58 Fla. 341 | Fla. | 1909
A judgment is brought here for review which the plaintiffs recovered against the defendant in an action at law upon a fire insurance policy. The declaration substantially follows the statutory form in such actions and a copy of the policy is attached thereto.
We shall not treat separately or in detail the grounds of the motion that are argued, but shall consider what we' deem to be the vital and decisive points presented.
The two principal points upon which the defendant seeks to avoid its liability and to justify its refusal to pay the amount of insurance are (1) that gasoline was kept
The policy in question was a standard policy and contained the provisions and covenants found in such policies, which are so well known that we deem it unnecessary to copy the provisions upon which defendant relies. No contention is made by the plaintiffs that the defendant practiced any fraud or deception upon them in issuing such policy or that any of the provisions thereof are unlawful. We are warranted, therefore, in assuming the validity and legality of such provisions. This being true, the defendant was entitled to base its defense to an action upon such policy upon the failure of the plaintiffs to comply with any of the provisions of such policy. See Southern Home Insurance Co. v. Putnall, 57 Fla. 199, 49 South. Rep. 922. It may be that some of the pleadings in the instant case are defective in some of the respects pointed out in the case just cited and in Southern Home Insurance Co. v. Murphy, 57 Fla. 191, 49 South. Rep. 537, but as the validity of such pleádings was not called in question, they are not before us for construction. We shall copy the evidence adduced upon these two points. W. K. Collins, a witness introduced on behalf of the defendant, testified as follows: “I know Dr. Bryan and Mr. Sealey. I was occupying the building belonging to them at the time of the fire. I was conducting the business of cold drink and fruit stand. There was no other kind of business besides that operated by me in that building. There were pool tables in the building. No one had charge of them, they were not used at all. The boys used them
Cross-Examination.
Yes, I only knew of twice that the darkey bought gasoline.' I suppose that was used in the general mixture he
Re-Direct.
The gasoline they used there they used entirely for the pressing club. I did not use any in my business. I do not> know whether there was any gasoline in the building at the time of the fire or not. I knew that back before the fire a month or two weeks, three or four weeks, gasoline was used there and from then on back for quite a while there had been gasoline in the building. There were two pool tables there. Yes, I had cues and balls, etc. There was no charge made for pool playing on the tables. Anybody could come in and knock them around.”
W. H. Bryan, one of the plaintiffs, being recalled by
This is all the evidence which sheds any light upon such points. The jury found adversely to the two contentions of the defendant, and the trial judge concurred in such finding by refusing to disturb the verdict. We are by no means prepared to say that as reasonable men the jury could not have found such verdict from the evidence. See Wilson v. Jernigan, 57 Fla. 277, 49 South. Rep. 44. We do not intend to make the impression that we are inclined to disapprove the verdict. On the contrary, we are of the opinion that the jury might well have so found.
No instructions were requested by either party. The defendant excepted, in its motion for a new .trial, to certain specified portions of the general charge given by the court. Subjecting the entire charge to a careful examination, we are not prepared to declare that any reversible error has been made to appear in the portions so excepted to. Taken as an entirety, the law applicable to the issues being tried would seem to have been pretty fairly stated. We see no useful purpose to be accomplished by copying the charge in this opinion, or by discussing the exceptions taken thereto. If the defendant desired further or more explicit instructions upon any point it should have prepared and presented them to the trial judge.
We have examined all the authorities cited to us by the respective counsel, as well as others. As is true of almost every point of insurance law, we find the authorities very divergent and conflicting as to the construction and applicability of the provision in insurance policies concerning the keeping and using of gasoline and other substances of like nature upon the insured premises.