PENNSYLVANIA THRESHERMEN & FARMERS' MUTUAL CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY, APPELLANT,
v.
MORRIS KOLTUNOVSKY, APPELLEE

Fla. 3d DCA | 1964-06-30
No. 63-726
Before BARKDULL, C. J., and CARROLL and TILLMAN PEARSON, JJ.
166 So. 2d 462 Florida District Court of Appeal, Third District (1964) Positive Treatment
Cited by 8 cases

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Synopsis

An insurance company appealed a judgment rendered against it in a breach of contract action, challenging the trial judge's exclusion of evidence regarding the insured's alleged misrepresentation about prior losses made during policy negotiations. The appellate court reversed, finding the excluded testimony was material to the fraud defense and should have been admitted.


Holding

The trial judge erred in excluding the testimony. The exclusion was improper because testimony regarding the insured's negative response when asked about prior losses during policy negotiations was material to representations made by the insured and could have been found material by the trier of fact, and thus should have been considered in evaluating the company's defense.


Key Quotes

“the negative reply to whether or not the appellee had suffered any losses within the period involved forestalled any further inquiry as to the nature of losses and, this occurring during the negotiation stage of the issuance of the policy, it was a relevant matter which should have been considered by the trier of the fact.”

Establishes the court's rationale that the insured's denial of prior losses during negotiations was material to the company's fraud defense and should have been admitted.

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Facts & Procedural History

The insured (Koltunovsky) filed a claim under an insurance policy for a loss caused by theft. The insurance company (Pennsylvania Threshermen) raised …

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Opinion of the Court
BARKDULL, Chief Judge.

BARKDULL, Chief Judge.

Appellant, defendant in the trial' court, appeals from an adverse final judgment entered as a result of a common law action instituted by the plaintiff-appellee to recover under an insurance policy for an alleged loss occasioned by “theft or otherwise”. To this complaint, the company filed an answer containing the following affirmative defense:

* * * * * *
“ * * * The Defendant specifically alleges that the Plaintiff sustained and/or received indemnity for a loss of the kind covered by the policy of insurance sued upon within the five year period preceding the issuance of said policy, and that the Plaintiff misrepresented and concealed said prior loss and/or indemnity, and that had the Defendant known of the prior loss the policy of insurance sued upon would not have been issued to the Plaintiff, and that therefore the policy of insurance sued upon was issued by the Defendant to the Plaintiff in reliance upon false representations of the Plaintiff, and that therefore the Plaintiff procured and obtained issuance of the policy of insurance sued upon by fraud and misrepresentations.”
******

At the time of the trial, the trial judge refused to permit testimony by officials of the appellant into evidence, which would have disclosed that during the preliminary negotiations the appellee denied sustaining any losses within 5 years prior to the issuance of the policy in question and that, if the company had in fact known of such losses, it would not have issued the policy in question. The testimony sought to be elicited from the witnesses was duly *464proffered in the record and was preserved for consideration by this court. See: Musachia v. Terry, Fla.App.1962, 140 So.2d 605; Rule 1.37(b) Florida Rules of Civil Procedure, 30 F.S.A.

It appears that the trial judge erred in excluding this testimony which, pursuant to the provisions of § 627.01081, Fla.Stat., F.S.A., could have been material to the representation made by the appellee and, with such evidence before him, the trier of the facts might have found the representation to be material. Counsel for the appellee contends that the appellee was not asked the specific question relative to the degree of coverage as indicated in the policy1 and, therefore, it is immaterial that the appellee denied any losses if, in fact, this occurred. However, as pointed out in Prudential Insurance Co. of America v. Whittington, Fla.App.1957, 98 So.2d 382, the negative reply to whether or not the appellee had suffered any losses within the period involved forestalled any further inquiry as to the nature of losses and, this occurring during the negotiation stage of the issuance of the policy, it was a relevant matter which should have been considered by the trier of the fact.

No merit is found in the contention that the appellee had a right to object to the witnesses testifying because they were not enumerated in a pre-trial discovery interrogatory, which reads as follows:

“5. Please state full name and present address, giving street number, city and state, of every person known to you or your attorney who has any knowledge regarding the facts and circumstances surrounding the occurrence of the burglary and loss complained of in this case, including eyewitnesses, and any and all other persons having knowledge thereof.”
* * * * * *

This interrogatory went to those who had knowledge of the theft or loss, and not an inquiry as to those who were familiar with the circumstances surrounding the issuance of the policy in the first instance.

Therefore, the final judgment here under review is hereby reversed, with directions to-grant the appellant a new trial.

Reversed with directions.


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Citator

Cited By

  • Douglas v. The Mut. Life Ins. Co. OF NEW York, 191 So. 2d 483 (Fla. 2d DCA 1966)
    …surer would not have issued the policy if it had known these facts.” See also: Prudential Ins. Co. of America v. Whittington, Fla.App.1957, 98 So. 2d 382. The appellate court in Pennsylvania Thresh. & F. M. C. Ins. Co. v. Koltunovsky, Fla.App.1964, 166 So. 2d 462, reversed the trial court’s decision for the insured and remanded because the trial court erred in refusing to introduce the testimony of officials of the insurance company. The content of this testimony was that during negotiations for issuance of…
  • Cent. Mut. Ins. Co. v. Cropper, 296 So. 2d 69 (Fla. 2d DCA 1974)
    …lar fashion. In fact, our statute strongly suggests that parol evidence may be considered, because it refers to statements made by an insured “in negotiations” for a policy. In Pennsylvania Thresh. & F.M.C. Ins. Co. v. Koltunovsky, Fla.App.3d, 1964, 166 So. 2d 462, our sister court reversed the court below for having refused to permit insurance company officials to testify that the insured made material misrepresentations during preliminary negotiations for the policy. The order granting summary judgment is…
  • …he plaintiff at that time for $15,000.00, the face amount of the policy, and for attorney fees in the sum of $5,000.00. The defendant appealed and the cause was reversed and remanded, with directions to grant the defendant a new trial [Fla.App.1964, 166 So. 2d 462], Thereafter, the defendant’s motion for new trial and motion for jury trial were granted. This cause was then tried again, before a jury, which returned a verdict in favor of the plaintiff for $5,000.00 damages and attorney fees of $3,250.00. The…

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