Fraternal Bankers v. Wire

129 S.W. 765, 150 Mo. App. 89, 1910 Mo. App. LEXIS 676
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 28, 1910
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 129 S.W. 765 (Fraternal Bankers v. Wire) 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
Fraternal Bankers v. Wire, 129 S.W. 765, 150 Mo. App. 89, 1910 Mo. App. LEXIS 676 (Mo. Ct. App. 1910).

Opinion

GOODE, J.

Declining to plead further, plaintiff appealed after a general demurrer had been sustained to the following petition:

“Plaintiff for its amended petition, leave of court to file the same being first had and obtained, states that it is a Fraternal Beneficiary Society, incorporated, organized and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the State of Illinois, with its home office at Decatur in said state; that defendant is a resident of Calumet township, Pike county, Missouri.

“Plaintiff further states that on April 21, 1908, defendant instituted in this court' a suit against it on a benefit certificate issued February 26,1900, by the Acme Fraternal Union, then a fraternal beneficiary society incorporated under the laws of the State of Missouri, with its home office at Sedalia, Missouri, to one Annie Wire, then a resident of the State of Missouri, payable on her death to defendant herein, alleging in his petition that since the issuance of said benefit certificate to said- Annie Wire, said Acme Fraternal Union had disposed of its business to this plaintiff and that all liability under and by the terms of said benefit certificate so issued to Annie Wire, as aforesaid, by said Acme Fraternal Union, had been assumed by this plaintiff and that by reason thereof, and of the death of said Annie [91]*91Wire, tlie sum of five hundred dollars ($500), Avith interest thereon, Avas due him by this plaintiff.

“Plaintiff further states that on April 21, 1908, a summons Avas issued in said cause by the clerk of this court, directed to this plaintiff, which said summons Avas delivered to William F. Campbell, sheriff of Pike county, Missouri, and alleged by him to have been executed as folloAvs, as slioAvn by his return thereon, to-wit:

“ ‘1 hereby certify that at the county of Pike, township of Buffalo, State of Missouri, on this 22d day of April, A. D. 1908, in the Avithin named suit, I served process on the within named defendant, The Fraternal Bankers of America Company being the first defendant served herein.

“ ‘And I further certify, that at said time and at and in the business office of said company, the defendant hereinafter described, I executed said service on said company, by delivering at and in said business office a duly certified copy of the original Avrit herein, and of the hereto attached copy hereof together with a duly certified copy of the original petition and of the hereto attached copy thereof to Susan Ross, who then was and ever since has been the agent of the said company defendant, a foreign corporation then and ever since having in the city of Louisiana, in the county of Pike and toAA'iiship aforesaid, its said business office Avkere said process Avas served as aforesaid, that is to say, the business office usually had and maintained by it in the transaction of its usual, ordinary and customary business, with its said agent, Susan Ross, in charge thereof, and in said business office and in charge thereof at the time of said service of said process as aforesaid.

“ ‘And I further certify, that at the time of said service the president and other chief officers of said company defendant, were absent from my said county and Avere not found.

[92]*92“ ‘In witness whereof, and at the same time and place, I hereto set my hand and', official náme and signature.

“ ‘W. F. Campbell,

“ ‘Sheriff of Pike county, State of Missouri.

“ ‘By Fred Tumelty, Deputy.’ ”

“Plaintiff further states that thereafter, to-wit, on M]ay 29, 1908, and during the regular May term, 1908, of this court, final judgment by default was rendered in said cause in favor of David Wire, defendant herein and against this plaintiff, who was defendant therein, for the sum of five hundred and twenty-two and fifty one-hundredths dollars ($522.50) and execution ordered to issue therefor; said judgment being in words and figures as follows, to-wit:

“ ‘Now comes the above entitled plaintiff, David Wire, by his attorney, but the Federal Bankers of America, although duly summoned, comes not,- but makes default ; wherefore, on motion of plaintiff by his attorney, the petition herein is taken as against the defendant as confessed. Therefore plaintiff, by his attorney waives a jury and submits this cause to the court upon the pleadings and proof adduced; and the court, having duly heard and considered the same, finds for the plaintiff and assesses his damages in the sum of five hundred and twenty-two and fifty one-hundredths dollars ($522.-50) and all costs, and it is therefore adjudged and decreed by the court that plaintiff recover of the defendant the said sum of five hundred and twenty-two and fifty one-hundredths dollars ($522.50) with interest from this date, at the rate of six per cent per annum, and all costs, and. that the plaintiff have execution therefor against the defendant.’

“Plaintiff further states that neither it, nor any person connected with it in any capacity whatever had or obtained any knowledge of the institution of said suit, or the procurement of said judgment until on or about July 10, 1908; that because thereof it did not [93]*93appear at the trial of said cause and malte a defense thereto; that said Susan Ross, the colored woman upon whom said William F. Campbell, sheriff of Pike county, Missouri,‘alleges he served process in said cause, is not, and was not at the time of the alleged service, the agent of this plaintiff, and if process in said snit so instituted by defendant, as aforesaid, was ever served upon her, she failed, neglected and refused to so notify this plaintiff.

“Plaintiff further states that the petition of defendant herein, filed by him as plaintiff in the suit so instituted by him as aforesaid, is absolutely untrue in the statement that this plaintiff assumed any liability whatever arising under the terms and conditions of said benefit certificate issued by said Acme Fraternal Union to said Annie Wire. Plaintiff further states that this plaintiff was not liable to David Wire for any amount whatever under the terms of said benefit certificate, and in the statement that the sum of five hundred dollars, or any other sum, was due him thereunder from it.

“Plaintiff further states that it has a good and meritorious defense to defendant’s alleged cause of action in said suit so instituted by him, as aforesaid, and had such defense at the time of the institution thereof and the procurement of said judgment, and would have made such defense had it any notice or information whatever, of the bringing of said suit. That it is ready and willing to prove to the satisfaction of this court if permitted so to do, that it had no notice or information of the bringing of said suit; that said Annie Wire to whom the benefit certificate sued on was issued by the Acme Fraternal Union never was a member of this plaintiff at any time; that no liability whatever attached to plaintiff by reason of the death of said Annie Wire; that said Annie Wire died April 30, 1907, and this plaintiff was not organized or incorporated, and did not begin business until October 1, 1907, that the [94]*94stun of five hundred 'dollars was not due defendant under the terms of said benefit certificate sued on and that the death of Annie Wire imposed no liability whatever upon this plaintiff.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
129 S.W. 765, 150 Mo. App. 89, 1910 Mo. App. LEXIS 676, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fraternal-bankers-v-wire-moctapp-1910.