Farmers & Traders Bank v. Johnson

91 N.W. 1074, 118 Iowa 282
Supreme Court of Iowa·Decided October 28, 1902·Published·Cited by 7 cases

Opinion

Deemer, J.

i Assignment of policy: estoppel. Defendant and.her husband, William Johnson, borrowed of the plaintiff something like $557, and executed their promissory notes therefor. To secure the said notes, defendant, who was the beneficiary in an ordinary life policy of insurance issued on the life of her father, and on which she had paid nine annual premiums, assigned the same to plaintiff by a written instrument which reads as follows, to wit: “December 22d, 1899. For value received, in consideration of the Farmers’ and Traders’ Bank of Shenandoah, Iowa, loaning us $225.00 now, and for any sums previously or hereafter loaned us, we hereby assign as collateral security, as their interest may appear, the attached insurance policy, 462,933, for $1,000.00, on the life of Phineas H. Watson, in the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York, the same being payable to Anna J. Bartholomew, daughter, now Anna Johnson. Anna Johnson. Wm. Johnson.” At the time the assignment was made, the internal revenue law was in force, which required such instruments to be stamped. When issued, no stamp was affixed thereto; but when sent to the insurance company it was returned with the suggestion that stamps had been omitted, and plaintiff thereupon affixed-the proper stamps, and caused them to be canceled in the name of the defendant. This was done some time in the summer of the year 1900, and this action was brought in August of that year.

[284] It will be noticed that plaintiff is in no m&nner related to Phineas H. Watson, and it is not and was not his creditor. The beneficiary was the daughter of the insured, and the debtor of plaintiff. Appellant contends that, as plaintiff had no insurable interest in the life of Watson, the assignment to it was invalid; and her' counsel present some cases which seem to so hold. These cases do not appeal to us, however, and, for reasons to be hereinafter suggested, it will appear that many of them are not in point. That a daughter has an insurable interest in the life of her father seems to be held by many cases. Insurance Co. v. France, 94 U. S. 561 (24 L. Ed. 287); Insurance Co. v. Bailey, 13 Wall. 619 (20 L. Ed. 501); Geoffroy v. Gilbert, 5 App. Div. 98 (38 N. Y. Supp. 643); Warnock v. Davis, 104 U. S. 775 (26 L. Ed. 924); Elkhart v. Houghton, 103 Ind. 294 (2 N. E. Rep. 763, 53 Am. Rep. 514); Cronin v. Insurance Co., 20 R. I. 573 (40 Atl. Rep. 497); Insurance Co. v. Hazelwood, 75 Tex. 338 (12 S. W. Rep. 621, 7 L. R. A. 217, 16 Am. St. Rep. 893); Bank v. Hume, 128 U. S. 195 (9 Sup. Ct. Rep. 41, 32 L. Ed. 370); Loomis v. Insurance Co., 6 Gray, 399; Croswell v. Association, (S. C.) 28 S. E. Rep. 200; Insurance Co. v. Kane, 81 Pa. 154 (22 Am. Rep. 741); Bursinger v. Bank, 67 Wis. 75 (30 N. W. Rep. 290, 58 Am. Rep. 848); Lane v. Lane, 99 Tenn. 645 (42 S. W. Rep. 1058); Voorheis v. Society, 91 Mich. 469 (51 N. W. Rep. 1109); Insurance Co. v. O'Niel, 54 L. R. A. 228, 229, and cases cited in note (s. c. 45 C. C. A. 641, 106 Fed. Rep. 800). Although there are many cases to the contrary. Even if the rule established by the authorities cited were not true, we do not see how defendant would be injured by the decree entered in this case. If she had no insurable interest in the life of her father, and took nothing under the policy, then she is in ■no manner harmed by this decree. It does not lie in the mouth of-a beneficiary who has assigned a policy and obtained money on the strength thereof to say that the [285] policy Avas invalid because she had no insurable interest. The policy is not void, even should it be found that the beneficiary had no such interest as that the proceeds could be made payable to her. Coudell v. Woodard (Ky.) 29 S. W. Rep. 614; Rindge v. Society, 146 Mass. 286 (15 N. E. Rep. 628); Mayher v. Insurance Co., 87 Tex. 169 (27 S. W. Rep. 124). Moreover, it is doubtful if any one but the insurance company may take advantage of the fact that the beneficiary had no insurable interest. Johnson v. Van Epps, 110 Ill. 551. Without making a definite pronouncement on this point, it is sufficient to say that defendant is clearly estopped from saying that she' had no insurable interest.

2. Same: insurahie interest of assignee.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Farmers & Traders Bank v. Johnson, 91 N.W. 1074, 118 Iowa 282 (iowa 1902).

91 N.W. 1074 (Farmers & Traders Bank v. Johnson) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Petty v. Mutual Benefit Life Insurance
15 N.W.2d 613 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1944)
Andrew v. Bankers Life Co.
240 N.W. 215 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1932)
Mercer National Bank v. White's
32 S.W.2d 734 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky (pre-1976), 1930)
Reilly v. Penn Mutual Life Insurance
207 N.W. 583 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1926)
Anderson v. Aetna Life Insurance
193 Iowa 1037 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1922)
United Security Life Insurance v. Brown
113 A. 447 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1921)
Lloyd v. Royal Union Mut. Life Ins.
245 F. 162 (N.D. Iowa, 1917)