76 Ind. App. 439 | Ind. Ct. App. | 1921
This appeal is from a judgment in favor of appellee on a check issued to her by appellant, she being the beneficiary in a policy of insurance, issued by it on the life of her husband, he having died with such policy presumptively in force.
Appellant filed an answer admitting that on November 6, 1919, it drew the check mentioned in the complaint for the sum of $1,000 payable to the order of the appellee; that said check was as it purported on its face to be, in full for all claims under a certain policy theretofore issued by it on the life of one John Bott and which was terminated October 27, 1919, by his death; that said check was delivered to appellee November 8, 1919, and deposited by her for collection and in due
The answer then alleged that the insured, John Bott, prior to the time when he made application for insurance was suffering from certain diseases; that he then and for several years prior thereto had been receiving a pension from the United States Government from and on account of physical disability, which facts were well known to the insured but were unknown to appellant until after the execution and delivery of said check. That the said disability of the said insured, and the fact that he had consulted physicians with reference to said disabilities and was drawing a pension rendered him unfit as a risk for life insurance. It is then alleged that the insured for the purpose of deceiving appellant and inducing it to issue said insurance policy, falsely and fraudulently stated in the application therefor that he was not suffering from any of the named disabilities, had not consulted or employed a physician for himself and had never applied for and secured a pension on account of any disability, which statements it is alleged were false and known to be false by the insured when made, and were, made for the purpose of procuring such insurance; that appellant did not learn of the falsity of such statements until November 10, 1919, after the delivery of said check, whereupon it stopped payment on said check and notified appellee that it would not be bound by said policy or said check and that it on said day tendered and offered to pay appellee the amount of the premium paid on the policy with interest, which sum it paid into court for the use of appellee.
A demurrer for want of facts having been sustained to this answer, appellant excepted and refusing to plead further, judgment was rendered against it for the amount of the check.
Supreme Lodge, etc. v. Miller (1915), 60 Ind. App. 269, 110 N. E. 556; Iowa Life Ins. Co. v. Haughton (1909), 46 Ind. App. 467, 87 N. E. 702; and Fidelity, etc., Life Assn. v. McDaniel (1900), 25 Ind. App. 608, 57 N. E. 645, cited by appellant were actions based on the policy itself and not on a check voluntarily issued by the insurer in payment' of the policy, without any demand by the beneficiary as appears to have been done in this case, and are not of controlling influence.
Centennial Mutual Life Assn. v. Parham (1891), 80 Texas 518, was an action by the insurance company against the appellee who was the beneficiary in a policy of insurance issued on the life of his wife. The action was brought on the theory that the policy was obtained through false representations made by the insured in her application, breach of warranties contained in the policy and fraudulent combination between the insured and appellee to thus obtain the policy, as well as false and fraudulent statements made by appellee after the death of his wife for the purpose of securing the payment of the insurance.
In National Life Ins. Co. v. Minch (1873), 53 N. Y. 144, the beneficiary in the policy was the husband of the insured, and it was charged that he and his wife entered into a conspiracy to procure the issuance of a
In each of these cases it was charged that the beneficiary was guilty of fraud in procuring the issuance of the policies and also made false and fraudulent statements and. representations after the death of the insured in order to secure the money on the policy.
Mutual Life Ins. Co. v. Wager (1858), 27 Barb. (N. Y.) 354, was an action by the insurance company to recover back from Wager the amount paid on the policy wherein the life of one Frisbie had been insured in favor of Wager. When the application for insurance was made, Wager signed a statement to the effect that “as far as he knew” the insured was not afflicted with any disorder tending to shorten his life. This statement was made a part of the policy which contained a provision that if the declaration made by Wager should be found to be untrue, the policy should be void. The trial court charged the jury, that “If he (Frisbie) had (at any time on or before the date of the policy) either ‘spitting of blood/ within the meaning of the policy, or any disease which tends to shorten life, and the defendant knew it when the policy was effected, then the plaintiffs are entitled to recover all the money paid by them, together with interest. If Frisbie had none of these diseases, or if he had either of them and the defendant did not know it, the plaintiffs cannot recover.” The court after saying that this part of the instruction was worded with “remarkable correctness and caution” said: “It not being claimed, and there being no direct evidence to show, that although Wager originally, when
In the instant case the check issued by appellant to appellee was delivered by. appellant to appellee and received by her in payment of the life insurance policy.
The appellant having voluntarily issued the check without any investigation as to the liability on the policy cannot in the absence of fraud on the part of appellee in securing such check defend on the ground, that the insured was guilty of fraud in securing the policy. The answer failed to allege any fraud on the part of appellee. So far as we are advised from the pleading, she had no knowledge of the existence of the policy until the check sued upon was received. Appellant did not wait for any proof of the death of the insured or any request for payment on the part of appellee. Its act in making the speedy payment was voluntary and made for purposes best known to itself, but not set out in its answer.
The demurrer was correctly sustained. Judgment affirmed.