Court Opinion

ID: 9671342
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 03:34:50.117095+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:16:09.387907
License: Public Domain

Opinion on Petition to Rehear
The complainants have filed a petition to rehear, in which it is contended that the memorandum of insurance which was sent to Mr. and Mrs. Reese constituted the contract of insurance between them and the insurance company. This same -contention was made in the original briefs and was fully considered by us.
In our former opinion, we pointed out that this memorandum contains no insuring clause but simply certifies that a policy “has been issued,” and that it expressly provides that it confers no rights on the holder and imposes no liability upon the insurance company. It is not signed by anyone on behalf of the company.
It is argued in the petition to rehear that both the Trial Court and the Court of Appeals found as a fact that this memorandum was the contract of insurance and that this Court is bound by such concurrent finding of fact. T.C.A. 27-113. In response to this contention, we reply first by again quoting a part of our quotation from the opinion of the Court of Appeals. That Court stated, “it is apparent that the parties contemplated that only one policy of insurance would be issued by the defendant insurance company and that it would be mailed to the bank-mortgagee”.
Next, we point out that the proper construction of an unambiguous written instrument presents a question *364of law for the Court and not a question of-fact. Godson v. MacFadden, 162 Tenn. 528, 39 S.W.2d 287; Oman v. Tennessee Central Railway Co., 212 Tenn. 556, 370 S.W.2d 563.
The one contract of insurance issued by the defendant in this case was the policy sent to the mortgagee-bank in conformity with the terms of the trust deed executed by Mr. and Mrs. Reese. The memorandum is just what it says it is — a memorandum that confers no rights and imposes no liability. In our original opinion we pointed out that had there been any evidence that the complainants were misled to their prejudice by this memorandum, then there would have been a basis for holding the defendant company was estopped to rely upon the vacancy clause in the contract. The undisputed proof was to the contrary.
All of the contentions of these parties have been fully considered by the Court. The petition to rehear is denied.