ABCD ... Vision, Inc. v. Fireman's Fund Ins. Companies
Decision Date | 03 November 1987 |
Parties | ABCD ... VISION, INC., as general partner of Willamette Subscription Television, Limited, an Oregon limited partnership, of Greater Willamette Vision, Limited, an Oregon limited partnership, and of Vision STV Leasing, a California limited partnership, Petitioner/Respondent on review, v. FIREMAN'S FUND INSURANCE COMPANIES, Respondent/Petitioner on review. CC A8305-03055/CA A34760/SC S33950; S34004. |
Court | Oregon Supreme Court |
Susan P. Graber, Portland, argued the cause for petitioner/ respondent on review. With her on the petition were Barnes H. Ellis and Stoel, Rives, Boley, Fraser & Wyse, Portland.
I. Franklin Hunsaker, Portland, argued the cause for respondent/petitioner on review. With him on the petition were Douglas G. Houser, Dianne K. Ericsson and Bullivant, Houser, Bailey, Pendergrass & Hoffman, Portland.
Before PETERSON, C.J., and LINDE, CAMPBELL, CARSON and JONES, JJ.
Defendant insurer, Fireman's Fund Insurance Companies, petitioned this court to review the decision of the Court of Appeals, which affirmed a declaratory judgment of the trial court holding that insurer was liable under an insurance policy for damages sustained to the property of the insured plaintiff, ABCD ... Vision, Inc. ABCD ...Vision, Inc. v. Fireman's Fund Ins. Companies, 84 Or.App. 645, 734 P.2d 1376 (1987). We allowed review to decide the issue whether the insurer was estopped from asserting two policy exclusions as defenses to the claimed damages of the insured because insurer had failed to assert those policy exclusions as the basis of its denial of the claim in its original denial letter to the insured.
The parties agree to the facts set out in the Court of Appeals opinion.
"Plaintiffs operated a television transmitter in Silverton. It was insured by defendant. The policy provides:
'PERILS INSURED.
'This policy insures against all risks of direct physical loss of or damage to the property insured from any external cause except as otherwise provided herein.
'PERILS EXCLUDED.
'This policy does not insure against:
' * * * * *
' * * * * *
'CONDITION 14.
84 Or.App. at 647-48, 734 F.2d 1376 (footnotes omitted).
The trial court ruled, among other things, that the insurer was estopped to assert defenses based on exclusion clauses (a) and (g). Insurer first pleaded those defenses in its answer to the insured's fourth amended complaint. In a special verdict, the jury found that arcing, fire, smoke or soot caused the damage to the insured property on both May 22 and June 3 and was "a cause external to the property insured." The jury did not consider application of the exclusion clauses. The court then granted declaratory judgment for the insured and denied insurer's motion for judgment n.o.v.
The Court of Appeals held that the trial court did not err in ruling that the insurer was estopped from asserting defenses based on exclusions (a) and (g). The Court of Appeals also held that the trial court correctly interpreted Condition 14 to require the insured, in case a loss occurred, to safeguard only the damaged property and not all the insured property.
As mentioned, the insurer had denied coverage on other grounds after conducting an investigation of the losses. The insurer argued that it was not estopped because estoppel cannot expand coverage beyond the limits of the original policy. The Court of Appeals rejected the assertion, citing Ward v. Queen City Ins. Co., 69 Or. 347, 138 P. 1067 (1914). In that case, the insured claimed that the insurer was estopped from asserting a defense of false swearing in the proof of loss, because the insurer, with full knowledge of the facts surrounding the fire loss, notified the insured that it was denying liability because the insured had stored gasoline in the insured building. The insured, relying on the insurer's statement, employed attorneys and filed the action. The Ward court stated:
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