Rice v. Norwich Union Fire Ins. Soc., Ltd.

• Decision Date: 23 April 1942
• Docket Number: No. 9.,9.
• Parties: RICE v. NORWICH UNION FIRE INS. SOC, LIMITED.
• Court: New Jersey Supreme Court

25 A.2d 907

128 N.J.L. 314

RICE

v. NORWICH UNION FIRE INS. SOC, LIMITED.

No. 9.

Court of Errors and Appeals of New Jersey.

April 23, 1942.

Syllabus by the Court.

1. A faulty description in a policy of fire insurance cannot be reformed.

2. One who seeks insurance on a hotel property secures nothing by a policy covering a dwelling house while occupied by a single family.

3. A policy of insurance is not divisible so as to cover part of the property properly described.

4. A vacancy of the premises in question beyond the permitted period voided the policy in suit. The proofs examined show such a vacancy.

Appeal from Supreme Court.

Suit on a fire insurance policy by Harriet B. Rice against Norwich Union Fire Insurance Society Limited, a body corporate. From a judgment of nonsuit, plaintiff appeals.

Judgment affirmed.

Parsons, LaBrecque & Borden and Theodore D. Parsons, all of Red Bank, for appellant.

Arthur T. Vanderbilt and Marshall Crowley, both of Newark, for respondent.

BODINE, Justice.

Suit was brought upon a policy of fire insurance. The policy covers 19 pages in the State of the Case and we are concerned with very little of it. The policy is of the standard form. N.J.S.A. 17:36-3.

The plaintiff, a widow, acquired the property in question in 1924, upon the death of her husband. It consisted of a large house and a small cottage. She sold the property in 1932 to Rabinowitz and Waxier, who converted the large house into a hotel making extensive alterations so there were sleeping accommodations for about sixty guests. The dining room was large enough to seat many more and picnic parties were brought in great numbers in busses, purchasing meals in the dining room. The undertaking was a failure, and the property was abandoned by the owners in the spring of 1933. They took everything of value which could be removed, such as the furniture, household goods, plumbing and lighting fixtures and the kitchen range. The plaintiff, having taken back a purchase-money mortgage at the time of sale, put a caretaker in charge of the premises, he occupying the cottage and supervising the hotel property. However, a still was found in the hotel by a raiding party in 1937 or 1938, and the caretaker disappeared. A new one was found, who stayed in the cottage until about two weeks before the fire when he left. Thereafter the cottage, as well as the hotel was vacant.

It is perfectly clear that the plaintiff was, from the time the premises were abandoned, in possession thereof in a legal sense, since she exercised control thereof. She was a mortgagee in possession. Hands v. Russell, 115 N.J.Eq. 55, 169 A. 361. A rider provided that the policy was not voided by a vacancy at inception date; another provided for vacancy not exceeding six consecutive months in any one year. But the hotel was vacant since the owners stripped it nearly six years before the fire, and the nonsuit was granted on the theory that the vacancy of the hotel property for more than six months in the calendar year voided the policy. The policy described the insured buildings, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 17:36-3, subd. b, and their character and use as follows: "On the following described property situate on property known as South side of Leonardville Road, (Valley Drive) Middletown Township, New Jersey, while occupied exclusively for dwelling purposes by not more than two families. A. $8,500 On * * * building and wings occupied as a dwelling, known as Building Nos. 98 and 99, * * * C. $1,500. On the building and all additions and extensions and fences thereto (same form as item A), occupied as Dwelling, known as Building No. 96." It was conceded that the $8,500 insurance was on the premises referred to as the hotel and the $1,500 was upon the cottage.

The policy also provided: "This entire policy, unless otherwise provided by agreement indorsed hereon or added hereto, shall be void * * * if a building herein described, whether intended for occupancy by owner or tenant, be or become vacant or unoccupied and so remain for ten days." A rider provided, however, "It is understood and agreed that this policy shall not be invalidated * * * by vacancy or unoccupancy at inception date. ...