Scott v. Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Co., (1989) 94 N.R. 261 (SCC)
| Judge | Dickson, C.J.C., McIntyre, Lamer, Wilson, La Forest, L'Heureux-Dubé and Sopinka, JJ. |
| Court | Supreme Court (Canada) |
| Case Date | June 08, 1989 |
| Jurisdiction | Canada (Federal) |
| Citations | (1989), 94 N.R. 261 (SCC);9 CCLI (2d) 268;[1989] 1 SCR 1445;59 DLR (4th) 660;[1989] SCJ No 55 (QL);37 BCLR (2d) 273;[1989] 4 WWR 728;1989 CanLII 105 (SCC);94 NR 261;15 ACWS (3d) 400;[1989] ILR 9524 |
Scott v. Wawanesa Mutual (1989), 94 N.R. 261 (SCC)
MLB headnote and full text
[French language version follows English language version]
[La version française vient à la suite de la version anglaise]
.........................
Cecil Scott and Femmie Scott (appellants) v. The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company (respondent)
(20161)
Indexed As: Scott v. Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Co.
Supreme Court of Canada
Dickson, C.J.C., McIntyre, Lamer, Wilson, La Forest, L'Heureux-Dubé and Sopinka, JJ.
June 8, 1989.
Summary:
The Scotts, husband and wife, jointly owned their house which was insured under a homeowners' policy. Their 15 year old son deliberately set fire to the house. The insurer denied coverage.
The British Columbia Supreme Court held the insurer liable because the son was not an "insured" under the policy - See (1984), 58 B.C.L.R. 6; 13 D.L.R. (4th) 752. The insurer appealed.
The British Columbia Court of Appeal allowed the appeal and denied coverage - See (1986), 6 B.C.L.R.(2d) 56; 30 D.L.R.(4th) 414. The Scotts appealed.
The Supreme Court of Canada dismissed the appeal.
Insurance - Topic 6050
Fire insurance - Defences - Deliberate act by one of several insured persons - The Scotts, husband and wife, insured their house for fire damage - Their 15 year old son deliberately set fire to the house and the insurer denied coverage - The Supreme Court of Canada affirmed that the Scotts were not covered by the policy - The court stated that the policy excluded such deliberate acts and that the son was an "insured" under the policy.
Words and Phrases
Insured - The Supreme Court of Canada discussed the meaning of the word "insured" as found in a fire insurance policy.
Cases Noticed:
Rankin v. North Waterloo Farmers Mutual Insurance Co. (1979), 100 D.L.R. (3d) 564, not folld. [paras. 6, 23].
P. Samuel & Co. v. Dumas, [1924] A.C. 431 (H.L.), refd to. [paras. 7, 23].
Wiens v. Fireman's Fund Insurance Co. of Canada, [1981] I.L.R. 1-1423, refd to. [paras. 9, 24].
Guarantee Co. of North America v. Aqua-Land Exploration Ltd., [1966] S.C.R. 133, refd to. [para. 15].
Kosmopoulos v. Constitution Insurance Co. of Canada (1983), 149 D.L.R.(3d) 77, refd to. [para. 16].
Kosmopoulos v. Constitution Insurance Co. of Canada (1983), 149 D.L.R.(3d) 77, affd. [1987] 1 S.C.R. 2; 74 N.R. 360, refd to. [para. 24].
Higgins v. Orion Insurance Co., [1985] I.L.R. 1-1886; 8 O.A.C. 259 (Ont. C.A.), refd to. [para. 24].
Murdock v. Commercial Union Assurance Co. (1980), 30 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 311; 84 A.P.R. 311 (Nfld. S.C.T.D.), refd to. [para. 27].
Walsh v. Canadian General Insurance Co. (1988), 70 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 89; 215 A.P.R. 89 (Nfld. S.C.T.D.), refd to. [para. 27].
Barraclough v. Royal Insurance Co. of Canada, [1986] I.L.R. 1-2016 (Ont. S.C.), refd to. [para. 27].
Siountres v. United States Fire Insurance & Reliance Insurance Co., [1982] I.L.R. 1-1484 (Ont. S.C.), refd to. [para. 27].
Hedtcke v. Sentry Insurance Co., (1982), 326 N.W.2d 727, refd to. [para. 28].
Consolidated-Bathurst Export Ltd. v. Mutual Boiler and Machinery Insurance Co., [1980] 1 S.C.R. 888; 32 N.R. 488, refd to. [para. 33].
Morgan v. Greater New York Taxpayers Mut. Ins. Ass'n. (1953), 112 N.E.2d 273 (N.Y.C.A.), refd to. [para. 33].
Thornton v. Shoe Lane Parking Ltd., [1971] 1 All E.R. 686, refd to. [para. 43].
Moraweitz v. Moraweitz (1986), 18 C.C. L.I. 108 (Ont. C.A.), refd to. [para. 49].
Authors and Works Noticed:
Corbin on Contracts (1951), vol. 4, s. 926, p. 704 [para. 26].
MacGillivray on Insurance Law (5th Ed. 1961), vol. 1, p. 140 [para. 15].
Rendall, James A., Annotation to Scott v. Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Co. (1984), 8 C.C.L.I. 216 [para. 29].
Rendall, James A., Annotation to Scott v. Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Co. (1986), 25 C.C.L.I. 217 [para. 41].
Counsel:
Dev Dley, for the appellant;
Harvey J. Grey, Q.C., for the respondent.
Solicitors of Record:
Mair Janowsky Blair, Kamloops, British Columbia, for the appellants;
Harper, Grey, Easton & Company, Vancouver, British Columbia, for the respondent.
This appeal was heard by Dickson, C.J.C., McIntyre, Lamer, Wilson, La Forest, L'Heureux-Dubé and Sopinka, JJ., of the Supreme Court of Canada on December 15, 1988.
The decision of the Supreme Court of Canada was delivered on June 8, 1989 in both official languages and the following opinions were filed:
L'Heureux-Dubé, J. - see paragraphs 1 to 20;
La Forest, J., dissenting - see paragraphs 21 to 53.
McIntyre, Lamer and Wilson, JJ., concurred with L'Heureux-Dubé, J.
Dickson, C.J.C. and Sopinka, J., concurred with La Forest, J.
To continue reading
Request your trial
-
Scalera v. Lloyd's of London, (2000) 135 B.C.A.C. 161 (SCC)
...[para. 70]. Parsons v. Standard Fire Insurance Co. (1880), 5 S.C.R. 233, refd to. [para. 71]. Scott v. Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Co., [1989] 1 S.C.R. 1445; 94 N.R. 261, refd to. [para. Consolidated-Bathurst Export Ltd. v. Mutual Boiler and Machinery Insurance Co., [1980] 1 S.C.R. 888; 32 N.......
-
Scalera v. Lloyd's of London, 2000 SCC 24
...[para. 70]. Parsons v. Standard Fire Insurance Co. (1880), 5 S.C.R. 233, refd to. [para. 71]. Scott v. Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Co., [1989] 1 S.C.R. 1445; 94 N.R. 261, refd to. [para. Consolidated-Bathurst Export Ltd. v. Mutual Boiler and Machinery Insurance Co., [1980] 1 S.C.R. 888; 32 N.......
-
General Principles of Interpretation
..., [1956] Ch 304. 143 Often the point is expressed in more or less these terms. See, for example, Scott v Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Co , [1989] 1 SCR 1445, in which La Forest J, in dissent, would have interpreted a fire insurance policy as providing coverage to a homeowner under a fire ins......
-
Table of cases
...DLR (4th) 161, 1985 CanLII 57 .............................................................. 429 Scott v Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Co, [1989] 1 SCR 1445, 9 CCLI (2d) 268, [1989] SCJ No 55 ..................................... 319, 320, 535, 536 Secunda Marine Services Ltd v Fabco Industries......
-
Scalera v. Lloyd's of London, (2000) 135 B.C.A.C. 161 (SCC)
...[para. 70]. Parsons v. Standard Fire Insurance Co. (1880), 5 S.C.R. 233, refd to. [para. 71]. Scott v. Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Co., [1989] 1 S.C.R. 1445; 94 N.R. 261, refd to. [para. Consolidated-Bathurst Export Ltd. v. Mutual Boiler and Machinery Insurance Co., [1980] 1 S.C.R. 888; 32 N.......
-
Scalera v. Lloyd's of London, 2000 SCC 24
...[para. 70]. Parsons v. Standard Fire Insurance Co. (1880), 5 S.C.R. 233, refd to. [para. 71]. Scott v. Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Co., [1989] 1 S.C.R. 1445; 94 N.R. 261, refd to. [para. Consolidated-Bathurst Export Ltd. v. Mutual Boiler and Machinery Insurance Co., [1980] 1 S.C.R. 888; 32 N.......
-
Fletcher v. Manitoba Public Insurance Co., [1990] 3 SCR 191
...Export Ltd. v. Mutual Boiler and Machinery Insurance Co., [1980] 1 S.C.R. 888; Scott v. Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Co., [1989] 1 S.C.R. 1445; Jacuzzi Canada Ltd. v. A. Mantella & Sons Ltd. (1988), 31 C.P.C. (2d) Statutes and Regulations Cited Insurance Act, R.S.M. 1987, c. I40. Manitoba ......
-
Wong Estate et al. v. Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. et al., (2009) 479 A.R. 383 (QB)
...Insurance Co. (1986), 30 D.L.R.(4th) 762 ; 21 C.C.L.I. 135 (B.C.S.C.), refd to. [para. 37]. Scott v. Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Co., [1989] 1 S.C.R. 1445; 94 N.R. 261 ; 59 D.L.R.(4th) 660 , refd to. [para. 37]. Insurance Corp. of British Columbia v. Kraiger (2002), 172 B.C.A.C. 291 ; ......
-
Fire Losses And Investigations
...and the insurer denies coverage to the innocent co-insured. A leading case on this issue is Scott v Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company, [1989] 1 S.C.R. 1445. In this case, the Insured's minor son intentionally set fire to the Insured's premises. The Supreme Court of Canada considered whether......
-
Cannabis Exclusion In Home Insurance Policies May Not Be Effective When Tenants' Grow-Op Causes Loss
...3 See Insurance Act, RSA 2000, c I-3, s. 541; Insurance Act, SBC 2012, c 1, s. 35; The Insurance Act, CCSM c I40, s. 136.5(1). 4 [1989] 1 SCR 1445. 5 The SCC held the son to be an insured under the 6 2019 ABQB 515. 7 At para 20. 8 At paras 19, 20. 9 2018 SKQB 150. 10 At para 1. 11 At para 2......
-
General Principles of Interpretation
..., [1956] Ch 304. 143 Often the point is expressed in more or less these terms. See, for example, Scott v Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Co , [1989] 1 SCR 1445, in which La Forest J, in dissent, would have interpreted a fire insurance policy as providing coverage to a homeowner under a fire ins......
-
Table of cases
...DLR (4th) 161, 1985 CanLII 57 .............................................................. 429 Scott v Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Co, [1989] 1 SCR 1445, 9 CCLI (2d) 268, [1989] SCJ No 55 ..................................... 319, 320, 535, 536 Secunda Marine Services Ltd v Fabco Industries......
-
Table of cases
...(1868), L.R.7 Eq. 112 ............................................................ 1007 Scott v. Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Co., [1989] 1 S.C.R. 1445, 59 D.L.R. (4th) 660, [1989] S.C.J. No. 55 ......... 322, 770 Scragg v. United Kingdom Temperance & General Provident Institution, [1976] 2 Ll......
-
General Principles of Interpretation
...Ch. 304. 103 Often the point is expressed in more or less these terms. See, for example, Scott v. Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Co ., [1989] 1 S.C.R. 1445, in which La Forest J., in dissent, would have interpreted a fire insurance policy as providing coverage to a homeowner under a fire insur......