Industrial Indemnity Co. v. Golden State Co.

316 P.2d 966, 49 Cal. 2d 255
CourtCalifornia Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 30, 1957
DocketS. F. 19389
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 316 P.2d 966 (Industrial Indemnity Co. v. Golden State Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Industrial Indemnity Co. v. Golden State Co., 316 P.2d 966, 49 Cal. 2d 255 (Cal. 1957).

Opinions

McCOMB, J.

Industrial Indemnity Exchange (hereinafter referred to as Exchange) was a reciprocal insurance organization handling workmen’s compensation insurance. Industrial Indemnity Company (hereinafter referred to as Company) also handled workmen’s compensation insurance. There was considerable interrelation between Exchange and Company but no competition. Industrial Underwriters (hereinafter referred to as Attorney) was the managing entity of Exchange and Company.

In a reciprocal exchange the participants, called underwriters or subscribers, exchange insurance contracts for their mutual protection through the medium of an attorney-in-fact, who also sets rates, settles losses, compromises claims and cancels contracts. Attorney acted in this capacity for Exchange under an agreement known as Underwriters Agreement. In return for its services it received a percentage of the premiums deposited by the subscribers and was required to furnish offices and personnel for Exchange’s operations out of this percentage.

Attorney, a partnership with substantially the same stock ownership as Company, also furnished offices and personnel for the latter. The Insurance Commissioner objected to the [258]*258interlacing by Attorney of its private corporation (Company) and Exchange. He made certain recommendations looking to the separation of the management of these entities or the elimination of possible conflicting loyalties through a combination of their activities.

An agreement was entered into between Company and Exchange whereby the insurance policies of Exchange would be transferred to and reinsured by Company as of December 31, 1948. The agreement provided that Company would service and run out all policies then in force and would pay the subscribers of Exchange an amount equal to the value of the entire net worth of Exchange as determined by such run-out. Consents were obtained from 98 per cent of the subscribers of Exchange to this agreement.

Subsequently Company brought an action for declaratory relief regarding the rights of the nonconsenting subscribers. Cross-complaints were filed by several sets of these subscribers. After trial, judgment was rendered in favor of Company, and the cross-complaints were ordered dismissed.

Two separate sets of defendants appealed, (1) G. W. Thomas Drayage and Rigging Company, Inc., W. R. Ballinger and Son, a corporation, and Minna M. Ballinger (hereinafter referred to as defendant Thomas Drayage and Rigging Company), and (2) Robert L. Johnson Corporation, for itself and as representative of all similarly situated co-owner subscribers of Exchange (hereinafter referred to as defendant Johnson Corporation).

On appeal it was held that the contract between Company and Exchange was illegal and void in violation of section 1101 of the Insurance Code. (Industrial Indem. Co. v. Golden State Co., 117 Cal.App.2d 519 [256 P.2d 677].) The appellate court (1) reversed the judgment in favor of Company and remanded the case to the trial court with directions to deny all declaratory relief to plaintiffs, and (2) stated that “in the cross-actions, relief will be granted [to appellants] only with respect to the consequences of the illegality of the transfer and assumption agreement.” (See p. 540.) It then directed the trial court to grant defendants “such relief as the court will deem fit to enable them to recover in their representative capacity for subscribers the business and assets obtained by Company in consequence of the agreement herein held to be invalid. ...” (See pp. 540-541.) (Italics added.)

After the reversal of the trial court’s judgment defendant Johnson Corporation filed a petition for judgment and decree [259]*259pursuant to its interpretation of the effect of the appellate court’s remittitur. Defendant Thomas Drayage and Rigging Company moved to strike this petition upon the ground that Johnson Corporation was a mere “intervenor” and as such not entitled to act on terms of equality with the other defendants. This motion was granted by the trial judge. Thereafter judgment was entered in favor of the defendants in the sum of $323,300.39. From this judgment both defendant Thomas Drayage and Rigging Company and defendant Johnson Corporation appeal.

Appeal of DefeNdant Thomas Drayage and RiggiNG COMPANY

In view of the former decision on appeal the trial court was limited to a determination of this issue: What business and assets were obtained by Company in consequence of the “ Transfer and Assumption Agreement”?

There can be no question that the “agreement” held to be invalid referred to the Transfer and Assumption Agreement that was the basis of the litigation. An examination of the record discloses that the following findings of fact are sustained by substantial evidence:

“IV. Coincident with the issuance to Underwriters of the Certificate of Authority to act in liquidation of the Exchange, and on November 4, 1953, Company transferred to Underwriters and Underwriters accepted on behalf. of Exchange and its subscribers, and with the approval of the Advisory Committee of Exchange, all of the business, property and assets of Exchange remaining in its hands after satisfaction of liabilities of the Exchange and which had been received by Company in consequence of the Transfer and Assumption Agreement. Underwriters has thereafter at all times continued in possession of and presently holds such business, property and assets for distribution to the subscribers of the Exchange in liquidation of its business and affairs. As of March 31, 1954, the net worth, representing the excess of assets over liabilities, including reserves for losses incurred and to be incurred, of the business, property and assets so transferred, exclusive of the Special Surplus Account, was $323,-300.39. (Italics added.)
“V. The business, property and assets of Exchange received by Company in consequence of the Transfer and Assumption Agreement and thereafter transferred to Underwriters as found herein, included all assets and liabilities of [260]*260Exchange as reflected on the balance sheet of December 31, 1948, and which thereafter arose or accrued and all policies of insurance in force on the books of the Exchange as of December 31, 1948, and the entire experience thereon including the development of claims and premiums. All of the business, property and assets of Exchange of every kind or character received by Company from Exchange at any time, and all value attributable thereto have been returned by Company to Underwriters and are included within the net worth as set forth in Paragraph IV of these Findings. The business, property and assets of Exchange do not include any policies written by the Company after December 31, 1948, for or on behalf of any former subscribers of Exchange and the net worth as set forth in Paragraph IV of the findings does not reflect any value with regard to such policies and no accounting of any profits made by Company on such policies is any part of these findings.
“VI.

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Industrial Indemnity Co. v. Golden State Co.
316 P.2d 966 (California Supreme Court, 1957)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
316 P.2d 966, 49 Cal. 2d 255, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/industrial-indemnity-co-v-golden-state-co-cal-1957.