Aetna Life Ins. v. Hussey

590 N.E.2d 724, 63 Ohio St. 3d 640, 1992 Ohio LEXIS 934
CourtOhio Supreme Court
DecidedMay 20, 1992
DocketNo. 91-219
StatusPublished
Cited by33 cases

This text of 590 N.E.2d 724 (Aetna Life Ins. v. Hussey) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Aetna Life Ins. v. Hussey, 590 N.E.2d 724, 63 Ohio St. 3d 640, 1992 Ohio LEXIS 934 (Ohio 1992).

Opinions

Holmes, J.

The central issue in this case is whether Kelly Rae Hussey has an unrestricted right to receive all the proceeds from Raymond W. Hussey Jr.’s life insurance policy. In other words, was Kelly (who is now twenty-three years of age) entitled to receive more than those insurance proceeds that were necessary for her education prior to attaining the age of twenty-two? For the reasons that follow, we answer such query in the negative.

As a threshold matter we must determine whether Raymond lawfully changed the beneficiary of his life insurance policy from Kelly to Phillip Lawrence, as trustee. In Ferguson v. Owens (1984), 9 Ohio St.3d 223, 226, 9 OBR 565, 567, 459 N.E.2d 1293, 1295, this court stated:

“A constructive trust is, in the main, an appropriate remedy against unjust enrichment. This type of trust is usually invoked when property has been acquired by fraud. However, a constructive trust may also be imposed where it is against the principles of equity that the property be retained by a certain person even though the property was acquired without fraud. * * * ” (Citations omitted.)

Furthermore, in Kelly v. Medical Life Ins. Co. (1987), 31 Ohio St.3d 130, 31 OBR 289, 509 N.E.2d 411, we held at paragraph two of the syllabus that “[a] constructive trust is the appropriate remedy to ensure that insurance proceeds [643]*643are paid to those who were to be named beneficiaries of an insurance policy by the terms of a separation agreement embodied in a divorce decree.”

In the present case Raymond changed the beneficiary of his life insurance policy contrary to the express terms of his separation agreement embodied in his divorce decree, which provided: “Husband shall maintain the present insurance policies on his life and make his daughter, Kelly Rae Hussey, the irrevocable beneficiary of said policies until she attains the age of twenty-two (22) years for the purpose of insuring her education. * * * ” (Emphasis added.) Therefore, we find that Kelly was the proper beneficiary of Raymond’s life insurance proceeds. Accordingly, we hold that a constructive trust shall be imposed upon the proceeds from Raymond’s policy.

The next issue to be resolved is whether Kelly may have unrestricted access to the funds of her constructive trust or whether she may receive only those proceeds necessary to satisfy her educational expenses. Upon reviewing this issue in light of the facts in this case we find Kelly v. Medical Life Ins. Co., supra, to be distinguishable. Specifically, in Kelly the pertinent portion of the divorce decree provided:

“IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED that * * * [James Kelly] shall name the minor children as beneficiaries on all life insurance he has through his place of employment and Veterans Administration so long as his support obligation exists. * * * ” Id. at 132, 31 OBR at 291, 509 N.E.2d at 413.

However, noticeably absent from the above disposition of the insurance proceeds in Kelly was a stated purpose for which the proceeds would be supplied to the beneficiaries. The only limitation placed on the right to the proceeds was that they vest with the beneficiaries, if at all, during the period of the father’s support obligation. In fact, in reviewing the aforementioned clause and deciding whether the beneficiaries in Kelly were entitled to the entire amount of the insurance proceeds this court commented:

“ * * * This clause does not limit the amount of life insurance proceeds to which appellants would be entitled. It limits only the period of time during which they are entitled to be named beneficiaries. Had James Kelly fulfilled his obligation to designate appellants as beneficiaries before he died, the entire policy proceeds would have been payable to appellants without regard to any unpaid balance of child support payments.

“We find no evidence in the record of special circumstances surrounding the agreement which might justify a different interpretation. The original draft of the settlement agreement, which was incorporated in more formal terms into the divorce decree, reads: ‘LIFE INSURANCE: All life ins. thru work (State of Ohio) & V.A. to children so long as support obligation exists.’ It [644]*644contains no indication that the life insurance obligation was related to the child support obligation in any manner except that of duration.

“Nor does our review of the agreement as a whole require a different result. As in the original draft, the life insurance obligation in the decree is set forth separately and apart from, and in addition to, the child support obligation. The only conclusion to be drawn is that the parties to the agreement and divorce decree did not intend to limit the amount of life insurance proceeds to which appellants would be entitled in the event James Kelly died before appellants attained majority. Had the parties intended such a limitation, they could easily have so provided.” Id. at 132-133, 31 OBR at 291-292, 509 N.E.2d at 413-414.

' Thus, as this court implied in Kelly, where a separation agreement embodied in a divorce decree mandates insurance coverage and unambiguously designates a purpose for which insurance proceeds are to be used by certain beneficiaries, a constructive trust for that designated purpose is the appropriate remedy to ensure that the proceeds are used for the purpose intended under the agreement. Moreover, where a separate agreement embodied in a divorce decree states a specific purpose for mandated life insurance coverage, the insured party or policy owner has a contingent right to dispose of any proceeds not used by the beneficiaries in accordance with the agreement’s express purpose, pursuant to R.C. 2131.04.1

In the case sub judice we observe that there are special circumstances surrounding the agreement that justify a different interpretation from that in Kelly, supra. Specifically, paragraph thirteen of the separation agreement explicitly states that Kelly Rae Hussey would be made irrevocable beneficiary of Raymond’s insurance policies for the “purpose of insuring her education.” Therefore, the decree in this case (which incorporated the separation agreement) unambiguously provided a purpose and time for Raymond’s insurance obligation to be fulfilled, whereas the decree in Kelly, supra, was silent as to the purpose for establishing the minor children as the beneficiaries of the father’s insurance.

This court held in Skivolocki v. East Ohio Gas Co. (1974), 38 Ohio St.2d 244, 67 O.O.2d 321, 313 N.E.2d 374, paragraph one of the syllabus, with respect to deriving the intent of the parties to a contract: “Contracts are to be interpreted so as to carry out the intent of the parties, as that intent is evidenced by the contractual language.” See, also, Blosser v. Enderlin [645]*645(1925), 113 Ohio St. 121, 148 N.E. 393, paragraph one of the syllabus; and Kelly v. Medical Life Ins. Co., supra, at paragraph one of the syllabus.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
590 N.E.2d 724, 63 Ohio St. 3d 640, 1992 Ohio LEXIS 934, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/aetna-life-ins-v-hussey-ohio-1992.