Geagonia vs. Court of Appeals (Insurance Law)

 

Geagonia vs. Court of Appeals

(Insurance Law)

241 SCRA 152 (G.R. No. 114427)

February 6, 1995

 

Petitioners:	Armando Geagonia
Respondents:	Court of Appeals and Country Bankers Insurance Corpoation

 

J. Davide, Jr.:

 

FACTS:

 

The Petitioner’s is the owner of Norman’s Mart located at the public market. He obtained from the private respondent’s Country Banker’s Insurance Corp. fire insurance policy No. F-14622 for ₱100,000.00.

 

The Petitioner declared in the policy under the subheading entitled co-insurance that Mercantile Insurance Co. Inc., was the co-insurer for ₱50,000.00.

 

The policy contained the following condition:

 

“3. The insured shall give notice to the Company of any insurance or insurances already effected, and unless such notice be given and the particulars of such insurance or insurances be stated therein, all benefits under this policy shall be deemed forfeited.”

 

When a fire of accidental origin broke out at the public market, petitioner’s insured stocks-in-trade were completely destroyed prompting him to file with private respondent a claim under the policy. Private respondent denied the claim because it found that at the time of loss the petitioner’s stocks-in-trade were likewise covered by fire insurance policies No. GA-28146 and No. GA-28144 for ₱100,000.00 each issued by the Cebu Branch of the Philippines First Insurance Co., Inc. (hereinafter PFIC). These policies indicate that the insured was “Messrs. Discount Mart (Mr. Armando Geagonia, Prop.) with a mortgage clause reading: “Mortgagee; loss, if any, shall be payable to Messrs. Cebu Tesing Textiles, Cebu City as their interest may appear subject to the terms of this policy.

 

ISSUE:

 

Whether or not the incorporation of Condition 3 in the policy is allowed by Sec. 75 of the Insurance Code which precludes the petitioner to recover from the two insurance policies.

 

HELD:

 

Yes. Condition 3 of the private respondent’s Policy No. F-14622 is a condition which is not proscribed by law. Its incorporation in the policy is allowed by Section 75 of the Insurance Code which provides that “[a] policy may declare that a violation of specified provisions thereof shall avoid it, otherwise the breach of an immaterial provision does not avoid the policy.” Such a condition is a provision which invariably appears in fire insurance policies and is intended to prevent an increase in the moral hazard. It is commonly known as the additional or “other insurance” clause and has been upheld as valid and as a warranty that no other insurance exists. Its violation would thus avoid policy. However, in order to constitute a violation, the other insurance must be upon the same subject matter, the same interest therein, and the same risk.

 

As to a mortgaged property, the mortgagor and mortgagee have each an independent insurable interest therein and both interests may be covered by one policy, or each may take out a separate policy covering his interest, either at the same or at a separate times. The mortgagor’s insurable interest covers the full value of the mortgaged property, even though the mortgage debt is equivalent to the full value of the property. The mortgagee’s insurable interest is to the extent of the debt, since the property is relied upon as security thereof, and in insuring he is not insuring the property but his interest or lien thereon. His insurable interest is prima facie the value mortgaged and extends only to the amount of the debt, not exceeding the value of the mortgaged property. Thus, separate insurances covering different insurable interests may be obtained by the mortgagor and the mortgagee.

 

It is a cardinal rule in insurance that a policy or insurance contract is to be interpreted liberally in favor of the insured and strictly against the company, the reason being undoubtedly, to afford the greatest protection which the insured was endeavoring to secure when he applied for insurance. It is also a cardinal principle of law that forfeitures are not favored and that any forfeiture of the policy benefits for the person claiming thereunder, will be avoided, if it is possible to construe the policy in a manner which would permit recovery, as, for example, by finding a waiver for such forfeiture.