delivered the opinion of the court.
We cannot say there was any abuse of discretion in refusing' the continuance.
The two grounds of defense mainly relied on are: First, that, the appellee was not the owner in fee simple of the ground on which the building, the subject of insurance, was situated; and, second, that the interest of the insured was " other than the unconditional and sole ownership ’ ’ of the building.
Appellee testified that W. A. Drennan, Jr., the agent with whom the contract of insurance was made, was in (to use his. language) ‘' my, house a few days before, and .T told him all about the lease, and ashed him to make out for me a policy on the new store, as it was a part of the contract.” Again he says: “W. A. Drennan, Jr., sent me the policy, which remained in force twelve months. I wrote to him to renew my policy whenever it expired, and that this policy in question, thus written for to W. A. Drennan, Jr., came by mail a few days later,” Drennan living at .Greenwood and appellee at Tchula. Appellee had leased the ground from December 1, 1890, to December 1, 1894, the house built to be the property of the lessor after the expiration of the lease, and the insurance premiums were to be paid by lessor and lessee equally, "yearly,” and, in case of loss by fire, the amount of insurance was to be divided in proportion to the life of the lease, as set out in the lease. This policy of insurance was operative from January 27, 1892, to January 27, 1893. The fire occurred January 24, 1893, only three days before the end of the year for which the building was insured. The testimony of appellee on this point stands uncontradicted; but the contention is that the agent had no right to bind the company by any knowledge he thus obtained from appellee at the time of the execution of the original policy of insurance, and which, of course, he had when this policy was issued, because of the-stipulation in the policy in these words: “This policy is made and accepted subject to the foregoing stipulations and conditions,,
It is insisted that the waiver of the requirement that ap-pellee’s real interest should be set out in the policy, by the conduct of its agent, W. A. Drennan, Jr., who issued the policy and received the premium, after he was fully informed of all the lease showed, cannot be shown by parol, and cannot bind the company. This contention has been thoroughly considered by this court and settled adversely to appellant in Sheffy's Case,
It is vain to say that this clause does not seek to prevent the corporation itself from waiving a stipulation. The corporation acts only through agents; and, if ' ' no agent, no officer, and no other representative ’ ’ can waive a stipulation, who is left to waive it for the corporation ? This clause is a species of refinement by which the corporation withdraws within its invisible and intangible ideality when liability is sought to be imposed upon it, bound by the acts of no agent, officer, or other representative, but reaches forth therefrom with Briarean hands to receive the profits and avails of these same acts performed by these same " agents, ’ ’ as against those with whom these same agents have dealt. The refinement is too subtle for the practical affairs of actual life, and we repudiate it. It may be noted, too, that in Cleaver’s case (p. 531), the premium had been received after the agent knew of the ground of forfeiture.
The provision relied on here is in the exact words of the stipulation relied on in Lomberton v. Insurance Co., 39 N. W. Rep., p. 76, decided by supreme court of Minnesota in 1888, respecting which the court says in a very clear and strong opinion: “That is to say, in other words, that one of the parties to a written contract, which is not required by law to be in writing, cannot, subsequent to the making of the contract, waive by parol agreement provisions which had been incorporated in the contract for his benefit. If this provision is effectual at all as a limitation of the power of future action, it limits the power of every agent, officer, and representative of the company, and, hence, practically, that of the corporation,” and it was held that " this provision, not being a limitation upon the authority
But it is insisted that, in any, event, appellee could not recover any amount in excess of his proportion as shown by the terms of the lease between his lessor and himself. This position is untenable. The appellant has nothing to do with the terms of a separate and independent contract between ap-pellee and his lessor. Appellant’s contract is evidenced by this policy, and it is not competent for the appellant to set up against a recovery against the company on this contract of the company this matter arising out of a wholly distinct contract between appellee and his lessor. Appellee is, of course, a trustee for his lessor of his part of the recovery. Richards on Insurance, § 132. But with that appellant has no concern. We cite, as putting this matter in the clearest possible light, the very able opinions in Insurance Co. v. Barracliff, 45 N. J. L., 543, and that in Insurance Co. v. Fish,
It is also argued that no proofs of loss were forwarded, etc. But appellee testifies that Mr. Kreth, the general adjuster, told him the company was not liable, because he built the house on leased, land. The jury has accepted this as correct, and, if correct, all proofs of loss were made unnecessary. , Comfort's Case,
We find no error in the record, and the judgment is
Affirmed.
