Kenneth Adams v. Queen Insurance Company

LAWSON, Justice. On August 28, 1952, Kenneth Adams, a resident of Anniston, was informed by police officers of that city that
they had reason to believe that a 1950 Pontiac which Adams had in his possession was a stolen automobile. The police officers
asked Adams to turn the automobile over to them so they could make a thorough investigation. Adams delivered the car to Captain
Pate, the then captain of detectives of the city of Anniston, for the sole purpose for which the request had been made and
in delivering the car to Captain Pate, Adams did not abandon his claim of ownership or concede that the car had been stolen. A few days later, on September 3, 1952, Adams, accompanied by his lawyer, went to the office of Captain Pate where they discussed
the ownership of the automobile with Pate and with Edwin M. Cole, an independent insurance adjustor, who on that occasion
was representing the Queen Insurance Company. At that meeting Captain Pate informed those present that his investigation showed
that the automobile in question had been stolen from a resident of Birmingham by the name of Leonard Salit, who had been compensated
for his loss by his insurance carrier, the Queen Insurance Company. Over the objection of Adams and that of his attorney,
Captain Pate delivered the automobile to Cole as the agent of Queen Insurance Company. Cole drove the automobile to Birmingham,
where it was stored and where it was later sold to a party not here involved.