Halliday v. Farmers Ins. Exchange, 9543
Decision Date | 28 July 1965 |
Docket Number | No. 9543,9543 |
Citation | 404 P.2d 634,89 Idaho 293 |
Parties | John C. HALLIDAY, Plaintiff-Respondent, v. FARMERS INSURANCE EXCHANGE, Defendant-Appellant. |
Court | Idaho Supreme Court |
Elam, Burke, Jeppesen & Evans, Boise, for appellant.
Clemons, Skiles & Green, Boise, for respondent.
On January 28, 1962, John C. Halliday, plaintiff-respondent, was injured by an uninsured motorist while stopped pursuant to a yield right-of-way sign in Boise. Halliday was insured by Farmers Insurance Exchange (herein referred to as Farmers), defendant-appellant herein, under a policy providing coverage for loss which an uninsured motorist would be legally responsible to pay.
Farmers paid for repairs to the respondent's automobile except for the deductible portion, but the parties could not agree upon the amount of damages for respondent's personal injuries.
On November 30, 1962, respondent filed a proof of claim and on December 19, 1962, respondent's attorneys wrote the claims representative of Farmers, setting damages at $12,798.80.
Almost one year from the date of the accident, respondent filed this action against Farmers for damages by virtue of the policy. In its answer Farmers denied all liability and affirmatively alleged Halliday was contributorily negligent, that the accident was unavoidable, that Halliday was premature in filing an action inasmuch as liability had not been established, and that arbitration was a required condition precedent under the policy and no such arbitration had been requested or undertaken.
Farmers states in its brief that at trial, held January 15 and 16, 1964, after Halliday rested his case, Farmers by amendment admitted certain facts previously denied and eliminated its affirmative defenses of contributory negligence and unavoidable accident, thereby leaving the sole question of the amount of Halliday's damages for personal injuries. The jury returned a verdict in favor of Halliday in the amount of $2,300.
At a pretrial conference the parties stipulated that if liability was established, the court should determine the amount of attorney fees to be paid by Farmers. Thereafter, by stipulation, judgment was to be entered in favor of Halliday in the amount of the jury award and attorney fees to be determined by the trial court.
Farmers appeals from that portion of the judgment awarding attorney fees.
The single assignment of error is that the trial court erred in awarding attorney fees because Halliday demanded and sued for more than was 'justly due' him, the amount justly due being the amount of the jury verdict.
Interpretation of our statute is sought by this appeal:
'(2) In any such action, if it is alleged that before the commencement thereof, a tender of the full amount justly due was made to the person entitled thereto, and such amount is thereupon deposited in the court, and if the allegation is found to be true, or if it is determined in such action that no amount is justly due, then no such attorney's fees may be recovered.
(Emphasis supplied)
Farmers contends that the statute is penal and, therefore, requires strict construction by the courts and that the statute must not be extended to cases which do not clearly come within its meaning.
In the area with which we are now concerned, the statutes of Oregon and Nebraska were heretofore considered; Molstead v. Reliance National Life Insurance Co., 83 Idaho 458, 465, 364 P.2d 883 (1961). Statutes of Florida and Kansas are similar in import. Those statutes in part read:
Oregon, 736.325.
Nebraska, 44-359.
Florida, 627.0127, F.S.A. 'Attorney fee.--Upon the rendition of a judgment or decree by any of the courts of this state against an insurer in favor of an insured * * *, the trial judge shall adjudge or decree against the insurer and in favor of the insured or beneficiary, a reasonable sum as fees or compensation for the insured's or beneficiary's attorney * * *.'
Kansas, 40-256.
As regards these statutes, the following views are expressed by the Supreme Courts of Florida and Kansas on the question of whether they are penal or compensatory in nature. The Florida court in Salter v. National Indemnity Co., 160 So.2d 147 (Fla.App.1964), held:
On the other hand, the Kansas court has held:
'The purpose of the statute * * * allowing an attorney fee in insurance cases is not to penalize an insurance company for making what it deems to be a bona fide defense to an action to recover on an insurance policy but to permit the allowance of a fair and reasonable compensation to the assured's attorney in the event, after having been compelled to sue on his policy, he is successful in that effort.' Lattner v. Federal Union Ins. Co., 160 Kan. 472, 163 P.2d 389 (1945).
And:
Wolf v. Mutual Benefit Health and Accident Ass'n, 188 Kan. 694, 366 P.2d 219 (1961).
Likewise, the Oregon court held:
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