Court Opinion

ID: 9680504
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 07:32:42.637341+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:17:28.869204
License: Public Domain

John I. Purtle, Justice, dissenting. My first disagreement with the majority opinion is that portion which reads, in regard to summary judgment, “However, here reasonable men.could not reach different conclusions.” I also disagree with that portion of the opinion which stated, “the law is well settled that receiving a check as payment for an insurance policy is conditional and will not prevent a forfeiture of the policy for non-payment of the premium.” In the business world insurance is bought and sold over the telephone in many instances. An agent is authorized to give a telephone binder which immediately binds the insuring company. In such a case failure to pay the premium would not automatically cancel the binder. There is a difference of opinion between the appellant and appellee as to whether a binder was issued in the case before us. This is clearly a controversy requiring the resources of the judicial system. If, as testified, the agent agreed by telephone to bind the company at the time a check was placed in the mail then there’s certainly a question of fact. What has happened in the present case is that the trial court and a majority of this court have decided the facts adversely to the appellant without giving him an opportunity to present his argument to a jury. A valid controversy deserves its day in court. To deny such is to pull the rug out from under appellants’ cause. I cannot say that appellants would prevail in a full blown trial, but they are certainly entitled to make use of the system set up by our Constitution and the Arkansas General Assembly. I would, therefore, remand for a trial on the disputed issued in this case.