Ross v. Minnesota Mutual Life Insurance

191 N.W. 428, 154 Minn. 186, 31 A.L.R. 46, 1923 Minn. LEXIS 603
CourtSupreme Court of Minnesota
DecidedJanuary 5, 1923
DocketNo. 23,222
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 191 N.W. 428 (Ross v. Minnesota Mutual Life Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ross v. Minnesota Mutual Life Insurance, 191 N.W. 428, 154 Minn. 186, 31 A.L.R. 46, 1923 Minn. LEXIS 603 (Mich. 1923).

Opinions

Quinn, J.

Plaintiff and Charles H. Ross, now deceased, were husband and wife and resided with their 9 children on a farm near Beaver Creek, in Rock county. The defendant, Minnesota Mutual Life Insurance Company, issued two policies to the deceased, one for $5,000 on March 29,1918, and one for $6,000 on June 30,1920, in each of which the plaintiff was named as the sole beneficiary. The husband was insolvent at the time the two policies were issued, as well as at the time of his death, which occurred on July 15, 1921. This action was brought against the company to recover upon both policies. The company answered, and thereafter paid into court, to await the outcome of the litigation, the amount of the face of both policies, less $240, the amount of the annual premium on the second policy, which fell due about the time of the death of the insured, and asked that the First National Bank of Beaver Creek, Orland Ross and Ivan G. Ross be substituted as defendants and allowed to assert their claims to the money so paid into court. An order was accordingly made substituting said parties as defendants and the insurance company withdrew from the case. A notice of the substitution was then served upon the Ross boys, but they did not appear or answer. The cause was tried to the court upon the complaint. [188]*188answer of the bank and reply. The court made findings of fact, and ordered judgment in favor of the plaintiff. From an order refusing to amend the findings and denying its motion for a new trial, the defendant bank appeals.

The appellant urges three general propositions why the defendant bank is entitled to recover in this action and why a new trial should be granted, viz: First that, during the period from the time of the issuance of the first policy to the time of his death, the insured was insolvent, and that the payment of the premiums on said policies was in fraud of his creditors, and that by reason thereof the appellant bank, a creditor, is entitled to recover from the proceeds of the policies, the amount of the premiums so ipaid; second, that the insured, on June 29, 1921, requested the insurance company to change the beneficiary in the $6,000 policy, so that the plaintiff would receive $4,000 thereunder, Ivan Gf. Ross, $1,000, and Orland Ross $1,000, and that the said Ivan Gf. and Orland Ross, thereafter assigned the $2,000 payable to them as such beneficiaries, to the appellant bank; third, that the policy for $6,000 was issued to the plaintiff for the purpose of creating a trust in behalf of the creditors of the insured, and that she did, by reason thereof, become such trustee, and that the plaintiff has no special or personal interest in or to the proceeds of said policy.

The annual premium on the'policy for $5,000 was $174, and the amount paid on that policy was in the aggregate $696. But one annual premium had been paid on the policy for $6,000 prior to the death of the insured, namely, $240, paid at the time of the issuance of the policy. Section 3465, Gf. S. 1913, provides as follows:

“Whenever any insurance is effected in favor of another, the beneficiary shall be entitled to its proceeds against the creditors and representatives of the person effecting the same. All premiums paid for insurance in fraud of creditors, with interest thereon, shall inure to their benefit from the proceeds Of the policy, if the company be specifically notified thereof in writing before payment.”

It is not contended that the insured was guilty of any actual fraud, or that he entertained any fraudulent intent in taking out [189]*189■either of the policies in question, or in paying any of the premiums thereon. The contention of appellant is that under the statute and in view of the insolvency of the insured, the payment of such premiums amounted in law to a fraud on his creditors, without reference to the motive >or actual intention of the insured, and without regard to the amount of the insurance or premiums paid.

We are unable to agree with this contention. There being no ■claim or proof of any actual fraud, the question presented is whether the obtaining of the insurance, or payment of the premiums, while the insured is insolvent, is, in itself, necessarily a fraudulent transfer of his property with intent to hinder, delay and defraud his creditors, within the meaning of the statute. It will be observed that the statute does not attempt to define what shall constitute fraud. That it includes both actual and constructive fraud will hardly be questioned. One of the highest duties of a husband and father is to provide for his family during his life, and to make provision for it after his death. To this end he may devote a moderate portion of his earnings to insure his life, in favor of his wife, and so make reasonable provision for the future, without thereby being held to have intended to defraud his creditors, even though he was insolvent when he effected the insurance or paid the premiums. To maintain an action on behalf of ike creditors of a deceased husband, to recover premiums paid by him, while insolvent, in order to provide for his family after his death, fraud must not only be alleged but proved. However, in such cases, a fraudulent intent may be shown to exist, or may be inferred, from surrounding circumstances. Notes: 29 Am. St. 360; 87 Am. St. 489; 12 E. C. L. p. 510.

In Central N. Bank of Washington v. Hume, 128 U. S. 195, 9 Sup. Ct. 41, 32 L. ed. 370, the Supreme Court held, speaking through Chief Justice Fuller [at page 211], that:

“This argument in the interest of creditors concedes that the debtor may rightfully preserve his family from suffering and want. It seems to us that the same public policy which justifies this, and recognizes the support of wife and children as a positive obligation in law as well as morals, should be extended to protect them from destitution after the debtor’s death, by permitting him, not to ac[190]*190cumulate a fund as a permanent provision, but to devote a moderate portion of his earnings to keep on foot a security for support already, or which could thereby be lawfully obtained, at least to the extent of requiring that, under such circumstances, the fraudulent intent of both parties to the transaction should be made out.”

In that case it was further held, in effect, that an insolvent husband may insure his life and keep such insurance alive for the benefit of his family, without thereby being held to intend to hinder, delay- or defraud his creditors, and after his death they will have no interest in the proceeds of the policy. Baron v. Brummer, 100 N. Y. 372, 3 N. E. 474; Pinneo v. Goodspeed, 120 Ill. 524, 12 N. E. 196; Johnson v. Alexander, 125 Ind. 575, 25 N. E. 706, 9 L. R. A. 660; Chapin v. Fellowes, 36 Conn. 132, 4 Am. Rep. 49; Harvey v. Harrison, 89 Tenn. 470, 14 S. W. 1083.

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

Related

Borin v. John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance
157 N.E.2d 673 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1959)
Pauling v. Pauling
159 F.2d 531 (Eighth Circuit, 1947)
Pauling v. Pauling
65 F. Supp. 814 (D. Minnesota, 1946)
John Weenink & Sons Co. v. Blahd
54 N.E.2d 426 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1943)
Doethlaff v. Penn Mut. Life Ins. Co.
117 F.2d 582 (Sixth Circuit, 1941)
Richardson v. Brainard-Powers Corp.
260 A.D. 836 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1940)
Spiro State Bank v. BANKERS'NAT. LIFE INS. CO.
69 F.2d 185 (Eighth Circuit, 1934)
American Nat. Bank of Okmulgee v. King
1932 OK 67 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1932)
Cook v. Prudential Insurance Co. of America
235 N.W. 9 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1931)
Evans v. Heaton
233 N.W. 281 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1930)
Weiss v. John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance
226 N.W. 516 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1929)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
191 N.W. 428, 154 Minn. 186, 31 A.L.R. 46, 1923 Minn. LEXIS 603, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ross-v-minnesota-mutual-life-insurance-minn-1923.