Wargo v. Wargo

48 Misc. 2d 349, 265 N.Y.S.2d 37, 1965 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1300
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 3, 1965
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 48 Misc. 2d 349 (Wargo v. Wargo) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wargo v. Wargo, 48 Misc. 2d 349, 265 N.Y.S.2d 37, 1965 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1300 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1965).

Opinion

Michael Catalano, J.

Both parties sought a declaratory judgment and injunction concerning three life insurance contracts, for $2,000, $1,167 and $4,000, respectively. Travelers [350]*350Insurance Company (herein called “ Travelers ”) paid the first sum of money into court; Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (herein called “ Metropolitan ”) paid the other two sums into court; both were discharged. (See CPLR 2601.) The parties now seek this money.

The pleadings admit and the court finds:

In 1956, Travelers issued a group life insurance policy to J. & A. Keller Machine Company, Inc. (herein called “ Keller ”) insuring Keller’s employees, including one Lewis S. Wargo (herein called “ insured ”) being plaintiff’s natural father and defendant’s husband to whom was issued certificate of insurance No. 61 for $2,000.

Metropolitan issued two insurance policies on the insured’s life, one for $1,167, No. 13,881,400-A in 1942 and another for $4,000, No. 18,680,105-A in 1951.

On August 20,1949, defendant married the insured when plaintiff was 10 years old. They lived together as a family. Defendant reared, nurtured and took care of plaintiff, behaving as his mother.

On April 18, 1961, the insured suffered a stroke and in 1963 he suffered a heart attack, confining him to the hospital and his home, unable to work for one and one-half years.

The court also finds:

On December 2, 1941, the insured applied for the $1,167 Metropolitan policy, naming Irma Wargo, his first wife as beneficiary and reserving the right to change the beneficiary without her consent. On January 1, 1942, that policy was issued containing said beneficiary and reservation. On March 6, 1950, the insured designated Emma Wargo his second wife as beneficiary, Lewis J. Wargo his son as contingent beneficiary, reserving the right to change both without their consent; an indorsement of change of beneficiaries dated the same date was attached to the policy. The change of beneficiary clause in the policy states: “When the right to change the Beneficiary is reserved, and if there be no written assignment of this Policy on file with the Company, the Insured may (while this Policy is in force) designate a new Beneficiary, with or without reserving the right to change thereafter, by filing written notice of this change at the Home Office of the Company accompanied by this Policy for endorsement of the change thereon by the Company. No such change shall be effective unless and until it is so endorsed on this Policy.”

On April 27, 1951, the insured applied for the $4,000 Metropolitan policy, naming Emma War go, wife, beneficiary, and Lewis J. Wargo, son, contingent beneficiary, reserving the right [351]*351to change them without their consent. On June 1, 1951, that policy was issued containing said beneficiaries and reservations. The change of beneficiary clause therein is generally the same as in the $1,167 policy, including: “The Policy must be presented to the Company at its Home Office for endorsement of any change of Beneficiary or contingent Beneficiary except that if the right to change the Beneficiary or contingent Beneficiary has been reserved, the Company, may, in its discretion, waive this requirement.” (Emphasis supplied.)

On July 1, 1956, Travelers issued the $2,000 certificate of insurance under Group Life Policies No. G84186 and No. GA84186, covering the insured as an employee of J. & A. Keller Machine Company, Inc., naming Emma Wargo, wife, beneficiary and stating: ‘ ‘ Under the group policy the Employee has the right to change the beneficiary by filing with the Employer a written request for such change on forms satisfactory to the Company, but such change shall become effective only upon receipt of such request at the office of record stated in the policy.” Those policies state: “ Any Employee insured hereunder may designate a new beneficiary at any time by filing with the Employer a written request for such change on forms satisfactory to the Company, but such change shall become effective only upon receipt of such request at the Office of the Employer where the records of the Employee’s insurance under this policy are maintained.”

Defendant received all of his moneys from the insured during coverture, except for small sums for pocket money, and she preserved and commingled the family funds, using a personal checking account with a local bank to make large payments, otherwise she paid family debts in cash. On October 24, 1959, she paid by her personal check the sum of $4,171.30 to Jack Stevens Buick for an automobile owned by the insured. She paid in cash for the insured’s life insurance premiums from the family funds, receiving receipts therefor, upon the Metropolitan $4,000 policy to October, 1963, when premiums were waived because of his total disability to work, upon the Metropolitan $1,167 policy at the rate of $2.39 monthly until his death. No premiums were paid by her upon the Travelers $2,000 insurance because it was employer paid or waived.

On October 1, 1963, the insured’s physician executed for Metropolitan, a statement of the insured’s total disability stating that the insured was 53 years old; he ceased to work March 15, 1963; he was competent to indorse checks with the realization of the nature and consequences of his acts.

[352]*352111 early January, 1964, plaintiff told defendant that he wanted to marry. Defendant became angry and ordered him to be home before midnight.

On April 11, 1964, plaintiff told defendant that he was going to an engagement party and would be home after midnight; she ordered him to leave home permanently.

The insured’s holograph dated July 2, 1964, requested a full Catholic burial from St. Elizabeth’s Roman Catholic Church, by James E. Grace of Ontario Street, Buffalo, New York, and that he be buried in his lot at Mount Olivet Cemetery next to his late wife, Irma War go. Defendant was not Roman Catholic, plaintiff and insured were.

Defendant refused to allow plaintiff and plaintiff’s wife, and insured’s seven sisters and three brothers and their children, to come to defendant’s home while she was there because they had attended plaintiff’s wedding on August 29,1964. Defendant threatened to prevent plaintiff’s marriage and she did not attend it herself.

A letter dated September 14, 1964, signed by insured’s physician, stated: This is to certify that Mr. Lewis War go (the insured) has been under my care regularly since April, 1961. In order to improve his health, I have recommended that he change his residency temporarily.”

Plaintiff and insured were very close as father and son. Defendant’s antagonism toward plaintiff aggravated insured’s illness.

After September 14, 1964, insured went to live with plaintiff for four days, then returned to live with defendant.

October 15, 1964, the insured left defendant and went to live with plaintiff, and never returned to live with defendant.

On November 8, 1964, defendant wrote a letter to Travelers concerning the $2,000 insurance, stating that the insured ‘ ‘ has recently or in the near future, will endeavor to change the beneficiary from me Mrs. Emma War go, his wife, to his son.” She did not claim ownership of this insurance by gift, purchase or otherwise.

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48 Misc. 2d 349, 265 N.Y.S.2d 37, 1965 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1300, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wargo-v-wargo-nysupct-1965.