Pyramid Life Insurance Company v. Belmont

7 S.W.2d 32, 177 Ark. 564, 1928 Ark. LEXIS 142
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedJune 11, 1928
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 7 S.W.2d 32 (Pyramid Life Insurance Company v. Belmont) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pyramid Life Insurance Company v. Belmont, 7 S.W.2d 32, 177 Ark. 564, 1928 Ark. LEXIS 142 (Ark. 1928).

Opinion

Mehaeey, J.

Appellant brought this suit in the Union 'Circuit Court to recover from the appellee the sum of $1,611 and inter est upon a note, said note having been given fior first premium on a life insurance policy.

Defendant answered, specifically denying the allegations of the complaint, and denied that policy was ever delivered to him by the company, or that it was ever intended by the parties to be delivered. He further alleged that the note was obtained on the fraudulent representation that it was necessary that the note accompany appellee’s application for life insurance; that it was fraudulently represented to him that, in the event of a failure to issue and deliver the policy, said note would be canceled and returned to him; that no policy of any kind was ever issued or delivered to defendant. He further alleged that it was fraudulently represented to him that stock in the Pyramid Life Insurance Company in the sum of $1,000 would also be delivered to him, and that no stock of any kind had ever 'been delivered, and that there was a total failure of consideration for said note; that this suit was begun by plaintiff with a full knowledge of the above facts, and that no cause of action existed on the note; that, notwithstanding ■ they knew all the facts, and knew there was no liability on the. note, they sued out a writ of garnishment, and wrongfully, illegally and maliciously impounded his funds, and that he was damaged in the sum of $2,000. . .

The appellant introduced the .following note:

‘ ‘$1,611. El Dorado, Ark., 5-22,1926.

“On or before ninety days after date, I, we, or either of us promise to pay to the order of myself or legal holder, one thousand six hundred eleven- and no 100 dollars, for value received, negotiable and payable, without defalcation or discount, at the office of.., with interest from date at the rate of >6 per cent, per annum', and at the rate of 10 per cent, per annum after maturity until paid. The makers and indorsers of this note hereby severally waive presentment for payment, notice of nonpayment and protest.

“This note is given for premium for life insurance policy which has been issued in the form applied for and delivered to the maker of this note.

“Henry B. Belmont

“G-arrett Hotel, P. 0. El Dorado, Ark.”

Indorsed at bottom of note in pencil: “Claude Hol-lan, 1027.” Indorsed on back: “H. B. Belmont.”

The appellee introduced the following testimony:

Brooks Hays testified that he was sales director and local counsel for the plaintiff. He had actual supervision of the sales contracts of the company. The original contract has been in the possession of Mr. Hollan ever since the date of issuance. Mr. Hollan is the local agent of the company. Does not know that he has seen the original policy. Might have looked at it in the court room. Hollan had it last spring in the court room, and tried to get appellee to take it, and he would .not. The grace period had not expired at that time. The thirty days had not elapsed, and it was in floree at that time. Twelve months had elapsed when witness tendered it to Mr. Coulter for the defendant. Witness did not become associated with the company until after this policy had been held by Mr. Hollan for some time. According to the company’s viewpoint, the policy had been delivered. It held it for Mr. Belmont’s benefit. This, referring to exhibit to pleadings, is a copy of the policy, and this is a photostatic copy of the application.. The original application is very likely in their files, but this is an exact copy. The policy was not to be in force until it was delivered to applicant in good health, and premium paid. The premium was paid by note. The policy and application which is made a part of the policy is the usual contract of insurance, the parts of which that are material to the issues in this case are as follows:

“B. That every declaration hereinabove contained is true. That there shall he no contract of insurance until a policy shall have been delivered to me and the first premium paid to said company, or its duly authorized agent, during my lifetime and good health.”

“I hereby declare that I have paid to Claud L. Hol-lan sixteen hundred eleven dollars in cash, and that I hold his receipt for same.

“Henry B. Belmont.

(Signature of applicant).

“Dated.

“Reo. note, $1,611.”

The policy was sent to Belmont about September. No part of the note had been paid.

The appellee testified that he made application to Mr. Hollan for his policy of insurance. He stated: “About May of last year Hollan came to me and started talking about insurance, and I wouldn’t listen to it; I told him I didn’t have the money; and he kept on talking to me about it. If I would take out a policy he would give me some stock in the company, but I didn’t have any money at that time, and he says, ‘Well, you don’t' have to pay on your policy now, and the stock will be delivered to you.’ He says: ‘I will give you stock equivalent to $1>000,’ and I says, ‘Well, I will talk to you about it later’; so I took the matter into consideration, and he come back in the evening again, and I says, ‘I will take out a policy for $25,000,’ and he says, ‘Well, the company don’t write any more than $20,000 to one person,’ and I told him, ‘I want a $25,000 policy,’ and he made up the application and passed it over for me to sign, and I thought he made it out like I told him to. He wrote up the application, and had me examined; and I says, ‘When are you going to send me the policy?’ and he says, ‘You will get it in thirty days, the company will send it to you.’ I didn’t have any ready money, and I executed the note for the premium. Thirty days went by, and I never got nothing, and I met him and asked, ‘ Say, what is the matter with the policy?’ and he said he would write to the company and find out what was the matter. Ninety days went by, and I never got the policy. I asked him a dozen times about the policy, and in October I stopped him and says, ‘Why didn’t I get the policy? I haven’t got it yet,’ and he says, ‘Is that so?’ and I says, ‘No.’ A few days later he says he had the policy. He never did anything about it. In February he showed me the policy; that was nine or ten months after I made the application. When he showed me the policy I asked him if it was for $25,000, and he said no, it was for $20,000. I told him that was not the policy I ordered. He said the policy was in force when I paid the first premium, and said after the second premium was paid I would be entitled to $8,000, and I told him I did not order any policy like that. He told me it would be in force when I- executed the note for the face of the policy. I asked him about the stock, and he said I would get it. I told him it was not satisfactory. He took it from my hand and put it iii his envelope, and he never delivered it to me, and he never delivered me any stock. Two days later the bellboy came with a note with a check written out. I wouldn’t sign the check, and then he told me he wanted me to sign the check; “it is important to the company; we want to put that paper in advertising.” I did not sign the check nor anything. No one ever delivered to me this policy.

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Bluebook (online)
7 S.W.2d 32, 177 Ark. 564, 1928 Ark. LEXIS 142, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pyramid-life-insurance-company-v-belmont-ark-1928.