Barnes v. National Life & Accident Ins.

115 S.W.2d 51, 232 Mo. App. 1093, 1938 Mo. App. LEXIS 137
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 7, 1938
StatusPublished

This text of 115 S.W.2d 51 (Barnes v. National Life & Accident Ins.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Barnes v. National Life & Accident Ins., 115 S.W.2d 51, 232 Mo. App. 1093, 1938 Mo. App. LEXIS 137 (Mo. Ct. App. 1938).

Opinion

REYNOLDS, J.

This is an action based upon a policy of life insurance. There is no dispute as to the facts.

On February 13, 1928, the defendant, National Life & Accident Insurance Company, issued its policy of insurance on the life of Eula Barnes, wherein the plaintiff, Joseph Barnes, father of the insured, was named as beneficiary. The face amount of the policy was $260, the premiums thereon being twenty-five cents per week. All premiums were paid up until January 25, 1932, and none were paid after that time. The insured died July 1, 1935.

The plaintiff, upon the trial, contended that the policy was governed by Section 5741, Revised Statutes of 1929. In support of this contention, he introduced an actuary who testified that she had calculated the value of the policy under the extended insurance law of Missouri, Section 5741, Revised Statutes of 1929, and that, under that section, the policy had a value that would have kept it in force for its face value until March 28, 1942, a period long after the death of the insured. The policy sued upon was introduced in evidence by the plaintiff. The death of the insured was shown to have occurred on July 1, 1935, due proof of which was made to the defendant by the 'beneficiary within ninety days thereafter. After introducing such evidence, the plaintiff rested his ease in chief. Thereupon, the defendant requested a peremptory instruction in the nature of a demurrer to the case as made, directing a verdict in its favor, which was denied. Whereupon, the record shows the following proceedings in chambers, outside of the presence and the hearing of the jury.

“Mr. Douglass (counsel for defendant): It is agreed that the policy was issued February 13th, 1928; that the premiums are paid through the week of January 25th, 1932, and that the death occurred July 1st, 1935; that the paid-up value of the policy was $35.00; that proof of death was made to the defendant by the beneficiary within ninety days of the death of the insured.

“Let the record show that the defendant filed a demurrer and the demurrer is overruled; to which defendant excepts.

“The Court: Now, gentlemen, I understand that you have agreed to dispose of the rest of this case upon the following basis: That the defendant is making no issues on the trial of this case other than that this case falls within the purview of Section 5742 and not within the purview of Section 5741; that the plaintiff is relying upon the case of Bothmann v. Metropolitan Life, 252 S. W. 652, and that the issue raised by defendant is whether or not this case *1095 comes within the purview of that decision and Section 5741; that to' expedite the disposition of this matter and still preserve all rights intended to be preserved that defendant is willing, if its right to appeal upon the propriety of the court’s classifying the computation of the value of this policy at lapsation as under Section 5741 and in accordance with the Bothmann case, that defendant wishes to -offer no further defense or controvert no further issues, but that defendant is preserving its right to appeal so far as this one point is concerned, if it wishes, and that in consideration of the plaintiff agreeing that the court should direct the verdict for $260.00, eliminating vexatious delay and attorneys’ fees and interest, that defendant will raise no error other than the- error of the court, if it is error, in connection with Section 5741 and the Bothmann case, and the plaintiff agrees that under these conditions-it will not complain of the court’s action in submitting the ease under a directed verdict without vexatious delay and attorneys’ fees being submitted under an instruction. Does that meet with your understanding on either side ?

“Mr. Douglass: Yes.

“Mr. Cosgrove: Yes, all right.

“The Gourt: Let the record show that both plaintiff and defendant rest, then, under those conditions. ■

“Evidence closed.

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“Whereupon the following proceedings were had in the pTesenee and hearing of the jury as follows, to-wit:

‘ ‘ The Court : All right, now, gentlemen, the court is going to take the responsibility of terminating this case. I am going to direct that your verdict under the circumstances should be for the plaintiff for $260.00. I will appoint Mr. Pahlman as foreman of this jury, and will you please come forward, Mr. Pahlman, and sign this (the verdict) ...”

Such verdict, being signed by the juror, was returned into court by the jury on January 25, 1936, and judgment in accordance therewith was thereupon entered in favor of the plaintiff for $260.00. From said judgment, after an unsuccessful motion for a new trial, the defendant prosecutes this appeal.

The first point made by the defendant is that the court erred in holding that Section 5741, Revised Statutes of 1929, applied and that the court erred in directing a verdict for the plaintiff for the face amount of the policy for the reason that the policy upon default was governed by Section 5744, Revised Statutes of 1929, and not by Section 5741, in that the policy contained a provision for the unconditional commutation thereof for nonforfeitable insurance *1096 in the sum of $35.00 and the defendant was liable only for such amount. [State ex rel. Clark v. Becker, 335 Mo. 785, 73 S. W. (2d) 769; Cave v. Missouri Ins. Co. (Mo. App.), 102 S. W. (2d) 755; Adams v. Ohio National Life Ins. Co. (Mo. App.), 105 S. W. (2d) 64.]

It appears conclusively, however, from the record that the defendant defended at the trial under Section 5742, Revised Statutes of 1929, not under Section 5744. The defendant can not abandon its theory upon the trial and proceed upon another theory in this court upon appeal. It expressly stated upon the trial that the only issue raised by it was that this case falls, within Section 5742 and not within Section 5741 or within the purview of the case of Bothman v. Metropolitan .Life Ins. Co., 299 Mo. 269, 252 S. W. 652, as contended by the plaintiff. It did not urge or .take the position in the court below upon the trial that the policy was governed by Section 5744-It can not therefore do so here. [Moore v. Washington Life & Accident Insurance Co. (Mo. App.), 58 S. W. (2d) 763; Thomas v. Scott, 221 Mo. 271, 119 S. W. 1098; Caine v. Physicians’ Indemnity Co. of America (Mo. App.), 45 S. W. (2d) 904.]

In the case of Moore v. Washington Life & Accident Insurance Company, supra, 58 S. W. (2d) 763, l. c. 763, it was said: “Where insurer did not urge in the trial- court beneficiary’s failure to make proof of death under original policy, it could not do so on appeal.”

In the case of Thomas v. Scott, supra, the court said that questions of law not presented to or passed on by the trial court can not be raised on appeal.

In the case of Caine v. Physicians’ Indemnity Company of America, supra, 45 S. W. (2d) 904, l. c. 907, the court-said: “. . . defendant’s theory in the lower court . . . was that a forfeiture was only to be accomplished by some affirmative' act on • the part of the company in that respect. It must adhere to. that theory in this court;' and, no evidence having .been adduced to. show that a forfeiture was declared—there was no such issue to have been submitted to the jury.”

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Related

McCloskey Ex Rel. McCloskey v. Koplar
46 S.W.2d 557 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1932)
Bothmann v. Metropolitan Life Insurance
252 S.W. 652 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1923)
Adams v. Ohio National Life Insurance
105 S.W.2d 64 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1937)
State Ex Rel. Clark v. Becker
73 S.W.2d 769 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1934)
Thomas v. Scott
119 S.W. 1098 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1909)

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Bluebook (online)
115 S.W.2d 51, 232 Mo. App. 1093, 1938 Mo. App. LEXIS 137, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/barnes-v-national-life-accident-ins-moctapp-1938.