J. E. Hecker and Jane Hecker v. Missouri

en banc These consolidated appeals concern the issuance of property insurance by the Missouri Property Insurance Placement Facility (the Facility). In the Hecker case, the trial court held that a one-year Facility policy automatically renewed and therefore covered J.E. and Jane Heckers' (the Heckers) cabin when destroyed by a fire that occurred after the expiration of the one-year term. In the Cook case, the trial court held that a similar Facility policy did not automatically renew and therefore did not cover a house trailer owned by Calvin and Karen Cook (the Cooks) when it was destroyed by fire after the expiration of the original term. However, the court did hold that independent insurance agent Gene Curtis (Curtis), representing the Cooks, negligently failed to submit to the Facility an application for renewal of the policy. Both the Facility and Curtis appealed to the Court of Appeals, Southern District. The appeals were consolidated and thereafter transferred by the Court of Appeals to this Court. We now reverse in the Hecker case, and affirm in part and reverse in part in the Cook case. I.