Eonda v. Affinito

15 Pa. D. & C.4th 142, 1991 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 9
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Washington County
DecidedNovember 13, 1991
Docketno. 90-4817
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 15 Pa. D. & C.4th 142 (Eonda v. Affinito) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Washington County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Eonda v. Affinito, 15 Pa. D. & C.4th 142, 1991 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 9 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1991).

Opinion

GILMORE, J.,

This matter is before the court on a complaint in equity seeking the imposition of a constructive trust on the proceeds of a life insurance policy.

[143]*143FINDINGS OF FACT

(1) Mildred Eonda and Philip F. Eonda entered into a comprehensive marriage settlement agreement on June 30, 1982, and were divorced by decree of this court later the same year.

(2) Paragraph 2f of the agreement provides:

“(f) Husband agrees to designate his son, Philip Charles Eonda, as beneficiary on all of his existing life insurance policies.”

(3) At the time the agreement was executed Philip Charles Eonda, the plaintiff herein, was 22 years-of-age and not living with or dependent upon either of his parents.

(4) At the time the agreement was entered into, Philip F. Eonda, incident to his employment with the federal government as an air traffic controller, was provided with a Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance policy. In this context, Mildred Eonda testified that this was the only policy of life insurance she was aware of when the agreement was executed.

(5) In compliance with the agreement, Philip F. Eonda designated his son, Philip Charles Eonda, as beneficiary of his FEGLI policy on September 10, 1982.

(6) On July 30, 1988, Philip F. Eonda, without notice to anyone, changed the designated beneficiary on his FEGLI policy to Jeannene A. Affinito, the defendant herein.

(7) Philip F. Eonda died testate on January 13, 1990. Jeannene A. Affinito was granted letters testamentary on his estate on January 25, 1990, at No. 63-90-0118. Jeannene A. Affinito applied for and received the benefits of Philip F. Eonda’s FEGLI policy in the amount of $34,421.77.

[144]*144DISCUSSION

The plaintiff in a two-count complaint alleges both unjust enrichment and the existence of the plaintiff as a third-party beneficiary of the marriage settlement agreement. The plaintiff requests a constructive trust be imposed upon the insurance proceeds in the hands of the defendant. The defendant answers by stating that the designation of the beneficiary on all FEGLI insurance policies is governed by federal statute, that the deceased and the defendant complied with the requirements of the statute and, since federal law preempts any state law, no claim against the defendant exists.

An evidentiary question involving the “Dead Man’s Act,” 42 Pa.C.S. §5930, must be addressed. The defendant objects to the introduction of her own testimony, the testimony of Philip Charles Eonda and that of Mildred Eonda, raising the bar of the Act. In order to be disqualified there are three criteria:

“(1) The deceased must have had an actual right in the matter at issue; (2) the interest of the witness, not simply the testimony, must be adverse; and (3) a right of the deceased must have passed to a party of record....” In re Estate of Rider, 487 Pa. 373, 409 A.2d 397 (1979).

In this case the defendant obviously cannot have an interest which is adverse and, therefore, no disability is present. The ex-wife also has no interest adverse to the deceased because she has no pecuniary interest at all in the case, only the son has an interest. The mere fact she supports the position of the plaintiff and opposes the defendant is irrelevant. Finally, the plaintiff only testified to matters which occurred after the death of Philip F. Eonda. The Act only bars testimony before death. Consequently, all witnesses were competent to testify.

[145]*145It must first be determined whether the plaintiff has stated a valid cause of action under state law. In Torchia v. Torchia, 346 Pa. Super. 229, 499 A.2d 581 (1985), the husband and wife had entered into a written property settlement agreement which provided that the husband would “maintain his three children as beneficiaries of all insurance policies that he presently owns.” In furtherance of the agreement Mr. Torchia named his three children as beneficiaries on two policies of insurance provided at his place of employment. He thereafter remarried and soon after changed the beneficiary designation to his new wife with the children as contingent beneficiaries. Mr. Torchia died and his second wife collected the proceeds of the insurance policies. In imposing a constructive trust, the court stated:

“To sustain a claim of unjust enrichment, a claimant must show that the party against whom recovery is sought either ‘wrongfully secured or passively received a benefit that it would be unconscionable for her to retain.’ Roman Mosaic & Tile Co. v. Vollrath, 226 Pa. Super. 215, 218, 313 A.2d 305, 307 (1973). ‘In order to recover, there must be both (1) an enrichment, and (2) an injustice resulting if recovery for the enrichment is denied.’ Samuels v. Hendricks, 300 Pa. Super. 11, 14-15, 445 A.2d 1273, 1275 (1982) (emphasis in original), quoting Meehan v. Cheltenham Township, 410 Pa. 446, 449, 189 A.2d 593, 595 (1963). ‘[A] showing of knowledge or wrongful intent on the part of the benefited party is not necessary in order to show unjust enrichment. Rather, the focus is on the resultant unjust enrichment[,] not on the party’s intention.’ Crossgate Realty Inc. v. Moore, 279 Pa. Super. 247, 252, 420 A.2d 1125, 1128 (1980).”

In Hundertmark v. Hundertmark, 372 Pa. 138, 93 A.2d 856 (1952), the Supreme Court addressed an analogous situation in which, in a post-nuptial property settlement [146]*146agreement, a husband had agreed not to change the beneficiary of a life insurance policy to anyone other than his wife. The husband subsequently remarried and named his second wife as beneficiary. The court stated:

“The law appertaining to the equitable assignment of the benefits of an insurance policy is well settled in this state. There is no doubt that a beneficiary named pursuant to a definite agreement that he shall be so named, by virtue of a valuable consideration moving from him, acquires a right in the policy or the proceeds thereof that will be protected against subsequently named beneficiaries who have no superior equity,...” quoting Visnik v. Mance, 326 Pa. 399, 402, 191 A. 127 (1937).

Although the defendant does not seriously argue Pennsylvania law in regard to whether a constructive trust can be imposed, she does argue a lack of consideration. Mildred Eonda testified that she gave up certain pension rights to secure the insurance beneficiary designation in the agreement. The defendant argues that since Mrs. Eonda had no pension rights she gave up nothing for the beneficiary designation. This argument is without merit. The agreement is a comprehensive marriage settlement agreement and no particular exchange of assets or rights are linked to another.

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Bluebook (online)
15 Pa. D. & C.4th 142, 1991 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 9, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/eonda-v-affinito-pactcomplwashin-1991.