Warner v. Delbridge & Cameron Co.

34 L.R.A. 701, 68 N.W. 283, 110 Mich. 590, 1896 Mich. LEXIS 760
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 31, 1896
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 34 L.R.A. 701 (Warner v. Delbridge & Cameron Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Warner v. Delbridge & Cameron Co., 34 L.R.A. 701, 68 N.W. 283, 110 Mich. 590, 1896 Mich. LEXIS 760 (Mich. 1896).

Opinion

Montgomery, J.

On the 3d of April, 1890, defendant applied for and received a policy of insurance in the Minneapolis Mutual Fire Insurance Company, and executed and delivered the following agreement: •

“Minneapolis, Minn., April 3, 1890.
“For value received, in policy No. 01,037, dated the 3d day of April, 1890, we promise to pay the Minneapolis Mutual Fire Insurance Company the sum of three hundred and seventy-five dollars, by installments, at such times as the directors of said company may order and assess, for the losses and expenses of said company, pursuant to its charter and by-laws. It is hereby expressly understood and agreed that this note is not transferable, and that there is no liability beyond the face amount thereof.
“No. 01,037.
“Delbridge, Cameron & Dingeman Co.”

On the 18th of December, 1890, an application was made by a policyholder, in the district-court of Hennepin county, Minn., alleging the insolvency of the company, and praying»for the appointment of a receiver, and the distribution of its assets among the creditors entitled thereto. On the 24th of January, 1891, a decree passed adjudging the insurance company insolvent, and appointing a receiver. On the 19th of May following, an order making an assessment of 50 per cent, upon all premium notes and policy obligations was made; but this order was subsequently set aside as illegal, and a petition was filed showing the financial condition of the company, and the neces[592]*592sity for an assessment; and February 3, 1894, an order was made authorizing an assessment of 100 per cent., or as much thereof as might be necessary to pay the claims which accrued against the said insolvent company during the time said policies were in force, to be levied upon the balance due upon each and all of said premium notes and policy obligations at the time of the appointment of a receiver for the insolvent company, in 1890. This order further directed that upon this assessment the receiver should credit and deduct the amount of any special assessment theretofore made by the insurance company, and actually paid by the makers of the premium notes and policy obligations, and also the amount actually paid upon the assessment of 50 per cent, theretofore ordered by the court. The items included in this assessment of 100 per cent, were for losses, salaries, unearned premiums on cash policies, and miscellaneous claims. On the application of the complainant in the original suit, made to the circuit court for the county of Wayne, in chancery, setting forth the proceedings in Minnesota, plaintiff was appointed an ancillary receiver in the State of Michigan. This suit was brought against the defendant to recover, upon the premium note mentioned, the 100 per cent, assessment. On the trial, the circuit j udge directed a verdict for defendant, on the ground that the assessment was void, for the reason that it included an assessment for unearned premiums; acting upon the authority of Detroit, etc., Ins. Co. v. Merrill, 101 Mich. 393.

If this contract is to be treated as a Michigan contract, the holding should be sustained, unless it be held that the order making the assessment, made at the situs of the home company, is conclusive, not only as to the authority to make the assessment, but as to the extent of the defendant’s liability. This question was recently before the court in the case of Mutual Fire Ins. Co. v. Phœnix Furniture Co., 108 Mich. 170, and the conclusion was then reached that the decision of the court of a sister State is binding upon the courts of this State in all these [593]*593respects. This conclusion was based upon the constitutional provision that full faith and credit shall be given in each State to the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other State. U. S. Const. art. 4, § 1. And an examination of the decisions of the Federal Supreme Court led us to the conclusion that the stockholder of a corporation is so far an integral part of the corporation that, in view of the law, he is privy to the proceedings touching the body of which he is a member, and that a determination that an assessment upon the policy holders in a certain amount- and for certain obligations of the company should be made was final and conclusive, and could not be attacked collaterally when suit was brought upon such assessment in another State. In reaching this conclusion, the question involved being a federal question, we felt ourselves bound by the determination of the Federal Supreme Court in Hawkins v. Glenn, 131 U. S. 319, and Glenn v. Liggett, 135 U. S. 533. But since the decision of this court in Mutual Fire Ins. Co. v. Phœnix Furniture Co. the question has been again before the Federal -Supreme Court, and the doctrine of the cases upon which-we relied for our decision limited; and in Great Western Tel. Co. v. Purdy, 162 U. S. 329, it is held that an order making a call or assessment upon all stockholders of a corporation who have not paid their shares in full is merely such a call as the directors might have made before the matter was brought within the court’s jurisdiction, and is not a judgment against the particular stockholder, so as to be entitled to such full faith and credit under the Constitution and laws of the United States, and that in such action defendant is entitled to rely on any defense which he might have to an action upon the contract of subscription.

Plaintiff, however, contends that this is a Minnesota contract, and that under the statute of Minnesota, as interpreted by the supreme court of that State, an assess[594]*594ment for unearned premiums upon nonparticipating policies was legal. The contract by which the insured became a member included, not only the note, but the policy, which contained the following provision:

“The insured heretofore named becomes a member of this company, and agrees to pay them the premium annually, during the life of this policy, and, in addition thereto, such sum or sums, in no event to exceed in the aggregate.five times the amount of said annual premium, at such time or times, and in such manner, and by such installments, as the directors of said company shall assess and 'order, pursuant to its charter and by-laws and' the laws of the State of Michigan.”

It is suggested by defendant’s counsel that it is only for assessments for losses and expenses made according to the laws of Michigan that the defendant is made liable by its contract. It is difficult to understand the reference to the laws of the State of Michigan. This was certainly known by both parties to be a Minnesota corporation, and we are aware of no provision of the laws of this State which relates to the assessments authorized by such corporation. We think, therefore, that the contract must be treated as a Minnesota contract.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
34 L.R.A. 701, 68 N.W. 283, 110 Mich. 590, 1896 Mich. LEXIS 760, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/warner-v-delbridge-cameron-co-mich-1896.