Mutual Life Insurance v. Reid

21 Colo. App. 143
CourtColorado Court of Appeals
DecidedJanuary 15, 1912
DocketNo. 3371
StatusPublished

This text of 21 Colo. App. 143 (Mutual Life Insurance v. Reid) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Colorado Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mutual Life Insurance v. Reid, 21 Colo. App. 143 (Colo. Ct. App. 1912).

Opinion

Cunningham, J.

Appellee recovered judgment in the district court of Pueblo county on a life insurance policy issued by appellant to appellee’s decedent, Wayne R. Jacobs. The. case was tried to the court without a jury. Aside from the formal testimony of the administratrix, given for the purpose of establishing her right to maintain the action, the whole case was submitted on depositions. Plaintiff rested her case upon the deposition of Mr. Homer A. Buckley, who was at the time the application of the said Jacobs was -taken, a soliciting agent for appellant. [145]*145The whole transaction, so far as Jacobs was concerned, was had between the said Buckley and the said Jacobs, the latter never meeting any of the other representatives of the company. The defendant company rested its defense upon the depositions of Darby A. Day and E. R. Ferguson, its general agent and cashier, respectively, for the then territory of New Mexico. From the depositions we gather the following facts:

Buckley approached Jacobs for the purpose of inducing the latter to take out' a policy with the defendant company. An application was _written up and signed by Jacobs on July 24, 1903, and on the same date he gave his promissory note, payable to the said Buckley, in payment of a full year’s premium. The application was forwarded to the head office of the company in New York City, where the same was accepted, and a policy issued and returned, reaching the New Mexico office on August 5th, where it was turned over to Buckley on August 11th. On September 9th, Buckley took the policy to Jacobs, who was located at a small town some distance from Albuquerque. Buckley testified that he delivered the policy to Jacobs, and that Jacobs approved it and signed a receipt for the same, and gave a written proxy to the company on the company’s form. Buckley turned over the note, endorsed by himself, and the proxy, to the Albuquerque office. Jacobs, after receiving the policy from Buckley, immediately returned it to the latter, stating that he would call at the general office in Albuquerque in a very short time and make payment on his note. Not keeping his engagement in this respect, Buckley phoned him at Belen some days [146]*146later, and made arrangements with Jacobs to go to Belen and get an assignment of the latter’s wages, on account of the note. Buckley, feeling safe, as he testified, about the matter, delayed going to Belen, and thereafter never attempted to get into communication with Jacobs. On September 26th, Jacobs was seized with a sudden and violent illness from which he died two days later, and while the policy was still in the hands' of Buckley pursuant to the conditions or arrangements above detailed.

The controversy presented for our determination turns entirely upon whether the policy was in force at the time of Jacobs’ death. Whether the policy was in force depends upon whether the assured had accepted and received the policy and paid the premium thereon, while he was yet in good health. We will permit the position of appellant to be stated by its general agent, Mr. Day, who gave the following testimony:

“It (meaning the policy) would have become effective only upon the payment of the premium of $56.73 (the first quarter) or instruction from the agent to charge to his account the net ■premium due to the company thereon. * * * If he, (Buckley) had delivered the policy and instructed our office to charge the net premium to his account, the transaction would have been completed and neither the payment of the note nor the death of the insured would have had any bearing on it. * * * If the policy had been delivered by Mr. Búckley, and he had instructed us to charge the net premium to his account, the failure of the insured to pay the note would have had no effect upon the policy, the agent having, assumed the liability.”

[147]*147The italics are onrs, and are used for the purpose of bringing out plainly the defense relied upon by appellant. In order that.it may be shown beyond all question that the policy was in fact delivered by Buckley to Jacobs, and that the note was given by the latter to the former in payment of a full year’s premium on the policy, we reproduce herewith Exhibit A, being the receipt which Buckley gave to Jacobs at the time the application was signed and the note executed and delivered to Buckley by Jacobs:

“Amount of Two Hundred thirteen and 92/100 dollars in settlement of policy of $2000 ten year endowment. Said note to be returned in case application is declined. Homer A. Buckley.”

Buckley testified that he recognized the above as a portion of the receipt, the date thereof having been detached. The receipt was written up by Buckley without using one of the company’s forms, he being at the time of the transaction in the country without his supplies. That the application was not declined is shown by the fact that the company issued and forwarded the policy to the Albuquerque office, and the same was delivered thereafter by Buckley to Jacobs. Thereupon, the note became a valid and subsisting obligation from Jacobs to Buckley, had Buckley not endorsed the same and delivered it to the Albuquerque office. This transaction between Buckley and the office would not affect Jacobs’ liability on the note in any way. At the time the policy was delivered by Buckley to Jacobs, to-wit, September 9th, Jacobs gave to Buckley the following receipt:.

[148]*148“RECEIVED AND ACCEPTED Policy No. 1372257 in the Mutual Life Insurance Co., of New York, for $2000 insurance on my own life.
I have paid the first premium on said policy, which I have examined and read, and which is in accordance with my application made to said company, and the same is hereby accepted.
Dated at Belen, N. M., on Sept. 9th, 1903.
Watne R. Jacobs.”

This receipt was by Buckley turned over to the Albuquerque office. On the same date, September 9th, Buckley delivered to Jacobs a permit which reads as follows:

(Exhibit B.).
“Mining No. 1.
The Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York, Richard A. McCurdy, President, Nassau, Cedar and Liberty Streets.
Permission is hereby given Wayne R. Jacobs, insured by Policy Number'1372257, to act as Mining Engineer, but not to be personally engaged as a miner or in actual operation as an operator during the continuance of the contract.
W. J. Easton, Secy.”

New York, 24 July, 1903.

This permit appears to have been signed by the general secretary of the company. Prom the foregoing the following would appear to have been established by the evidence:

1. ' That the policy was issued and delivered to and accepted by Jacobs.

2. That he paid the full annual premium on the policy when he delivered his note to Buckley.

[149]*1493. That after Buckley delivered the policy to Jacobs, and Jacobs handed the same back to him, he, Buckley, held it as pledgee for' his own personal protection until payment was made on the note, and that Buckley was so holding the policy at the time of Jacobs’ death, or until he delivered it to a Dr. Radcliffe, a feature of the transaction not necessary to explain.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
21 Colo. App. 143, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mutual-life-insurance-v-reid-coloctapp-1912.