The Lumber Insurance Company sued for the earned premium on a policy of insurance which it had cancelled. It excepts to the direction of a verdict for the defendant. The suit was upon open account, and the burden was upon the plaintiff to show that there had been a contract between itself and the defendant as a basis of the indebtedness. The plaintiff put in evidence a contract of insurance, and the proof showed that the policy had been in the possession of the defendant. This proved that the policy of insurance had been issued, but, in view of the uncontradicted evidence in behalf of the defendant, it proved nothing more than this. It did not prove that the issuance of the policy was requested by the defendant, or that the policy, with its benefits, was accepted by the defendant. Before the plaintiff could impose upon the defendant an indebtedness for the premium, or charge for the protection afforded by the policy, it would have to show that the defendant agreed to take the policy. Otherwise an insurance company, by merely issuing policies and distributing them by mail, could impose liability for insurance which had not been requested. As appears from the record, the headquarters of the plaintiff is in New York City. There is no evidence that the Henderson Lumber Company, or any person authorized to act for it, wrote to the plaintiff. The application for insurance, according to the plaintiff’s testimony, came through Douglas Brothers, as insurance brokers, and there is no evidence to show that Douglas Brothers represented Henderson Lumber Company, or were known to it, or ever had any communication from it. So that the plaintiff’s case showed nothing more than that a representative of Douglas Broth
Judgment affirmed.
