New York Life Insurance v. Long

234 S.W. 735, 193 Ky. 19, 1921 Ky. LEXIS 174
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kentucky
DecidedNovember 22, 1921
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 234 S.W. 735 (New York Life Insurance v. Long) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Kentucky primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
New York Life Insurance v. Long, 234 S.W. 735, 193 Ky. 19, 1921 Ky. LEXIS 174 (Ky. Ct. App. 1921).

Opinion

Opinion op the Court by

Turner, Commissioner

Reversing.

On a former appeal in this case (New York Life Insurance Company v. Long, 177 Ky. 445) the judgment agapist appellant was reversed because of the refusal of the lower court to permit it to file an amended answer pleading in'substance that the contract of insurance sued on was made and entered into in the state of Wyoming and that in Wyoming there is no law or statute similar in terms or in purport to section .679 of the Kentucky Statutes nor any law or statute of that state which in terms or in purport requires that the application for a policy of insurance shall be attached to or contained in the policy issued upon such application, nor any snch law or statute therein providing in terms or in purport that unless such application shall be contained in or attached to the policy it shall not be received as evidence between the parties to the policy or those interested therein, or shall not be considered a part of the policy between such parties.

In obedience to the mandate, when the case was returned to the circuit court the amendment was'filed and thereafter the issues presented therein were made between the parties.

On the trial the burden being on the defendant to establish the fraudulent misrepresentation relied upon in [21]*21its original answer, as set forth in the former opinion, it was developed that there is and was at the time the policy was issued a statute of the state of Wyoming which it is claimed by the appellee is the same in substance and purport as our sections 679 and 656 and that, therefore, the statements in the application of the insured not being attached to or made -a part of the policy of insurance, were incompetent evidence against the appellee, the beneficiary in that policy. On the contrary, appellant contends that the Wyoming statute is in substance and effect only the same as our statute, section 656, and that section 656 when standing alone and interpreted by and of itself without regard to the provisions of section 679, is only a statute prohibiting rebates and deals wholly with that subject, and is not, unless interpreted in connection with section 679, a statute fixing a rule of evidence and, therefore, in the state of Wyoming there is no statute prohibiting the use of an application for a policy of insurance as evidence where the same is not incorporated in the policy or attached thereto.

The lower court took the former view and held that the Wyoming statute was in its general purport and effect the same as our statute and refused to hear in evidence' the statements in the application, and directed the jury to return a verdict for the plaintiff, which was done, and the insurance company has appealed.

Sections 656 and 679 are each a paid of article 4 of the chapter on private corporations, section 656 being a part of subdivision 2 in that article on life insurance, and section 679 a part of subdivision 3 thereof on assessment or co-operative life insurance.

Section 656 is as follows:

“No life insurance company doing business in Kentucky shall make or permit any distinction or discrimination in favor of individuals between insurants of the same class and equal expectation of life in the amount or payment of premiums or rates charged for the policies of life or endowment insurance, or in the dividends or other 'benefit payable thereon, or in any other of the terms and conditions of the contracts it makes; nor shall any such company or any agent thereof make any contract of insurance or agreement as to such contract, other than is plainly expressed in the policy issued thereon; nor shall any such company or agent pay or allow, or offer to- pay or allow, as inducement to insurance, any rebate of premium payable on the policy, or any spe'cial [22]*22favor or advantage in the dividends or other benefit to accrue thereon, or any valuable consideration, or inducement whatever not specified in the policy or contract of insurance. ... ”

Section 679 is as follows:

“All policies or certificates hereafter issued to persons within the Commonwealth of Kentucky by corporations transacting business therein under this law, which policies or certificates contain any reference to the application of the insured, or the bylaws, or the rules of the corporation, either as forming part of the policy or contract between the parties thereto, or as having any bearing on said contract, shall have such application, bylaws and rules, or the parts thereof relied upon as forming part of the policy or contract between the parties thereto, or having any bearing on said contract attached to the policy or certificate, or printed on the face or reverse side thereof, and unless- either so attached and accompanying the policy, or printed on the face or reverse side thereof, shall not be received as evidence in any action for the recovery of benefits provided by the policy or certificate, and shall not be considered a part of the policy, or of the contract between the parties. ... ”

The section of the Wyoming statute in question is as follows:

“No life insurance company doing business in this state, shall make or permit any distinction or discrimination in favor of individuals between insurants (the insured) of the same class and equal expectation of life in the amount or payment of premiums or rates charged for policies of life or endowment insurance, or in the dividends or other benefits payable thereon, or in any other of the terms and conditions of the contracts it makes; nor shall any such company or agent thereof make any contract of insurance or agreement as to such contract other than as plainly expressed in the policy issued thereon ; nor shall any such company or any officer, agent, solicitor or representative thereof pay, allow or give, or offer to pay, allow or give, directly or indirectly, as inducement to insurance any rebate of premium payable on the policy, or any special favor or advantage in the dividends or other benefits to accrue thereon, or any paid employment or contract for services of any kind or any valuable consideration or inducement whatever not specified in the policy contract of insurance; or give, sell or [23]*23purchase, or offer to give, sell or purchase as inducement to insurance or in connection therewith any stocks, bonds or other securities of any insurance company or other corporation, association or partnership, or any dividends or profits to accrue thereon or anything of value whatsoever not specified in the policy.”

The evidence of three Wyoming lawyers is to the effect that there is in that state no law or statute similar to section 679 of the Kentucky Statutes, and that the statute of Wyoming quoted above has never been construed by the highest court of that state, but is regarded by the profession therein to be only a statute prohibiting rebates by insurance companies and their agents.

It was held in a former opinion in this case that our own statute (section 679) has no'extra-territorial effect, and it has been shown that the only statute in the state of Wyoming, where the contract was made is the one quoted and which is relied on by appellee and which is in substance the same as our section 656.

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Related

Ridsdale v. Kentucky Home Mut. Life Ins. Co.
144 S.W.2d 487 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky (pre-1976), 1940)
New York Life Insurance Company v. Long
32 S.W.2d 403 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky (pre-1976), 1929)
New York Life Insurance v. Long
277 S.W. 978 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky (pre-1976), 1925)
New York Life Insurance v. Long
250 S.W. 812 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 1923)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
234 S.W. 735, 193 Ky. 19, 1921 Ky. LEXIS 174, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/new-york-life-insurance-v-long-kyctapp-1921.