Keehn v. Stapleton

169 P.2d 811, 161 Kan. 476, 175 A.L.R. 1402, 1946 Kan. LEXIS 168
CourtSupreme Court of Kansas
DecidedJune 8, 1946
DocketNo. 36,534; No. 36,587
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 169 P.2d 811 (Keehn v. Stapleton) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Keehn v. Stapleton, 169 P.2d 811, 161 Kan. 476, 175 A.L.R. 1402, 1946 Kan. LEXIS 168 (kan 1946).

Opinion

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Bubch, J.:

The two cases, consolidated here on appeal, involve the right of a receiver for an insolvent Illinois mutual insurance company to recover assessments, adjudged necessary by an Illinois court, from policyholders in the state of Kansas. The district courts of Sedgwick and Reno counties in Kansas entered judgments for the respective defendants upon the pleadings and agreed stipulations of facts. The receiver appealed. A statement of facts will be made only to the extent necessary to make clear the questions essential to decision.

The Central Mutual Insurance Company of Chicago was incorporated under the laws of Illinois. It issued automobile insurance policies in some eighteen states, including Kansas, and the District of Columbia, until a receiver was appointed on January 11, 1937, [478]*478in a liquidation proceeding instituted in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, by the Illinois Director of Insurance. Such court found that the company was insolvent and ordered claimants and creditors to file their claims. Henry George Miller was appointed as statutory receiver for the company for the purpose of its liquidation and was succeeded by Roy D. Keehn, the appellant in these cases. On May 10,1938, the receiver filed a petition in the liquidation proceedings, setting forth therein that the company was insolvent and that assessments on policyholders in the amount of 100 percent of their premiums were necessary. The insurance company resisted the petition and an answer resisting the petition also was filed by one large policyholder. Such policyholder was not a resident of the state of Kansas and the receiver does not contend that the policyholder which filed the answer had been issued its policy within the state of Kansas. A master in chancery heard evidence on the issues joined by the receiver’s petition and the resisting answers. In March, 1940, an order was entered approving the master’s report and directing the receiver to make the assessments of 100 percent of the expressed premiums on all individuals who, and corporations which, at any time from January 31, 1935, to January 11,1937, both inclusive, were holders of a policy or policies of insurance issued by the company. Thereafter the receiver began the preparation of designated “assessment rolls,” specifying therein the names of the policyholders and the amounts of assessments on groups of policies. As rapidly as these rolls could be prepared they were presented to the court and approved and demands mailed to the policyholders for the assessments due from them. The policies involved in these actions were included in assessment roll No. 8, which was approved January 29, 1941. On March 21, 1941, the receiver mailed to Tom Stapleton, appellee, two notices and demands for assessment, one on a certain policy for the amount of $132.50, and the other on another policy in the amount of $144. Both of these policies were in force for some time between January 31, 1935, and January 11, 1937. Each of the policies was to extend for one year from date. One was dated October 17, 1935, and the other June 13, 1936. The material facts are the same in the case against C. W. Kelley, appellee, except that his assessment was in the amount of $2,846.79. The two policyholders did not pay the assessments. The receiver sued them and we are informed, by stipulation, that he also brought separate similar suits against [479]*479some six hundred other residents of Kansas. Such cases are pending, waiting our decision in these appeals.

The suit against Kelley was filed February 19, 1945. The one against Stapleton was filed March 6, 1945. From the admissions' in the pleadings and in the stipulations of facts filed in the cases arise certain salient, conceded facts which command cognizance. They follow.

On August 10, 1933, the company was first authorized to do business in Kansas. Then and thereafter the policies which it issued in the state of Kansas contained the following provision:

“Any and all provisions of this Policy, which are in conflict with the statutes of the state wherein this policy is issued are understood, declared and acknowledged by this Company to be amended to conform to such statutes.”

When the company started doing business in Kansas there was and at all times since has been in full force and effect G. S. 1935, 40-1207, which reads in part as follows:

“. . . No member shall be liable for any part of such contingent premium in excess of the amount demanded within one year after the termination of the policy.”

(An amendment to the statute did not alter the part quoted. See G. S. 1945 Supp. 40-1207.) The statute applies to mutual insurance companies without distinction as to whether they are foreign or domestic. In addition it should be noted that at all times while the company was doing business in the state of Kansas G. S. 1935, 40-1210, was in full force and effect and it provides that a foreign mutual insurance company “shall be authorized to transact business in this state, to the extent and with the powers and privileges specified in this article.” Therefore, the only power and privilege which the company had of collecting assessments on policies issued in Kansas were limited by the statutory provision that no member should be liable for any part of a contingent premium in excess of the amount demanded within one year after the termination of the policy. The power and privilege also were limited by reason of the provisions of G. S. 1935,17-505, which reads:

“Any corporation organized under the laws of another state, territory, or foreign country, and authorized to do business in this state, shall be subject to the same provisions, judicial control, restrictions, and penalties, except as herein provided, as corporations organized under the laws of this state.” (Emphasis supplied.)

The phrase “except as herein provided,” in the statute does not refer [480]*480to any statutory immunities granted foreign mutual insurance companies. No amount was demanded by the company or by its receiver as a contingent premium from the appellees within one year after the termination of the policies involved in these cases.

In addition to the statutory contractual obligations, other significant factors develop. The involved policies were purchased in Kansas, were delivered in Kansas and the last act concerning their execution prior to delivery occurred when an agent for the company in Kansas countersigned the policies. In connection with the proceedings in the Illinois court, neither of the appellees was made a party and the receiver does not contend that any person who had purchased a policy in Kansas was a party to such proceeding. Of course, therefore, there was no service by publication upon either of the appellees and no other constructive service of any kind was made upon them. Whether they had any actual notice of the pend-ency of the actions remains undisclosed. It is contended that it was not necessary that the appellees be made parties or that service of any kind be made upon them. We pass the point for the moment since we are now setting forth only facts. The receiver has not shown that in the proceedings pending before the court in Illinois that any of the Kansas statutes, referred to herein, were introduced for the purpose of having that court consider or construe them.

Upon the foregoing factual background the receiver contends that the appellees must pay the assessments.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
169 P.2d 811, 161 Kan. 476, 175 A.L.R. 1402, 1946 Kan. LEXIS 168, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/keehn-v-stapleton-kan-1946.