McReynolds v. Washington National Ins.

25 Ohio Law. Abs. 431, 1937 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 955
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedOctober 15, 1937
DocketNo 2772
StatusPublished

This text of 25 Ohio Law. Abs. 431 (McReynolds v. Washington National Ins.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McReynolds v. Washington National Ins., 25 Ohio Law. Abs. 431, 1937 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 955 (Ohio Ct. App. 1937).

Opinion

OPINION

By HORNBECK, J

This case has been presented as an appeal on questions of law.

An examination of the transcript of docket and journal entries discloses that when the cause came on for trial the jury was waived and it was submitted to the trial judge. The entry showing that the jury was waived and cause submitted bears the date of March 12, 1936. On the same day there is an entry wherein it appears that the cause coming on ,ior hearing and jury being waived, was submitted on the pleadings 'and the evidence and on consideration “the court finds on issues joined for the defendant and it is ordered, adjudged and decreed that plaintiff’s petition be dismissed at his costs.”

On the same day, but thereafter, in sequence, and in the last entry, it appears that the motion of the plaintiff to set aside the judgment and for a new trial was overruled. In the situation thus presented we have no judgment from which an appeal can be prosecuted.

A similar situation arose and was considered and determined in the case of Boedker v W. E. Richards Co., 124 Oh St 12. The question there raised was somewhat different in that there had been a judgment entered at the time that the court, acting as a jury, made its finding and a second judgment entered after the overruling of the motion for new trial. Chief Justice Marshall, at page 1,9 of the opinion, said:

“We have therefore reached the conclusion that the first judgment, entered within the three-day period, when a judgment could not have been entered upon the verdict ox a jury, was ineffective to start the running of the limitation.”

The cited case holds that when in a jury case the jury is waived the determination of the trial court is in all particulars considered as would bo the verdict of the jury. No judgment can properly be entered on a verdict of a jury or a finding of a judge [432]*432acting as a jury until the three days have elapsed within which the unsuccessful party has the right to file a motion for new trial. 811599, GC. See also Cultice v DeMaro Realty Co et, 16 Abs 396.

There is, then, no final judgment in this case and anything that we may say will be no adjudication because we are without jurisdiction to pass upon the error assigned. The proper procedure, if appellant desires to secure the judgment of this court on tne question presented, will be to have the judgment entry entered of record in the. Common Pleas Court. The appeal here must be dismissed.

For benefit of counsel and with the thought that perhaps appellant would not be disposed to carry this case to the Supreme Court in the event of a judgment eventually against him here, we briefly express an opinion on the questions presented upon the record before us.

The appellant in his assignment of error asserts that the court erred:

“In admitting evidence offered by appellee over the objection of the appellant that the insured was in unsound health and had tuberculosis previous to the date oi the application for insurance.
“* ” that appellee was estopped in law to show unsound health of insured prior to the date of the application for insurance as a defense, and is limited in its defense to the period intervening between the date of the application and the date of the policy, and must show that the unsound health or disease arose during said period.”

The action was by a beneficiary to recover under a policy of insurance on the life of Anna Jackson, who died February 3, 1935. The answer consists of four defenses, the first of which, after admission of the issuance of the policy, the payment of premiums, the death of the insured and the demand for payment, is a general denial. The second defense is that the plaintiff was not the executor or administrator of insured and has no cause of action against the defendant on the -policy of insurance. The third defense avers that .the policy of insurance provided:

“That if the insured is not in sound health on the date of said policy, or has within two years before said date been attended by a physician for any serious disease or complaint or before said date has bad any pulmonary disease or chronic bronchitis. then the defendant may declare said policy void and that the liability of said defendant in the case of any such declaration or in the case of any claim under said policy shall be limited' to the return of premiums paid on said policy

It is further averred that on the date of said policy the insured was not in sound health; that within two years before said date she had been attended by a physician for a serious disease or complaint and before said date had a pulmonary disease, lo-wit, pulmonary tuberculosis, which condition was known to the insured but wholly unknown to the defendant.

Offer to tender premiums paid and tender thereof is plead.

In the fourth defense it is averred that plaintiff procured the policy of insurance on the life of Anna Jackson and paid the premiums thereon; that he was the uncle of Anna Jackson and had no insurance interest in the life of said Anna Jackson.

By the answer and the reply of the plaintiff issue is joined on all of the defenses of the answer and in the reply it is particularly averred that:

“If it should appear upon the trial of this case that the Insured had been attended by a physician for any serious disease within two years before the date of the policy, or on or before said date had any pulmonary disease, then, in that event, defendant’s agent who solicited and received the application for insurance and delivered the policy herein to the insured had full knowledge thereof at the time he took the application of the insured and at the time he delivered the policy to her. and that said agent was authorized by the defendant herein to solicit and receive applications of insurance and to deliver policies of insurance to applics.nts.”

And further:

“That at the time said application of t-he insured was taken a medical examination was made of the insured under the authority and direction of defendant by defendant’s medical examiner and thereafter said policy was issued upon said application with medical examination and delivered to the insured by said defendant through its said agent, and the premiums were paid by the insured and received and accepted by the defendant. That said application was not attached to the policy as part thereof as required by the laws of Ohio.
[433]*433“By reason of which * * i defendant has waived its right and is estopped to defend on the ground of any disease, serious or otherwise, existing or occurring prior to the date of said application and medical examination, or fraud or misrepresentation of the applicant herein in procuring said policy.”

The bill of exceptions, in narrative form, intended to exemplify the error asserted in the brief of appellant, consists of but two pages.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Weaver v. Whalen
9 N.E.2d 1016 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1937)
Cultice v. DeMaro Realty Co.
16 Ohio Law. Abs. 396 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1934)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
25 Ohio Law. Abs. 431, 1937 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 955, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mcreynolds-v-washington-national-ins-ohioctapp-1937.