John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance v. Cohen

254 F.2d 417
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedMarch 26, 1958
DocketNo. 15619
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 254 F.2d 417 (John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance v. Cohen) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance v. Cohen, 254 F.2d 417 (9th Cir. 1958).

Opinion

BARNES, Circuit Judge.

This is a suit between a citizen of New Mexico and a citizen of Massachusetts begun in the Superior Court of San Francisco and removed to the Federal Court pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1-332, 1441. Removal was proper. The District Court found a contract of insurance to exist, that defendant breached its contract, and awarded the full amount then due, and to become due, under the con[419]*419tract. The District Court refused to award damages for breach of an alleged warranty against having to employ any firm or persons to collect on the contract. Defendant insurance company appeals from the judgment awarding damages for breach of contract, and plaintiff cross-appeals from the denial of damages for breach of the alleged warranty. This Court has jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291.

Plaintiff Mary Troutfelt Cohen is the surviving spouse of the insured Martin E. Troutfelt, and beneficiary of a contract of insurance between her deceased husband and the defendant John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company, a corporation, hereinafter, the “company.” The facts must be stated in some detail in order that we may understand the case.

I — Facts and Findings

Troutfelt originally applied to the defendant company in writing under date of February 1st, 1939 for a twenty-pay life policy, stating he wanted family income provisions for a twenty year term. (Form A, dated 2-1-39.) Such a policy, numbered 3171136, with such twenty year term, was thereafter issued.

On May 31, 1939 the insured applied in writing to the company to convert or exchange his existing policy to a “15 year Endowment with Family Income Provisions Policy.” No space existed on such application for the insured to designate the term of the “Supplementary Provision respecting Family Income,” which was to be part of the policy. But he was informed and on his “Application for Exchange or Conversion” dated May 31, 1939 he represented:

“The statements made in the application on which the said original policy was issued, a copy of which is to be attached to and made a part of the said new policy, are hereby declared to be true and complete, and are confirmed as of the date of this application, and it is agreed that the said statements shall be accepted by the said Company as the basis for the new policy in like manner and with the same effect as if the said statements were herein specifically set forth.”

Sometime after May 31, 1939 and before July 11, 1939 Troutfelt received from the company a form of application, to be filled in, “For Supplementary Provision for Family Income, to be attached to Existing Policies.” Although this form is apparently signed and filled in by the insured (Troutfelt) in ink, three blanks thereon are filled in by typwritten figures: to-wit, the figures “15”, “10”, and “$44.30”, in the following two “boxes”:

"11. Term of the Supplementary Provision ... 15... years.
(Insert 10,15, or 20)
14. Premium to be paid Amount of for ... 10 ... years Premium: (Insert 5,10, or 15) $44.30”

It is an admitted fact that “all typewriting was inserted on the form by a representative of defendant and none by Martin E. Troutfelt.” This application is dated July 11, 1939.

On July 27, 1939 Policy No. 3223099 (the policy in suit) was issued under date of February 24, 1939; it being a 15 year Endowment Policy with premiums payable for 15 years. The relevant documents attached to the policy and made a part of it were: (1) a photostat of the prospective insured’s February 1, 1939 Application for the original policy — Part A, Statements to the Company Agent (hereinabove mentioned); (2) a photostat of the insured’s May 31, 1939 Application for Exchange or Conversion; [420]*420(3) a photostat of the insured’s July 11, 1939 Application for Supplementary Provision for Family Income; and, (4) a printed form No. 1260 denominated “Supplementary Provision for Family Income with Benefit for total and Permanent Disability Waiver of Premiums.” This is the crucial document.

Inserted in this printed form by means of a typewriter were: (a) the number of the new policy, “3223099”; (b) the name of the insured, “Martin E. Troutfelt”; (c) the figures “20” (on two occasions) as the number of years from date of issue within which the insured’s death must occur and during which the family income payments were to be made to the beneficiary; (d) the figure “$43.20” as the annual premium for the “annuity certain”; (e) the figure “$1.10” as the annual premium for the waiver of the annuity certain premium if under the permanent and total disability provisions there occurred a waiver of its premiums; and, (f) the figure “15”, representing the number of years the special “annuity certain” and total and permanent disability premiums would be payable, “in addition to and under the same conditions as the regular premium under the policy.”

Thus, the company through a claimed scrivener’s error,1 issued a 15 year policy with a 20 year family income provision with premiums to be paid for 15 years, when it assertedly “always limited itself” to a 15 year family income provision with premiums payable for 10 years in any 15 year Endowment Policy.

The insured died on June 28, 1945 within the 20 year period and with all premiums paid. Due proof of death was made to the company; the policy with all its riders was delivered to the company, and on July 26, 1945 the policy was endorsed by the company as follows:

“Insured died June 28, 1945. Settlement in accordance with the Supplementary Provision for Family Income, dated February 24th, 1939, attached hereto.
John Hancock Mutual Life Ins. Company
by (signed) Elmer L. French
Secretary
Dated at Boston, Mass., July 26, 1945.”

This Supplementary Provision for Family Income contained the following material provisions:

“If * * * the death of the Insured shall occur within 20 years from the date hereof [February 24, 1939], the Company * * * will, in lieu of immediate payment of the amount insured in one sum, pay to the beneficiary * * * on the first day of each policy month following the death of the Insured, a monthly income * * * the last monthly income payment to be made on the first day of the policy month directly preceding the expiration of 20 years from the date of issue of the provision. Upon the expiration of the said period the Company will pay the amount insured. * * * (here $5,000).
*****
“The special premium [for this monthly income] will be payable in addition to and under the same conditions as the regular premium under the policy during 15 years from the date of issue of this provision.” [Emphasis added.]

Pursuant to the two documents last mentioned above, after the insured’s death the company paid to the beneficiary each month the sum of $49.98 to and including February 1st, 1954.

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254 F.2d 417, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/john-hancock-mutual-life-insurance-v-cohen-ca9-1958.