Court Opinion

ID: 9766483
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 04:51:12.761639+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:30:23.248022
License: Public Domain

TIJERINA, Justice,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent.
The central issue in this case is whether appellee had an insurable interest in the destroyed property. The record evidence favorable to the jury finding of an insurable interest established that: (1) the subject property had commercial value, and Morton Southwest needed to have the house moved as the site was to be developed as a regional shopping center; (2) the agreement between the parties required ap-pellee to move the house at his expense, remove the foundation, and clean the site of all debris; thus, there was consideration because Morton Southwest would have obtained the benefit of having the site intended for development cleaned at no expense; (3) the tenant was given the first option to move the house but could not get the necessary financing; (4) Jim Dye was then given a limited option to remove the house between December 17, 1982 and December 31, 1982; (5) appellee was given written permission on December 15, 1982 that he could have the house and move it out after January 1, 1983, in the event that Jim Dye failed to exercise his option; (6) the vice-president of Morton Southwest told appel-lee that it looked as if Dye was not going to do anything and implied that the option given to Dye might be revoked; (7) appel-lee had previously purchased some lots and his plans were to move the subject house onto one of these lots and convert it into a duplex as rental property; (8) appellee had visited the site with a house mover to estimate the cost of moving the house; and (9) he applied for insurance on the subject property two days after he received the written permission and was given a binder on the policy.
There is clearly some evidence to support the jury finding of an insurable interest. Where there is some evidence which contradicts the assertion, the matter is not established conclusively. Croucher v. Croucher, 660 S.W.2d 55, 58 (Tex.1983). Therefore, the legal sufficiency question and the assertion that the issue was established as a matter of law are without merit.
Generally, there is factual insufficiency when the only evidence supporting the vital fact finding is factually too weak to support it, or the finding is so contrary to the great weight and preponderance of the evidence as to be manifestly unjust. Calvert, “No Evidence” and “Insufficient Evidence” Points of Error, 38 TEX.L.REV. 361, 366 (1960). In determining sufficiency of the evidence, it is necessary to consider and weigh all the evidence; the judgment must be set aside if the finding is clearly wrong and unjust. In re King’s Estate, 150 Tex. 662, 244 S.W.2d 660, 661 (1951).
*324Appellant argues that any benefit or loss claimed by appellee was contingent and too speculative to constitute an insurable interest. This argument is predicated on the allegation that there was no consideration for the written permission given to appel-lee, but the trial court did not decide the critical question of whether the evidence did or did not establish appellee’s insurable interest as a matter of law. This issue was disputed and the court submitted it as a fact question to be determined by the jury. The jury was instructed as follows, viz:
You are instructed that anyone may have an insurable interest in property if he would derive a benefit from its continued existence or would suffer a loss from its destruction. An insurable interest in property does not necessarily imply a property interest in, or a lien or mortgage upon, or possession of the property covered by the insurance policy, and neither the title nor beneficial interest is a requisite to the existence of such an interest.
The jury, having considered the testimony that Dye had done nothing to exercise his option, could have determined that appel-lee’s insurable interest was substantial.
Both sides cite Smith v. Eagle Star Insurance Co., 370 S.W.2d 448 (Tex.1963), as the leading Texas ease on insurable interest. In this case, Mrs. Smith had resided in a farm house located on state owned land and had obtained a fire insurance policy prior to its destruction by fire. The court held that Mrs. Smith had an insurable interest, as a matter of law, notwithstanding that she did not have a legal or equitable interest in the property. The Supreme Court stated:
[A]n insurable interest exists when the assured derives pecuniary benefit or advantage by the preservation and continued existence of the property or would sustain pecuniary loss from its destruction.
Id. at 450.
Appellant’s contention that there was no evidence that Dye would not have taken the house was contradicted by evidence of Dye’s inactivity, including his failure to apply for a permit to move the house. Conversely, there was some evidence of appel-lee’s direct involvement with the property to justify the jury’s conclusion that he would derive a benefit from the continued existence of the property or would sustain a loss by its destruction. Having considered all relevant evidence in the record, I have concluded that the evidence is factually sufficient to support the jury finding and the judgment. The jury finding is not so against the great weight and preponderance of the evidence as to render the judgment clearly wrong or unjust.
In the last assignment of error appellant contends that the trial court erred by denying the motion for a new trial because the jury instruction concerning insurable interest was defective and prejudicially incomplete. The trial court has absolute discretion to grant or deny a new trial. An appellate court cannot disturb the trial court’s ruling in granting or denying a new trial except on a showing of abuse of discretion. See Napier v. Napier, 555 S.W.2d 186, 189 (Tex.Civ.App.—El Paso 1977, no writ).
Appellant does not argue abuse of discretion in attacking the court’s failure to grant a new trial. Appellant’s submitted issue merely sought an addition to the court’s definition of insurable interest, but conceded that the instruction contained a correct statement of the law. The court has the discretion to submit broad or narrow issues to the jury, and absent a showing of the denial of rights as was reasonably calculated to cause and probably did cause rendition of an improper judgment in the case, there is no abuse of discretion. Members Mutual Insurance Co. v. Muckelroy, 523 S.W.2d 77, 83 (Tex.Civ.App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 1975, writ ref’d n.r.e.); TEX.R.CIV.P. 277. The validity of an objection to any portion of a charge requires an examination of the charge in its entirety. Briseno v. Martin, 561 S.W.2d 794, 796 (Tex.1977). Having examined the entire charge, I find no reversible error.
*325Accordingly, I would affirm the judgment of the trial court.