Security Mutual Life Insurance v. Frankel

92 N.E. 183, 46 Ind. App. 212, 1910 Ind. App. LEXIS 72
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 22, 1910
DocketNo. 6,699
StatusPublished

This text of 92 N.E. 183 (Security Mutual Life Insurance v. Frankel) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Security Mutual Life Insurance v. Frankel, 92 N.E. 183, 46 Ind. App. 212, 1910 Ind. App. LEXIS 72 (Ind. Ct. App. 1910).

Opinion

Rabb, J.

Appellant is a life insurance company, organized under the laws of the State of New York, and having its principal offices in said state.

Having complied with the laws of this State, authorizing it to do life insurance business here, appellant and appellee Prankel, on September 6, 1902, entered into a contract, whereby said Prankel was appointed as the company’s general agent to solicit and effect insurance for it in this State, and he was thereby invested with power to appoint sub-agents throughout the State, and was authorized, upon the approval by the company of applications secured by him, to collect the first premiums therefor, and deliver policies to the insured on behalf of the company. By the terms of this contract, all moneys received or collected by Prankel were to be remitted to the company, as often as required by it, and it was his duty to turn the money over to the company or any authorized officer or agent thereof, whenever required in writing so to do.

The contract provided that appellee Prankel was to have [214]*214as compensation for his services a certain per cent of the first premium on all policies issued by the company upon applications written by him or his subagents, ánd whenever the insurance in force to the credit of the contract, that is, when the policies procured by Prankel, exclusive of a certain kind of policy designated in the contract as a nonparticipating policy equalled $100,000, then upon the second and subsequent years’ premiums upon such policies, as they were collected by the company, appellee was to have seven per cent, such commissions to continue so long as the $100,-000 of insurance on policies of his procuring, of the designated character, remained in force.

The contract provided that the failure or neglect of Prankel to make reports or to pay over on demand the money in his hands belonging tov'the company, according to the rules and regulations governing agents, should terminate the agency. It also provided that either party might, for just and reasonable cause, terminate the contract, by giving thirty days’ notice to the other.

At the same time, by a supplemental agreement between the parties, it was provided that if at the expiration of one year from the date of the contract Prankel so desired, the company would appoint him its collector for the State of Indiana, and for his services in collecting premiums would pay him three per cent of the premiums collected. Subsequently, on July 28, 1903, Prankel was appointed by appellant as its collector, and authorized to collect and receive annual premiums upon its policies outstanding in this State, for which he was to receive the designated compensation, which appointment, by its terms, was revocable at the pleasure of the company.

Subsequently, by agreement, the original contract between the parties was modified, so that the territory covered was limited to certain counties in the State. Under this contract, appellee Prankel entered upon the duties of his agency, and continued in appellant’s service thereunder until his author[215]*215ity was revoked by appellant, and the agency terminated on July 14, 1905.

The terms of the contract also required appellee Frankel to give bond to appellant’s approval, to secure the faithful performance of the duties of his agency; and, in compliance with this provision of the contract, Frankel and appellee American Surety Company of New York executed their bond, in the penalty of $1,000, to appellant, conditioned for the faithful discharge by Frankel of the obligations imposed upon him by the contract.

This action was brought by appellant against appellees on the bond, to recover for money charged to have been received by Frankel, as appellant’s said agent, and which he failed and refused to pay over to the company on demand. To appellant’s complaint, the surety company answered by a general denial. Appellee Frankel filed a counterclaim, in which he charged that appellant wrongfully revoked his authority as such agent, and thereby violated the terms of the contract. He claimed damages for the breach.

Appellant’s demurrer to the first paragraph of this counterclaim was overruled. It answered in four paragraphs, to which said appellee replied in two paragraphs, appellant’s demurrer to the second paragraph of the reply being overruled. A trial was had, and upon request the court made a special finding of facts, and stated conclusions of law thereon, 'to each of which appellant excepted. Appellant’s motion for a new trial being overruled, judgment was rendered on the finding in favor of appellees.

A reversal is claimed in this court on the ground, among other things, that the evidence is not sufficient to sustain the special finding of facts made by the court.

It appears from the evidence and the special findings that in March, 1903, the president of appellant company authorized, so far as he had power so to do, appellee Frankel to take notes payable to himself for the first year’s premiums on policies issued by the-company upon applications pro[216]*216cured by him, in lieu of the cash, as required by the terms of the contract between the company and Frankel. It also appears that Frankel made a-report to the company, which was dated May 10, 1905, but was not received at the office of the company until June 13, following, showing a balance of funds belonging to the company, in Frankel’s hands, of $1,088.25, and accompanied the report with a check for $750, payable to the company, drawn on a bank in Indianapolis; that on July 5, 1905, appellant, by its proper officer, wrote to appellee Frankel, demanding that he make a report to the company of all collections up to date of the receipt of the letter by him, and forward with his report a check to the company for the balance in his hands belonging to the company, which report was required to be made by July, 11, 1905.

It appears that at the time this demand was received by Frankel, the check for $750 drawn by him in favor of the company, and forwarded with his report, as before stated, had not been presented to the bank for payment; that for the purpose of preventing its payment Frankel drew from the bank upon which it was drawn his funds on deposit therein, and the payment of the check w;as, for this reason, protested. He failed and refused either to make a report to the company, or pay over to it the funds in his hands belonging to it, as demanded.

It further appears that at the time Frankel made his report, dated May 10, 1905, and at the time of receiving this demand from the company for a report and for the payment of funds belonging to the company, the extent of uncollected notes taken by Frankel for premiums on policies issued by the company amounted to $664.71; that the company was indebted to Frankel in the sum of $231.54 on account of other matters; that, upon 'the failure of Frankel to comply, with the company’s demand that he make a report to it and pay over funds belonging to it, as aforesaid, on July 12, [217]

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Bluebook (online)
92 N.E. 183, 46 Ind. App. 212, 1910 Ind. App. LEXIS 72, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/security-mutual-life-insurance-v-frankel-indctapp-1910.