In Re Wisconsin Mut Ins. Co.

6 N.W.2d 330, 241 Wis. 394
CourtWisconsin Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 18, 1942
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 6 N.W.2d 330 (In Re Wisconsin Mut Ins. Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wisconsin Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re Wisconsin Mut Ins. Co., 6 N.W.2d 330, 241 Wis. 394 (Wis. 1942).

Opinion

* Motion for rehearing denied, with $25 costs, on December 29, 1942. *Page 395 [EDITORS' NOTE: THIS PAGE CONTAINS HEADNOTES. HEADNOTES ARE NOT AN OFFICIAL PRODUCT OF THE COURT, THEREFORE THEY ARE NOT DISPLAYED.] *Page 396 This proceeding was begun on the 5th day of February, 1941, upon the petition of Morvin Duel, commissioner of insurance for the state of Wisconsin, pursuant to sec. 200.08, Stats., for the liquidation of the Wisconsin Mutual Insurance Company. In the course of the proceeding three orders were entered from which appeals are taken: *Page 397

(1) An order dated November 29, 1941, levying an assessment on policyholders who were such at any time during the period January 1, 1937, to February 1, 1941, in a sum equal to one hundred per cent of the premium earned on each such policy during that period.

(2) An order dated May 26, 1942, denying the motion of the appellants, Carl E. Sturm and Herman A. Hinze, to set aside the assessment order of November 29, 1941.

(3) An order dated May 26, 1942, denying the motion of appellants, Endre A. Sharpee et al., to reopen the proceedings and set aside the assessment order of November 29, 1941.

(The order of November 29, 1941, is referred to in the briefs as a judgment. A judgment by definition cannot be entered in a special proceeding. A judgment is a final determination in an action. Sec. 270.53, Stats. In re Henry S.Cooper, Inc. (1942), 240 Wis. 377, 2 N.W.2d 866. Although called a judgment, it will be treated as an order.)

The questions involved are

(1) Was the assessment made horizontal and therefore unlawful?

(2) Did the fact, that the order did not take into account the fact that the company wrote two classes of insurance, make the order invalid?

(3) Did the fact that the order assessed members in addition to losses and expenses an amount to provide a fund or pool to insure against anticipated inability to pay (uncollectibility), and ignored the statute in other respects, make the order unlawful?

(4) Was the order unlawful because it did not reflect actual ascertained liabilities?

(5) Was the order unlawful because it covered the period 1937 to 1938 as to which a prior judgment had determined no further liability of members existed?

(6) Was the order unlawful because it assessed for premiums collected during the period May 1, 1940, to February 5, *Page 398 1941, while the company was insolvent and operating without a license?

(7) Was the order invalid because it extended preferences to certain creditors?

All of these contentions were answered in the negative by the trial court.

STATEMENT OF FACTS.
On January 9, 1941, Morvin Duel, commissioner of insurance, filed a petition in the circuit court for Dane county, alleging that the Wisconsin Mutual Insurance Company, a mutual casualty company, was insolvent and that further transaction business by the company would be hazardous to the policyholders, creditors, and to the public, and praying that the assets of the company be liquidated pursuant to sec. 200.08, Stats.

An order was made returnable January 10, 1941, requiring the company to show cause why the relief prayed for by the commissioner should not be granted. At the hearing the company was represented by counsel, and it appearing from admissions made by the company that it was then insolvent and that further transaction of business would be hazardous to policyholders, creditors, and the public, the court entered an order, dated February 5, 1941, directing that the business of the company be liquidated forthwith under the direction of the commissioner of insurance.

On October 18, 1941, the commissioner of insurance filed a petition setting forth the proceedings in the liquidation, the amount of claims filed against the company, estimates as to the net amount of claims, and the value of the company's assets; that each member and policyholder in the company during the period when the claims were incurred, that is, January 1, 1937, to February 1, 1941, was liable for a prorata share of the losses and expenses incurred during the time such policyholder was a member not exceeding the amount of *Page 399 the annual premium stated in the policy, and that it would be necessary to make an assessment against policyholders of the total amount of their liability in order that after allowance for uncollectibility, there might be realized a sum sufficient to pay the claims and indebtedness of the company and the expenses of its liquidation, etc., and praying that the members and policyholders be required to show cause why the liquidator should not be authorized and directed to make an assessment of such percentage of the premiums as might be necessary to provide funds sufficient to pay the liabilities of the company and the expenses of the liquidation.

The order came on for hearing on November 10, 1941, due notice thereof having been given, and on that day certain policyholders appeared in person and by attorneys and upon their request the hearing was adjourned to November 27, 1941. At the conclusion of the hearing in which the various parties and attorneys participated, the court entered its order dated November 29, 1941, finding —

(1) That the liabilities of the company, together with the estimated expenses of liquidation, exceeded its assets by approximately $189,000, which excess represented losses and expenses of the company incurred during the period January 1, 1937, to February 1, 1941, in excess of the income of the company during such period.

(2) That each member and policyholder during such period was liable for his pro rata share of the losses and expenses during the time the policyholder was a member of the company, including the expenses of liquidation, not, however, exceeding an amount equal and in addition to the annual premium stated in each member's policy; that an assessment of $491,000 being one hundred per cent of the premiums earned during the period January 1, 1937, to February 1, 1941, was necessary to provide sufficient funds to pay the losses and expenses incurred during such period, together with the expenses of liquidation after making due and reasonable allowance for *Page 400 the probable uncollectibility of the assessments against some of the policyholders.

The order of November 29, 1941, further directed that there be and there was thereby made and levied an assessment in accordance with the findings. The order further directed that the amount of such assessment should be computed and fixed at a sum equal to one hundred per cent of the premium earned during the period January 1, 1937, to February 1, 1941, on each policy in effect at any time during said period; and that the commissioner as liquidator proceed forthwith to compute the amounts of assessments pursuant to the terms and conditions and upon the basis stated in the order and proceed forthwith to collect from the policyholders the amounts so ascertained.

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Bluebook (online)
6 N.W.2d 330, 241 Wis. 394, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-wisconsin-mut-ins-co-wis-1942.