Bjork v. Dairyland Ins. Co., 53767
| Decision Date | 10 February 1970 |
| Docket Number | No. 53767,53767 |
| Citation | 174 N.W.2d 379 |
| Parties | Robert BJORK, Marily Bjork, in her own Right, and as Mother and Next Friend for Pamela Bjork, a Minor and Russell Bjork, a Minor, Charles L. Krueger and Beverly Krueger, Appellees, v. DAIRYLAND INSURANCE COMPANY, Appellant. |
| Court | Iowa Supreme Court |
James, Greer, Nelson & Bertell, Spencer, for appellant.
Loughlin Law Firm, Cherokee, for appellees.
This is a declaratory judgment action to determine whether an accident involved automobile was a replacement vehicle for that described in the liability insurance policy issued by defendant company. The trial court so found and entered judgment against defendant for the amount of damages resulting from the accident which had been adjudicated against the policy holder in a prior lawsuit. Defendant has appealed. We reverse.
On July 3, 1967, plaintiff, Charles L. Krueger, age 29, and a resident of Fairmont, Minnesota, while driving his 1960 Oldsmobile in Arnolds Park, Iowa, 'rear ended' the Robert Bjork automobile causing injuries and damages to members of the Bjork family, named as plaintiffs herein.
Thereafter the Bjorks instituted action against Krueger for their alleged damages and after defendant company refused to defend that action on the ground of no coverage Krueger defaulted and the Bjorks obtained a $4250 judgment against him.
Bjorks then filed this declaratory judgment, in which Krueger and his wife later joined, to establish liability against defendant company under the terms of an automobile liability policy issued by it to Krueger. Defendant denied coverage of the Krueger car involved in the accident.
Defendant first issued its liability policy, number 21--072722 to Krueger on January 29, 1965, covering a 1957 Pontiac automobile. Coverage was subsequently transferred to other specified automobiles as follows: 8--31--65, 1957 Mercury 2 door hardtop; 1--10--66, 1960 Ford 2 door hardtop; 5--28--66, 1959 Ford convertible; 11--10--66, 1958 Oldsmobile 2 door holiday; 6--7--67, 1959 Oldsmobile 4 door sedan. On July 3, 1967, the accident date, the insurance policy described the 1959 Oldsmobile four door sedan as the insured vehicle.
Section IV of the insurance policy specifically provided that automobile means the motor vehicle described in the policy. The insurance contract also contained this pertinent language: '(1) Described Automobile--the motor vehicle or trailer described in this policy, or if none is described, any private passenger automobile owned on the effective date of this policy by the named insured or by his spouse if a resident of the same household. * * *
'(4) Newly Acquired Automobile--a private passenger automobile, ownership of which is acquired by the named insured or his spouse if a resident of the same household if (i) it replaced an automobile owned by either and covered by this policy, or the company insures all automobiles owned by the named insured and his spouse on the date of its delivery. * * *.'
The facts, other than the discovery deposition of Krueger which plaintiffs introduced, were stipulated in the trial court. The stipulation identified the policy and made it part of the record, stated that at all material times Krueger was a resident of Minnesota and the insurance policy was purchased from defendant's agent in Fairmont and issued in Minnesota.
Krueger testified following completion of the tenth grade in high school he worked a year, then served in the military until 1959 and on his return to the Fairmont area worked four or five years for gasoline stations and thereafter on construction crews. In the army he was sent to mechanic's school and considered himself a mechanic. He owned a $1000 set of tools and made a habit of buying, repairing and then selling automobiles to other persons.
On July 3, 1967, the accident date, in addition to the 1959 Oldsmobile described in the policy Krueger owned a 1940 Buick in storage, a 1959 Ford, a 1967 Pontiac, referred to as his wife's car, insured with another company, and the accident involved 1960 Oldsmobile which he had purchased June 10, 1967.
In June 1967 Krueger was employed on a construction crew near the town of Milford, Iowa but was residing in Fairmont. From the time he acquired the 1959 Oldsmobile in May, 1967 he drove it back and forth from his home to his job until a day or two prior to June 10. Krueger testified it was in pretty bad mechanical condition, it hammered and clattered, was getting worse, needed repair and he was afraid he 'wasn't going to make it to work'.
A day or two before June 10 Krueger drove it from his job to his father's home in Fairmont and left it there. He intended to have his father, an experienced mechanic, repair it or do the job himself at some future time. He stated he could have done the job in possibly two days. He never drove it again. It was repaired and sold in September or October 1967. He testified he bought the 1960 Oldsmobile as a replacement to drive to and from his work.
On July 8, five days after the accident, Krueger gave defendant company notice of the acquisition of the 1960 Oldsmobile and requested a transfer of coverage from the 1959 to the 1960 Oldsmobile. The company did so.
On July 17, 1967 Krueger gave defendant company a statement which included:
Krueger testified he made the statement but 'that he did not know if his wife was driving the 1959 Olds to drive to the store in July of 1967.'
The primary and decisive question here is whether plaintiffs have established the 1960 Oldsmobile was a replacement vehicle within the meaning of the insurance policy. A like question has not been heretofore submitted to this court. As we point out infra it has been considered in many other jurisdictions.
I. Plaintiffs-appellees argue this case is in law rather than equity as asserted by defendant-appellant. The pleadings are not designated as in law or in equity. The trial however was conducted as in equity. The trial court made no rulings on objections during trial. The trial court's conclusions of law include: 'Even although the pleadings of the parties do not designate whether this case is triable in equity or at law, it was tried as an equitable action.'
The legal or equitable nature of a declaratory-judgment proceeding is to be determined by the...
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