Potts v. Grand Lodge Ancient Order of United Workmen

270 Ill. App. 327, 1933 Ill. App. LEXIS 527
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedApril 11, 1933
DocketGen. No. 36,201
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 270 Ill. App. 327 (Potts v. Grand Lodge Ancient Order of United Workmen) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Potts v. Grand Lodge Ancient Order of United Workmen, 270 Ill. App. 327, 1933 Ill. App. LEXIS 527 (Ill. Ct. App. 1933).

Opinion

Mr. Justice G-ridley

delivered the opinion of the court.

In an action in assumpsit to recover the loan values mentioned in three certificates of life insurance issued by defendant to plaintiff, the court, on plaintiff’s motion, on July 14, 1932, struck from the files defendant’s third amended affidavit of merits (accompanying its plea of the general issue to plaintiff’s declaration), defaulted defendant for want of an affidavit of merits, assessed plaintiff’s damages at $2,790 (being the aggregate loan values mentioned in the three certificates), and entered judgment against defendant in that sum. The present appeal followed.

The ultimate question to be decided is whether the affidavit of merits stated one or more sufficient defenses to plaintiff’s action.

In plaintiff’s declaration, filed June 9, 1932, after stating that defendant is a fraternal insurance society, incorporated under the laws of Iowa and authorized to do business in Illinois, and that he has three causes of action against defendant on three certificates of insurance, he alleged in count one that defendant, on February 21,1917, executed and delivered to him its certificate of life insurance, No. 14,353, and therein promised and agreed, among other things, that it would make a “cash loan” to him of $780. The certificate is set out in full, the material provisions of which are in substance as follows:

That Joshua E. H. Potts (plaintiff) is a member in good standing of Peabody Lodge, No. 143, of the Society, in Chicago, and entitled to all the rights and privileges of such membership; that in case of his death in good standing his wife, as beneficiary, is entitled to participate in the beneficiary fund of the Society to the amount of $2,000, which sum, subject to certain mentioned conditions, shall be paid within 90 days after proof of the member’s death; and that “this certificate, the application for membership and medical examination, the articles of incorporation, by-laws, rules and regulations of the Society, now in force or which may hereafter be enacted or adopted, shall together constitute the contract between the Society, the member and the beneficiary.”

Under the heading “Condition,” is the statement that the law of Illinois, or ruling of the Commissioner of Insurance, “does not permit fraternal societies to give an option in cash to their members; therefore, the figures under ‘cash loan value’ in the following table will not be available to the member . . . unless the law or ruling is changed so as to permit such option, in which event the option will be effective from the date of this certificate. ’ ’ Then follows, under the heading “Guaranteed Options,” a table or schedule as to “Cash Loans, Paid up Certificate and Extended Insurance Values,” in which the cash loan value, after the certificate has been in force for fifteen (15) years, is stated to be “$780.” In the table, also, are stated respectively the cash loan values in lesser amounts from three to fourteen years. And it is further stated that “after three years continuous membership, the member . . . will be entitled at his election to one of the options set forth in the above table.” Under the heading ‘ ‘ Cash Loans,” it is further stated that “upon written application to the Home Office of the Society at Des Moines, Iowa, the member will be entitled to receive a cash loan, as per above schedule, upon the sole security of this certificate, and provided the insured executes a loan agreement, as per a form to be furnished by the Society, such application to be accompanied by the certificate and evidence that the current dues and assessments have been paid.”

In said count one of the declaration plaintiff further alleged that he has at all times kept and performed all the terms and conditions of the certificate upon his part to be kept and performed; that he has paid all required dues and assessments; that since February 21, 1917, he has continuously been a member of the society and said certificate has been in full force and effect; that the law of Illinois, stated in the certificate as not permitting fraternal societies to give an option in cash to their members, “was changed so as to permit such option”; that on February 15, 1932, plaintiff made written application to defendant at its home office “for a cash loan of $780,” and at the same time “executed a loan agreement as per a form furnished by defendant,” and forwarded both, together with his certificate and evidence of his having paid all dues and assessments to defendant; that by reason of the foregoing defendant, on February 21, 1932, “became liable to pay to plaintiff the sum of $780, as in and by said certificate by it promised and agreed”; but that, although often requested, it has refused to pay said sum, to plaintiff’s damage, etc.

Other counts of the declaration relate to claimed causes of action upon the other similar certificates. The allegations are substantially the same, except that in the second cause of action the count is predicated upon defendant’s certificate issued on February 21, 1917, for $3,000, in which the cash loan value after the certificate has been in force for 15 years is stated to be $1,170, and in the third cause of action the count is predicated upon defendant’s certificate issued on June 1, 1925, for $5,000, in which the cash loan value after the certificate has been in force for 6 years is stated to be $840.

In plaintiff’s affidavit of claim are allegations similar to those in the declaration with reference to the provisions of the certificate and plaintiff’s application for loans thereon. It is stated that the applications were made on forms provided and filled in by defendant “charging 6 per cent interest.” And the affidavit concludes with the statement that there is now due from defendant the said several sums of $780, $1,170 and $840 (a total of $2,790) with interest, etc.

Defendant’s said amended affidavit of merits was signed and sworn to by W. H. Stowell, grand recorder of defendant, and. filed on July 13, 1932, and its allegations are in substance as follows:

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

Related

Gerrity Co. v. Laconia Savings Bank
414 A.2d 1278 (Supreme Court of New Hampshire, 1980)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
270 Ill. App. 327, 1933 Ill. App. LEXIS 527, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/potts-v-grand-lodge-ancient-order-of-united-workmen-illappct-1933.