with the plaintiff company against fire for five years at long rates, payable annually in advance, giving their note for the deferred premiums, with a stipulation that the whole note should become due on failure to pay any installment at maturity. The policy provided that on nonpayment of a premium the policy should be void, and on nonpayment of an installment the policy should not be binding during the period of such default. Defendant failed to pay his second installment. Held, that the plaintiff was entitled to recover the full unpaid balance of the note.”

In the case of Security Loan & Investment Co. v. J. P. Etheredge, 109 S. C., 32; 95 S. E., 109, we find:

“In an action for the premium due on a renewal of a fire-insurance policy, it is no defense that the insured, the defendant, failed to comply with the iron safe clause of the policy, or the provision that he should take an inventory, for it is a well-recognized principle of law that no one can be heard to plead his own wrong, and so a party to a contract cannot be relieved from performing one provision, because lie himself has broken another.”

“Under a contract for insurance on property for a number of years constituting an entire, indivisible period, in consideration of an entire, indivisible premium, made up partly of cash and partly of a promissory note, the nonpayment of which at maturity is to cause the policy to ‘cease and determine, and be null and void and so remain, until the same shall be fully paid,’ the maker cannot defeat an action on the note on the ground that its nonpayment at maturity avoided the policy, and hence that the note was without consideration; nor can he apply the cash payment to the premium due prior to the maturity of the note and elect to withdraw from the contract and refuse to pay the note.” Robinson v. Insurance Co., 51 Ark, 441; 11 S. W., 686; 4 L. R. A., 251. St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Co. v. Coleman, 6 Dak., 458; 43 N. W., 693; 6 L. R. A., 87.

A policy of insurance issued by a mutual company provided that the policy should be void; provided:

“Any assessment on the premium note should not be paid within 30 days. An assessment was made which was not paid within the 30 days, and afterward a further assessment was made which was also unpaid. An action was brought for both assessments. Held, that the failure to pay the first assessment within the thirty days did not ipso facto render the policy void, but that the company could waive the condition, and could, therefore, lawfully impose the second assessment.” Columbia Insurance Company v. Buckley, 83 Pa., 293; 24 Am. Rep., 172.

Quite a'different question would be presented, if for any reason the facts in this case should bring into play the rule laid down in 32 Corpus Juris, p. 1210, § 348:

“Lapse or forfeiture of a policy, its cancellation by either party, or its surrender by insured, under the' provisions of the contract of insurance, generally releases insured from liability for premiums not heretofore earned, but not for premiums earned while the policy was in force.”

This was evidently the rule Judge Sease had in mind when he directed a verdict; but the facts of the present case, so far as they had been developed at the trial, did not call L'or the application of the rule, but the case is governed by the other citations of authority set out above.

Indeed, we find in Corpus luris, immediately after the statement just quoted:

“However, where the company waives forfeiture or its right to cancel and elects to continue the policy in force, insured may still remain liable for the premiums claimed to have been earned thereafter.” 32 Corpus Juris, pages 1210, 1211.

In view of the fact that the policy was not in evidence, that there was no tesimony introduced to prove the allegations of the answer, and in view of the law as set out above, it is clear that it was error to direct a verdict for $18.75, and it is also clear that it would have been error to have granted a nonsuit.

The judgment of this Court is that the judgment of the Circuit Court be reversed, and that the case be remanded to the Circuit Court for a new trial.

Mr. Justice Watts concurs.

Mr. Justice Cothran and Messrs. Acting Associate Justices J. H. Marion and R. O. Purdy concur in result.

Mr. Chief Justice Gary did not participate.