McCoy v. National Life Insurance

192 Iowa 127
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedMay 3, 1921
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 192 Iowa 127 (McCoy v. National Life Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McCoy v. National Life Insurance, 192 Iowa 127 (iowa 1921).

Opinion

Per Curiam.

There is no dispute on the controlling facts, the controversy being as to the fact of agency, and the authority of the agents, if any, and as to whether there was any waiver of any of the conditions of the insurance contract.

The petition alleges substantially as follows: Defendant is an incorporated insurance company, with its principal place of business at Chicago, Illinois, and engaged in the business of ■writing insurance, in compliance with the laws of Iowa. On June 8, 1918, defendant, through its duly authorized agent, Carr, solicited deceased to take- out insurance in the sum of $1,000, on the 20-payment-life-endowment plan. Deceased did submit an application therefor, which was submitted to defendant by said Carr, and the application accepted, and on said date the company issued and delivered their policy to him. At that time the occupation of deceased was that of a bridge tender; but,' on July 1, 1918, he changed his occupation to that of a railroad fireman, and notified defendant, through its agent Carr, thereof, and defendant, through said Carr, took up the policy, for the purpose of attaching thereto the special provision authorizing such change, and such provision was attached to and made a part of the policy. The policy, so amended, was delivered to plaintiff, the beneficiary and the wife of deceased, July 31, 1918. At the time, the amendment to the application -was made out by said agent Carr, and offered to plaintiff for the purpose of [129]*129signing the name of deceased, which was done by her. When the original application was submitted by deceased, on June 8th, the premium for the first year was paid by a note delivered to Carr by deceased, payable August 8, 1918, to the order of Carr, for $37.55. On July 21, 1918, deceased was inducted into the military service of the United States, and remained therein until November 3, 1918, when he died while in the service of the United States in France, and was buried there. During all the time from June 8th to November 3d, deceased complied with all the conditions and provisions of the policy, except that provision which provides that, in the event that' the insured serves in the military or naval service in time of war, a permit will, on written request and on payment of the extra premium .charged therefor, be granted for military or naval service in time of war. Deceased had not complied with the terms of the policy as to this provision, for the reason that defendant, through its agent Carr had, as appellant contends, orally waived, by acts and statements, compliance with said provision, which acts and statements are that, at the time the policy was taken up by its agent Carr, to amend it because of the change of occupation to fireman, plaintiff, acting as the agent of deceased, told Carr that insured was about to be inducted into the military service, and requested him to inform her of the additional premium necessary to be paid by deceased while in said service, and offered to submit a written application for a permit, as provided in the policy; and that said agent informed her that defendant was not relying upon said clause in said policy, and that no written application for permission was necessary, and that defendant was not charging any additional premium to cover risk while insured was in such service. On July 31, 1918, defendant, through its duly authorized agent Rath, delivered the policy, with the amendment before referred to, to plaintiff, as agent for insured, and refunded to plaintiff, as his agent,' the sum of $...., difference in premium to insured when engaged in the less hazardous occupation. The petition further alleges that, at the time said policy was delivered, insured was in the military service, and this fact was known to said agent; that plaintiff, as agent for insured, again offered to pay the extra premium and to comply with the provisions respecting military service; but that said agent of [130]*130defendant, at the time and as a part of the transaction of delivery of the policy, stated that said defendant was not relying on said clanse, and was making no extra premium charge for military service; that, by virtue of the authorized acts and statements of defendant’s said agents, defendant has waived compliance with the provision in the policy in this regard; and further, that defendant, through its duly authorized agents, has sought to mislead plaintiff, as agent of insured, and is estopped from relying on the clause in question; that said acts and statements were such as were calculated and intended to, and did, prevent insured from compliance with said clause; that, when notice of the death of insured came to plaintiff, she complied with the provisions of the policy as to requesting blanks for making proof of death, and in her said request stated that deceased had been killed or died while in the military service in time of war; that thereupon defendant, without waiting for pi’oof of death, denied all liability under the policy, and refused to pay; that, since plaintiff deemed it unnecessary to comply with that provision, she did not do so, and alleges that defendant waived proofs of death; that she has requested payment and offered to submit proofs of death, in compliance with the policy; but that defendant has refused to pay.

The provisions of the policy as to securing permit for the military service and additional premium have been sufficiently set out. Other provisions in the policy which appellee deems of some importance are:

“This policy, together with the application therefor, a copy of which is hereto attached dand made a part hereof, shall constitute the entire contract between the parties hereto. All statements made by the insured shall, in the absence of fraud, be deemed representations and not warranties; and no such statement shall avoid this policy unless it is contained in the written application therefor, a copy of which application is áttached hereto.

“Agents are not authorized to alter or modify this policy of insurance, or extend the time for the payment of any premium. All premiums are payable at the home office, but will be accepted elsewhere if paid to an agent in exchange for a receipt, signed by the president, vice president, secretary, or [131]*131actuary, and countersigned by the agent designated thereon. This insurance is granted upon condition that all premiums be promptly paid when due, and failure to pay any premium, or any part thereof, when due, shall forfeit and cancel this contract and terminate all obligations of the company under this policy, except as herein otherwise provided. No act or series of acts upon the part of the company in sending premium notices and accepting premium payments after maturity shall constitute or evidence a waiver of the provisions of this paragraph.

“This policy shall be incontestable one year from its date except for nonpayment of premium and except for a violation of its conditions in regard to the military or naval service in time of war. The insured may serve in militia in time of peace, or for the purpose of preserving order in case of riot, but in time of war a written permit must be obtained from the company for military or naval service. In ease of death of the insured while engaged in or as a result of military or naval service in time of war, without such permit, the liability of the company shall be limited to the reserve hereon.”

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Bluebook (online)
192 Iowa 127, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mccoy-v-national-life-insurance-iowa-1921.