Roberts v. Fidelity Mutual Life Ins.

10 Tenn. App. 191, 1929 Tenn. App. LEXIS 22
CourtCourt of Appeals of Tennessee
DecidedJune 15, 1929
StatusPublished

This text of 10 Tenn. App. 191 (Roberts v. Fidelity Mutual Life Ins.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Roberts v. Fidelity Mutual Life Ins., 10 Tenn. App. 191, 1929 Tenn. App. LEXIS 22 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1929).

Opinion

IIEISKELL, J.

This is a spit upon a life insurance policy issued by the. defendant to Carl R. Roberts on March 20, 1920. 'The defense is that the policy lapsed or was forfeited by reason of the nonpayment of the premium falling- due March 20, 1927, within the time provided in the policy.

The defendant admitted a surrender value of $2273 after deducting $1000 borrowed by the insured, and paid said amount into court. The Chancellor held that this was the extent of defendant’s liability and dismissed complainant’s bill and she, has appealed.

The policy provided for payment of $16,000 if insured lived until 1951. This is admitted, also that complainant is the beneficiary and that Roberts died August 3, 1927. The bill alleges that seven annual premiums had been paid: that by reason of the custom of dealing between the insured and the company through its agents, the policy had not been forfeited and that there was due thereon, the sum of $12,640 from which should be deducted $1000 borrowed.

A great deal of space is taken up in the brief of appellant discussing the action of the Chancellor in sustaining exceptions t,o testimony of complainant. It is difficult if not impossible, to make out from the record what testimony was covered by the exceptions and excluded, but however this may be, we consider it immaterial because if the whole testimony be admitted, yet the material facts are made, out by a stipulation in lieu of defendant’s evidence so as to constitute a preponderance of evidence.

Some letters in this simulation were excluded; eliminating these and certain immaterial portions the stipulation is as follows:

"On March 20. 1920, pursuant to an' application made on February 10, 1920, the respondent, The Fidelity Mutual Life Insurance Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, issued to Carl R. Roberts of Knoxville, Tennessee, a certain life insurance *193 policy, a true copy of which, together with the application for same, is hereto attached, as Exhibit I to this stipulation. The first annual premium on said policy receipted for in the face thereof was duly paid.
“The second annual premium due March 20, 1921, was settled by a note due June 20, 1921. This note not having been paid at maturity and containing a provision for the lapsing of the policy in case of nonpayment of the note and the policy having lapsed for such nonpayment a written application'was made by said Carl R. Roberts to the said respondent, Insurance Company, for reinstatement thereof. A photostatic copy of said application is hereto attached, marked Exhibit 2. The company did not require any physical examination by a physician as evidencing good health at that time and the application was accepted and the policy reinstated.
“The premium due on said policy on March 20, 1922, was duly paid by the said Roberts.
“The .premium due on said policy on March 20, 1923 was settled by note due June 20,1923. This note was not paid when due as a result of which the policy again lapsed according to its terms. On July 9, 1923, the said Carl R. Roberts'made a written application for reinstatement thereof, a photostatic copy of which is hereto attached, marked Exhibit No. 3. This application was accepted and the policy reinstated, likewise without physical examination by a physician. However, in making settlement a note was given for a part of the premium which fell due on December 20, 1923, and this note not being paid the policy again lapsed. Under date of January 15, 1924, the said Carl R. Roberts again made written application for reinstatement, tendering the settlement of the balance of the premium. This written application' or a photostatic copy thereof is herewith attached as Exhibit 4 to this stipulation and made a part thereof. This application was accepted by the company without examination by a physician and the policy was again reinstated.
“The premium due on March 20, 1924, was paid without default..
“The premium due on March 20, 1925, was paid without default.
“'When the premium became due on March 20, 1926, the same was settled by cash for part, together with a note for $300 for the balance, due June 20, 1926. This note not having been paid at maturity the policy again lapsed. Under date of July 9, 1926, the said Carl. R, Roberts made application for reinstate *194 ment, tendering settlement for tbe ■ balance of tbe preminm. The- written application for such reinstatement is herewith attached, marked Exhibit 5 to this stipulation and made a part thereof. This application was ¡accepted, together with the settlement for balance of preminm and the policy again reinstated without requiring an examination by a physician. Under the terms of the policy there became, and was, due on March 20, 19'27, a premium charge of $496.80 which, however, by the terms of said policy, was entitled to be reduced by a dividend amounting to $108.64, which made the net-premium due from said Roberts on said date $388.16. That is to say, the said Roberts had the right under his policy to take credit on said' premium for that amount but in the event he failed to exercise said right the same would" be applied to the purchase of participating paid life insurance as provided in said policy. On, to-wit, February 20, 1927, a written notice was duly sent to Carl R. Roberts notifying him of the fact that said premium would be due on said date, to-wit, March 20, 1927, giving him the net balance thereof in case he elected to apply the dividend thereto and notifying him of the fact that if said amount was not paid on said date or within thirty-one days of grace thereafter his said policy would lapse and become void. This was a notice similar to those sent him upon all previous occasions when premiums fell due. ' No reply was made to said notice and the premium was not paid.
‘ ‘ On, to-wit, April 14, 1927, another written notice was sent to the said Carl R. Roberts from its office in Nashville, Tennessee, calling his attention specifically to the fact that said premium was due and unpaid. No reply was made by him to this notice and the premium still remained unpaid.
. “On, to-wit, April 29, 1917, respondent through its Nashville office, again wrote to the said Carl R. Roberts, notifying him of the fact that said premium had not been paid when due or within thirty-one (31) days thereafter and that the said policy had lapsed and enclosing to him a blank form for application for reinstatement if he desired to apply for the reinstatement of said policy. This letter was from their Nashville office written by the Insurance Company’s cashier and is as follows-:
“April 29, 1927.
“IN RE: 304204 — nonpayment of premium
“Mr. Carl R. Roberts,
“512-14 Union Avenue,
“Knoxville, Tennessee.
“Dear Sir:
“The thirty-one days of grace allowed for the payment of the net annual premium of $388.16 due March 20, 1927. on *195

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Related

Thompson v. Fidelity Mutual Life Ins.
116 Tenn. 557 (Tennessee Supreme Court, 1906)
Edington v. Michigan Mutual Life Insurance
134 Tenn. 188 (Tennessee Supreme Court, 1915)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
10 Tenn. App. 191, 1929 Tenn. App. LEXIS 22, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/roberts-v-fidelity-mutual-life-ins-tennctapp-1929.