Court Opinion

ID: 9825149
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-01 12:11:19.133519+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:40:27.812315
License: Public Domain

On the Merits.
Defendant interposed pleas 1 to 13, both inclusive. Demurrers were sustained to pleas 3, 4, 5, 7, 11 and 13, and overruled to pleas 1, 2, 6, 8, 9, 10 and 12. Plea 1 is the general issue. Pleas 2 and 10 allege that the property was willfully burned by the insured.
Plea 6 averred, in substance, that there was a change of occupancy with an increase of hazard after the issuance of the policy, based upon the fact that the house was insured as a dwelling-house, occupied by owner, and after theoissuance of the policy, the insured moved out of the house and leased it to tenants, and at the time of the fire the house was occupied by tenants, contrary to the terms of the policy.
Plea 8 averred a breach of the terms of the policy against change of occupancy and increase of hazard, based upon the allegations that at the time of the issuance of the policy, the property was occupied by the insured as owner but subsequent thereto and prior to the fire, the property was leased to a tenant and at the time of the fire the building was occupied by a tenant, which increased the risk of loss.
Plea 9 averred an increase of hazard based upon the allegation that, to-wit, one week before the fire plaintiff removed a plank from a part of the partition wall in the building and placed rags that were greasy and oily therein, and that said act increased the hazard insured against.
Plea 12 was based upon a breach of the warranty under the policy that the property should be occupied by the owner as a dwelling-house, but that at the time of the fire said property was not occupied by the owner as a dwelling-house, which said fact increased the risk of loss.
Plaintiff joined issue on the pleas, and filed special replications 1, 2 and 3. In substance, special replications 1 and 2 allege that defendant had notice of the mat*656ters set up in the pleas in bar prior to the loss, and made no objection or dissent thereto, and did not undertake to cancel the policy, and did not return the unearned premium, although it had a reasonable time to do so after such notice and before the loss. Special replication 3 alleges that the defendant retained the first premium paid on said policy, and delivered said policy with full knowledge of the facts pleaded by way of defense in said plea.
Assignments of error 44, 50, 25 and 48 are predicated upon the court’s refusal of the general charge for defendant as to replications 1, 2 and 3; and assignments 40, 41 and 47 are predicated upon the court’s refusal of the general charge for defendant on the pleas in bar. We feel that it would serve no good purpose to set out the evidence touching the questions presented. The evidence is ample to support the trial court’s action in submitting the questions to the jury.
Charges “C” and “D”, assignments of error 26 and 27, are predicated upon the theory that all of the evidence shows that the plaintiff’s house was occupied by a tenant, without the knowledge of the defendant, at the time it was burned. There is also evidence to the contrary. These charges were properly refused.
Charges A and 23, assignments of error 24 and 46, also pretermit the question of the increase of hazard, and were properly refused.
Charges 3, 5 and 19, assignments of error 31, 32 and 42, pretermit the question of increase of hazard and waiver, and were properly refused.
Charge 6, assignment of error 33, was argued in brief together .in bulk with assignments 31 and 32. Assignments 31 and 32 being without merit, we need not consider assignment 33. Sovereign Camp, W. O. W. v. Davis, 242 Ala. 235, 5 So.2d 480, and cases there cited. Moreover, charge 6 is confusing and misleading.
We have carefully considered the questions presented by appellant’s motion for a new trial. There was no error in overruling the motion.
The judgment of the trial court is due to be, and is affirmed.
Affirmed.
GARDNER, C. J., and THOMAS and BROWN, JJ., concur.