Keller v. Federal Kemper Insurance

35 Pa. D. & C.3d 630, 1985 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 418
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Cumberland County
DecidedFebruary 4, 1985
Docketno. 198 Civil 1983
StatusPublished

This text of 35 Pa. D. & C.3d 630 (Keller v. Federal Kemper Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Cumberland County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Keller v. Federal Kemper Insurance, 35 Pa. D. & C.3d 630, 1985 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 418 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1985).

Opinion

BAYLEY, J.,

On February 17, 1983, plaintiffs filed a complaint in assumpsit against defendant Federal Kemper Insurance Company. The complaint sought payment for work loss benefits, survivor loss benefits, interest, attorney’s fees, punitive damages, and delay damages on a claim arising under the Pennsylvania No-fault Motor Vehicle Act.1

On July 28, 1983, defendant filed a praecipe with the prothonotary and deposied $20,000 in escrow “for the use of the plaintiffs and payable to the plaintiffs absolutely and unconditionally.” The $20,000 check payable to the Prothonotary of Cumberland County had the following notation thereon: “partial [631]*631PIP benefits for Wesley Keller, Jr., deceased, wage loss and survivors benefits.”

A jury found that plaintiffs were not dependent on their deceased son for support and returned a verdict in defendant’s favor on the claim for survivors loss. The remaining testimony concerning the other issues was heard by the court sitting without a jury on the same day. On March 19, 1984, Judge George E. Hoffer entered the following order:

“And now, March 19, 1984, after hearing arguments on the non-jury request of the plaintiff for the claims for interest on the work loss benefits, attorneys’ fees on the work loss, and attorneys’ fees on the survivors’ loss, and the defendant’s claim for attorneys’ fees, the court notes that in the jury portion of this case, the jury returned a verdict in defendant’s favor on the claim for survivors’ loss.

By stipulation of the parties, defendant is liable to plaintiff for the $15,000 work loss benefit; we note that defendant has already paid into court $20,000 on July 28, 1983.”

After careful consideration, we find as follows:

“(1) in favor of the plaintiffs for the $15,000 work loss and $2,581.65 in interest, for a total verdict of $17,581.65; we note that plaintiffs have received the $20,000 paid into court, and no further sum is due the plaintiffs. This interest has been computed from Aug 11, 1982, to July 29, 1983, this being the date of notice to plaintiffs’s counsel that $20,000 had been paid into court.

(2) in favor of the plaintiffs for $3,500, which we find to be fair and reasonable attorney’s fees for prosecution of the work loss claim.

(3) in favor of the defendant on plaintiffs’ claims for attorneys’ fees for prosecution of the survivors’ loss claims.

[632]*632(4) in favor of the defendant on defendant’s claim for attorneys’ fees for defense of the survivors’ loss claim, and we award $1,000 as fair and reasonable attorneys’ fees.”

Plaintiffs filed new trial motions with respect to both the jury’s verdict and the court’s verdict.2 They claim that the $20,000 deposited by defendant in escrow with the prothonotary “absolutely and unconditionally” must be paid to them in satisfaction of their claim for work loss benefits and interest. They claim that the $20,000 became their money on the date it was deposited with the prothonotary and that they are entitled to that $20,000 plus the award of $3500 in attorney’s fees upon the verdict of March 19, 1984.

Defendant maintains that the $20,000 deposited with the prothonotary on July 28, 1983 should be applied toward the total award in the March 19, 1984 order and verdict of $15,000 work loss benefits, $2581.65 interest and $3500 in attorney’s fees for prosecution of the work loss claim.

Plaintiffs filed a praecipe to enter judgment in favor of plaintiffs’ counsel, Daniel J. Menniti, Esq., for the $3500 award in counsel fees together with interest from March 19, 1984. Since Daniel J. Menniti, Esq., was not a party to this suit the prothonotary refused to enter judgment in his favor. Then, on November 8, 1984, plaintiffs filed a petition to amend the court order of March 19, 1984, to read that “the $3500 awarded by the court as reasonable attorney’s fees are to be paid to Daniel J. Menniti, Esq., counsel for plaintiffs.” A rule to show cause was entered and defendant has taken issue to this [633]*633petition to amend. The matter has been argued before the court en banc and is ready for decision.

DISCUSSION

Plaintiffs ask this court to amend its order of March 19, 1984 to specifically state that the $3,500 attorney’s fee awarded therein “be paid to plaintiffs’ attorney.” Pa. R.C.P. 227.1(c)(2) provides that post trial motions shall be filed 10 days following the decision in a case of a trial without jury. Rule 227.1(a)(4) provides that the court may affirm, modify or change its decision upon a written motion for post trial relief filed by any party after trial. Since the reasons set forth in this petition were not included in the post trial motions filed with respect to the non-jury verdict entered on March 19, 1984, plaintiffs are precluded from obtaining post trial relief pursuant to Pa. R.C.P. 227.1(a)(4).

However, the relief sought is not necessary for plaintiffs to obtain their desired result. The $20,000 was deposited by defendant with the prothonotary “absolutely and unconditionally” and represented, as noted on the draft to the prothonotary, payment of partial PIP benefits for Wesley Keller, Jr. in the form of wage loss and survivor benefits.

The payment of money into court absolutely and unconditionally is an act of record which “[a]dmits the money to belong to plaintiff, and therefore defendant cannot take it back.” Berkheimer v. Geise, 82 Pa. 64 (1876). The sum paid into court becomes the property of plaintiff. Sheehan v. Rosen, 12 Pa. Super. 298 (1899).

Money deposited with the court absolutely and unconditionally becomes the property of plaintiff even if he does not prevail and even if a judgment entered in his favor is later reversed. Cohen v. [634]*634Jenkintown Cab Co., 300 Pa. Super. 528, 446 A.2d 1284, 528 (1982). See Baldwin Township School District v. Pittsburgh Terminal Coal Corp., 328 Pa. 17, 194 Atl. 900 (1937).

“Money paid into court becomes the absolute property of the other party, Baldwin Township School District v. Pittsburgh Terminal Coal Corporation, 328 Pa. 17, 18-19 [194 A. 900] (1937), and the tenderer cannot ordinarily withdraw it or recover any part of it, even if he eventually prevails in the action. 15 Standard Pennsylvania Practice, Ch. 74, §24. Berkheimer v. Geise, 82 Pa. 64, 67 (1876); Haug, et ux. v. Old Guard Mutual Insurance, 4 D. & C. 2d 436, 441-2 (1955); see also; 35 A.L.R. 1252; 74 Am. Jur. 2d Tender, §31; 86 C.J.S. Tender, §65.

Section 107(3) of the Pennsylvania No-fault Act, 40 P.S. §1009.107(3) provides:

“If, in any action by a claimant to recover no-fault benefits from an obligor, the court determines that the obligor has denied the claim or any significant part thereof without reasonable foundation, the court may award the claimant’s attorney a reasonable fee based upon actual time expended.” (Emphasis added.)

Judge Hoffer’s order and verdict of March 19, 1984 awarded work loss benefits to plaintiffs in the amount of $15,000 plus $2581.65 in interest calculated to the date the escrow fund had been deposited by defendant with the prothonotary. In addition the order awarded “the plaintiffs” $3,500 in counsel fees “for prosecution of the work loss claim.”

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Related

Cohen v. Jenkintown Cab Co.
446 A.2d 1284 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1982)
Baldwin Township School District v. Pittsburgh Terminal Coal Corp.
194 A. 900 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1937)
Berkheimer v. Geise
82 Pa. 64 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1876)
Sheehan v. Rosen
12 Pa. Super. 298 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1900)

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Bluebook (online)
35 Pa. D. & C.3d 630, 1985 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 418, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/keller-v-federal-kemper-insurance-pactcomplcumber-1985.