Aetna Ins. v. Robertson

88 So. 883, 126 Miss. 387
CourtMississippi Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 15, 1921
DocketNo. 21871
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 88 So. 883 (Aetna Ins. v. Robertson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Mississippi Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Aetna Ins. v. Robertson, 88 So. 883, 126 Miss. 387 (Mich. 1921).

Opinions

Ethridge, J.,

delivered the opinion of the court (after stating the facts as above).

The first question presented for decision under the assignments of error is Avhether the revenue' agent has a right [400]*400to institute suit against these defendants under the. antitrust statute. In other words, it is contended by the appellant that as to the insurance companies the insurance commissioner has the sole and exclusive power of instituting suit, by directing the attorney general or the district attorneys to institute same. This contention is based upon certain statutes in the Insurance chapter of the Code. Section 2550, Code of 1906 (section 5014, Hemingway’s Code), reads as follows:

“There is hereby established in this state a separate and distinct department of insurance, which shall be charged with the execution of all laws now in force or which may be enacted hereafter, relative to all insurance, including indemnity or guarantee and other companies, . . . associations or orders placed under this department.” 1

Section 2554, Code of 1906 (section 5018, Hemingway’s Code), reads as follows: .

“The commissioner shall be vested with all the powers, and charged with all the duties, and subject to all the obligations and penalties now vested in, conferred and imposed upon the secretary of state, auditor of public accounts, state treasurer, or any. other officer charged with the execution of laws relative to subjects recited in the first section of this chapter.” , .

Section 2561, Code of 1906 (section 5026, Hemingway’s Code), reads as follows:

“Whenever it shall appear to the commissioner from any report submitted or examination made undér the provisions of this chapter or otherwise, that any of said companies or orders has failed to comply with the law, or if it, its officers or agents, refuse to submit to examination or to perform any legal obligations in relation thereto, or that its condition is such as to, render its further proceeding1 hazardous to the public or its stockholders or policy holders, it shall be the duty of the attorney general, or the district attorney under his direction, on notice by the commissioner to institute' such proceedings as are authorized by law and to prosecute1 the same to final judg[401]*401ment, and the commissioner shall also revoke or suspend all certificates of authority granted to such concern or its agents to do business in this state, as hereinafter provided.”

It is the contention of the appellant that under these sections the insurance commissioner has been vested with the exclusive power of bringing suits to enforce statutes which are obligatory upon insurance companies; that the language of these statutes, construed in the light of the numerous powers conferred upon the insurance commissioner to regulate the business of insurance companies, and to grant license and revoke license, conferred upon him the exclusive power to deal with these subjects.

The suit was brought for a violation by the insurance companies of the provisions of chapter 145, Code of 1906, and amendments thereto (chapter 69, Hemingway’s Code).

By section 5004, Code of 1906, as amended by the Laws of 1910, chapter 222 (section 3286, Hemingway’s Code), it is made the duty of the district attorney and of the attorney general to enforce these laws and to recover the penalties for the violation of these laws. Section 3286, Hemingway’s Code, reads as follows:

“Any person, corporation, partnership, firm or association, or any representative or agent thereof, violating any of the provisions of 'this chapter, shall forfeit not less than twenty dollars nor more than five thousand dollars for every such offense, and each day any person, corporation, partnership, firm, or association, shall continue to do so, shall be a separate offense; and the penalty in such cases can be recovered by the state on the relation of the attorney general or district attorney; and it shall be the duty of the several circuit judges to specially call the attention of the grand juries to this. provision; but no prosecution, pain, penalty or forfeiture for offenses committed under laws already existing át the time of the adoption of. this act, shall be in any wise remitted, released or taken away by reason hereof or anything herein contained, but the same shall be proceeded with, adjudged, [402]*402imposed and inflicted in conformity with laws already existing and in conformity with all the provisions of chapter 145, Code of Mississippi of 1906, which may he constitutionally applicable thereto.”

The statute above quoted placed the enforcement of the Anti-Trust Laws upon the attorney general and district attorney specifically without reservation or condition, and, in our opinion, this action is not dependent upon the direction of the insurance commissioner.,

By section 4738, Code of 1906 (section 7056, Hemingway’s Code), the state revenue agent is given power as follows:

“The state revenue agent may appoint a sufficient number of deputies.,. He shall have power and it shall be his duty to proceed by suit in the proper court against all officers, county contractors, persons, corporations*, companies, and associations of persons for all past-due and unpaid taxes of any kind whatever, for all penalties or for-' feitures for all past-due obligations and indebtedness of any character whatever owing to the state or any county, municipality or levee board, and for damages growing out of the violation of any contract with the state or any county, municipality, or levee board, and shall have a right of action and may sue at law or in equity in all such cases where the state or any county, municipality of levee board has the right of action or may sue. And in all cases of valuation or ownership of property which has escaped taxation, may have subpoenaed witnesses to testify before the board of supervisors, board of mayor and aldermen or levee board.”

It will be noted by the express terms of this statute that the power of the revenue agent extends to bringing suits “for all penalties or forfeitures,” and this court in Dukate v. Adams, Revenue Agent, 101 Miss. 433, 58 So. 475, expressly held that the provisions of the statute on trusts and combines conferring power upon the attorney general and district attorney to bring suit and enforce the AntiTrust Laws was not exclusive, but that under the sec[403]*403tion last quoted, giving power to the revenue agent to bring suit, embraced suits for the penalties imposed for the violation of the Anti-Trust Laws. The Anti-Trust Laws bave been amended from time to time especially by the Laws of 1908, chapter 119 (Hemingway’s Code, sections 3281-3284), and the Laws of 1910, chapter 222 (Hemingway’s Code, sections ■ 3286, 3287), and in none of these enactments enacted since the creation of the department of insurance has any reservation been made in favor of the insurance companies, or in favor of the insurance commissioner.

By section 2650, Code of 1906 (section 5116, Hemingway’s Code), it is provided: “Compliance with the provisions of this chapter, as to deposits, obligations and prohibitions, and the payment of taxes, fees and penalties by and upon foreign insurance companies, may be enforced by the commissioner by suit in the- name of the state.”

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Bluebook (online)
88 So. 883, 126 Miss. 387, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/aetna-ins-v-robertson-miss-1921.