Wallace v. Commonwealth

334 A.2d 830, 18 Pa. Commw. 267, 1975 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 892
CourtCommonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedApril 3, 1975
DocketAppeal, No. 240 C.D. 1974
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 334 A.2d 830 (Wallace v. Commonwealth) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wallace v. Commonwealth, 334 A.2d 830, 18 Pa. Commw. 267, 1975 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 892 (Pa. Ct. App. 1975).

Opinion

Opinion by

Judge Mencer,

This is an appeal by William E. Wallace (Wallace), an insurance agent, from a $500 penalty payable to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and imposed by order of the Insurance Commissioner.1

On April 16, 1973 and April 24, 1973, an investigator for the Insurance Department appeared, without prior notice, at Wallace’s place of business and advised Wallace that he was on the premises for the purpose of making an investigation of the insurance agency. On his April 16, 1973 visit, the investigator exhibited to Wallace a letter from the Insurance Commissioner authorizing the investigation, and on April 24, 1973, this letter of authorization was presented to Wallace. On both occasions Wallace did not allow the investigation and denied the investigator access to the agency’s books and papers unless his attorney were present. On both occasions Wallace endeavored to contact his attorney but was unsuccessful because the attorney was engaged in a courtroom trial on April 16, 1973 and was in Philadelphia on April 24, 1973.

As a result of these two refusals, a citation was issued to Wallace directing him to appear before a hearing examiner of the Insurance Department to determine whether he had violated Sections 213, 214, 216, and 639 of The Insurance Department Act of 1921 (Act), Act of May 17, 1921, P. L. 789, as amended, 40 P.S. §§51, 52, [269]*26954, 279. Following a hearing, Wallace was adjudicated guilty of failing to grant free access to all the books and papers relating to his business with Safeguard Mutual Insurance Company and other insurance companies, contrary to the requirements of Section 216 of the Act.

Wallace has appealed this adjudication under the provisions of the Administrative Agency Law, Act of June 4, 1945, P. L. 1388, as amended, 71 P.S. §1710.1 et seq. Section 44 of the Administrative Agency Law, 71 P.S. §1710.44, directs us to hear appeals on the record made before the agency and further provides:

“After hearing, the court shall affirm the adjudication unless it shall find that the same... is not in accordance with law..., or that any finding of fact made by the agency and necessary to support its adjudication is not supported by substantial evidence. If the adjudication is not affirmed, the court may set aside or modify it, in whole, or in part, or may remand the proceeding to the agency for further disposition in accordance with the order of the court.”

The Insurance Commissioner made only seven findings of fact and, of those, the four relevant here are as follows:

“4. On April 16, 1973, Harry Ruttenberg, Insurance Investigator of the Insurance Department, visited the office of William E. Wallace during a normal business hour.
“5. Mr. Ruttenberg identified himself, announced he was there to conduct an investigation of the agency, and presented a written authorization for conducting such investigation.
“6. William E. Wallace advised Mr. Ruttenberg that he would not be permitted to make an investigation.
“7. On April 24, 1973, Mr. Ruttenberg again visited the office of the Respondents for the purpose of making an investigation of the agency. Again Mr. [270]*270Wallace would not allow Mr. Ruttenberg access to his books and papers.”

We have examined this record and can only conclude that these findings are unquestionably supported by substantial evidence. See A. P. Weaver and Sons v. Sanitary Water Board, 3 Pa. Commonwealth Ct. 499, 284 A. 2d 515 (1971).

Our next consideration is to inquire whether these findings of fact which satisfy the substantial evidence rule support the relevant conclusions of law made by the Insurance Commissioner in his adjudication. Those conclusions of law read as follows:

“2. William E. Wallace a/k/a Wallace Insurance Agency failed on April 6 [sic] and 24, 1973 to grant free access to all the books and papers relating to its business with Safeguard Mutual Insurance Company and other insurance companies, contrary to the requirements of Section 216 of the Insurance Department Act, Act of May 17, 1921, P. L. 789 (40 P.S. §54).
“3. Such failure to conform to the requirements of Section 216 of the Insurance Department Act constitutes satisfactory evidence of such conduct as would disqualify an insurance agent from the initial issuance of a license under Section 603 of the same Act (40 P.S. §233), constituting two violations of Section 639 of the same Act (40 P.S. §279).”

It is readily apparent that they do support conclusions of law No. 2; however, we fail to comprehend how they support conclusion of law No. 3.

We are unable to accept the premise that Wallace’s refusal to permit an investigation and his failure to provide access to his books and paper constitute “satisfactory evidence of such conduct as would disqualify an insurance agent from the initial issuance of a license under Section 603. . . .” The reason is elementary. There is no way before the initial issuance of a license that one could [271]*271engage in the conduct which is the subject of findings of fact Nos. 6 and 7; namely, the refusal to permit an investigation and permit access to books and papers of the agency. Before the initial issuance of a license, there is nothing to investigate relative to the applicant’s books and papers which would only come into existence in the event that the applicant were issued a license and became engaged in the insurance business.

Section 603 of the Act, 40 P.S. §233, reads:

“(a) The Insurance Commissioner may issue, upon certification as aforesaid by any company, association, or exchange, authorized by law to transact business within this Commonwealth, an agent’s license to any person of at least eighteen years of age and to any copartnership or corporation. No license as agent shall be granted to any corporation unless by provisions of its charter it is authorized to engage in the business of insurance or real estate, and unless individual licenses are also secured for each active officer of such corporation; and no license shall be granted to a copartnership or firm unless individual licenses are also secured for each active member of such copartnership or firm. Before any such license is granted, the applicant shall first make answer, in writing and under oath, to interrogatories on forms and supplements such as the Insurance Commissioner shall prepare and submit, which answers shall be vouched for by indorsement of the company, association, or exchange interested, and to the effect that the applicant is of good business reputation, and of experience in underwriting, other than soliciting, and is worthy of a license: Provided, That any applicant who shall have held, for any period during the five years immediately preceding the application, a license to transact, as agent, any class or kind of insurance business for any company, association, or exchange, authorized to transact business within this Common[272]*272wealth, shall be entitled, upon proper application, to receive a license to transact, as agent, the same class or kind of insurance business for any other company, association, or exchange, so authorized to transact business, without the necessity of submitting to an examination.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
334 A.2d 830, 18 Pa. Commw. 267, 1975 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 892, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wallace-v-commonwealth-pacommwct-1975.