v.
SCOTTISH UNION & NATIONAL INSURANCE CO.
delivered the opinion of the court.
This action is brought for reformation of an insurance policy issued by appellant to respondent, and for recovery upon the policy as reformed. The policy, by its terms, covered personal property therein described “all while contained in the two-story frame building and its addition, while occupied as a boarding and rooming house, between ten and fifteen rooms, situated in the town of Ravalli, Missoula county, Montana, and known as the Ravalli Hotel. ’ ’
[*52] The complaint alleges, in substance, that it was the intention of the parties that the policy should cover the property contained in the building known as the Ravalli Hotel proper and another building about forty-three feet distant therefrom, known as the Ravalli Hotel Annex, which latter building was used as a lodging-house in connection with the hotel. The complaint alleges that the policy should be reformed and amended to state, in the portion of the policy describing the property insured, as follows:
“All while contained in the two frame buildings and their additions, one being of about twenty rooms and one being of about fifteen rooms, while occupied as boarding and rooming houses, or used as such, at the time the agreement for said insurance was made situated in the town of Ravalli, Missoula county, Montana.”
Trial was had before the court sitting with a jury. The court submitted to the jury the general issue, also one special interrogatory, both of which were resolved by the jury in favor of plaintiff. After verdict, defendant requested certain specific findings which were refused. The court adopted the general verdict and special finding of the jury and rendered decree in favor of plaintiff. By this decree the policy was reformed, not as prayed for in the complaint, but in such manner that the policy, as reformed, would cover only the contents of the hotel annex. Motion was made for new trial, which was overruled. Appeal was taken from the judgment and order.
Error is assigned because the court submitted the general
The court refused to make certain findings requested by
It is contended by defendant that the court erred in denying
The decree purports to reform the contract of insurance and make it apply exclusively to the contents of the hotel annex. In this respect there can be no question but that the decree is contrary to all of the evidence, for there is nothing in the record to the effect that the insurance policy was intended to cover only the contents of the annex. While it is true that the policy misstates the number of rooms in the building and refers to it as a two-story building when it was really only a story and a half building, it is perfectly clear that the description was construed by both parties as applicable to the hotel proper. Plaintiff’s contention in his complaint, supported by his evidence upon the trial, is that the agreement was that the policy should cover his household furniture and other personal property therein mentioned contained in both the Ravalli Hotel proper and the annex. While the evidence does not support the decree in this particular, the error is not material, for this case does not involve any claim for loss upon property in the hotel proper.
Respondent urges in this court for the first time that the
Upon the trial objection was made to the introduction of evidence of conversations between plaintiff and the insurance agent prior to the writing of the policy, on the ground that it was an attempt to vary the terms of a written contract; whereupon one of the attorneys for plaintiff made the following statement: “We have set up what the agreement was and it was not the policy as it was agreed and we ask that it be reformed.” Thereupon the trial proceeded upon the theory that the policy' did not express the alleged agreement and that reformation of the policy was necessary to support a recovery. Respondent having stood upon this theory throughout the trial, he cannot now change front and recover in this action upon the policy without reformation.
Reformation of a contract cannot be had unless it appears
The evidence shows that the plaintiff negotiated the policy
In opposition to the testimony of the plaintiff, Morison testified that he did not go into the annex at all nor examine it; that he solicited of plaintiff insurance upon the property in the annex, but that plaintiff declined to take out a policy thereon for the reason that he could not afford to carry any more insurance, and for the further reason that the most of the goods in the annex, being in boxes, could easily be removed from the building in case of fire. The undisputed testimony shows that in fixing the rate to be charged upon the risk, plaintiff and Morison measured the distance between the hotel [*57] proper and the annex in order to determine the exposure, and that the rate which was given was the basic rate as modified by the exposure and the number of rooms in the building as stated by plaintiff. After the policy was written, a duplicate rider attached to the policy, showing the rate and property covered, was sent by the agent to the board of underwriters to be checked as to rate, in accordance with custom in writing such policies. The board of underwriters insisted that the rate should be increased by twenty-five cents per hundred, for the reason that in the Ravalli Hotel was a stovepipe flue. Morison, being under the impression that the board of underwriters was in error in this respect, went to Ravalli and told plaintiff of the ruling, and thereupon plaintiff showed Morison that there was a stovepipe flue in the hotel proper. There was not any stovepipe flue in the annex. Upon ascertaining that the stovepipe actually existed, the change in the rate was made. The undisputed testimony further shows that, whenever a policy is written to cover the contents of two separate buildings, the amount of the risk upon the contents of each building must be specified, and that a policy is never written covering the contents of two separate buildings under one blanket sum.
From the foregoing it can readily be seen that there is no substantial evidence showing that Morison had any understanding' whatever that the policy was to be written to cover the contents of both buildings. Morison, in stating that everything was covered, could easily have meant that the policy would cover all in the hotel proper, without having any reference at all to the annex. The mere fact that Morison might have gone into the annex and looked at its contents, as testified by plaintiff, does not establish the fact that he agreed with plaintiff that those items should be covered in the policy. The other facts in the case show clearly that he did not contemplate the writing of a policy to cover the contents of both buildings, but rather that his mind was centered upon writing insurance upon the contents of only the hotel proper. [*58] Even though plaintiff may have understood that the contents of the annex were covered, yet his case lacks the necessary element of mutuality as to the agreement, to establish his contention that the court should reform the policy in this
The decree and order are reversed, and the cause is remanded, with directions to render decree in favor of defendant.
Reversed and remanded.