58 Ga. App. 588 | Ga. Ct. App. | 1938
1. In the present case where suit was brought against the insurance company by an alleged assignee of an insurance policy, which purported assignment had been expressed in a note given to the plaintiff by the insured to settle a debt, it being alleged that the defendant had damaged the plaintiff by refusing to pay him, on demand after the death of the insured, the face value of the policy, not in excess of the debt due to the plaintiff, and had instead paid the amount of the policy to one who, under the provisions of the policy, had been substituted by the insured as
2. The first special ground of the motion for new trial, being merely an elaboration of the general grounds, and being based on the premise that an assignment in conformity with the provisions of the policy had been made and left with the local office of the defendant and should be regarded as having, been filed with the home office, is without merit, in view of the conflicting evidence referred to in the first paragraph above. The second special ground, setting up that the defendant acted at its peril, and in violation of the plaintiffs right, in making payment to the beneficiary instead of to the plaintiff, in that the defendant had notice of an equitable assignment by reason of the assignment in the note given by the insured to the plaintiff, a copy of which was delivered to the defendant after the death of the insured, is without merit, in view of the special requirements of the policy as to assignments. The third special ground, setting up that the assignment in the note to secure an indebtedness amounted to a change in beneficiary pro tanto without the consent of the insurance company, is without merit, in view of the provisions of the policy as to assignment. Ground 4 is based on the premise that the assignment was made on the defendant’s regular forms in its local office, and, the evidence in that respect being conflicting, is without merit. Ground 5 complains that the court erred in permitting the manager of the local office of the defendant to answer the question, “On these assignment forms, how are they witnessed?” It is contended that the answer may have influenced the verdict; but as the answer is not shown, the ground is not complete in itself and presents nothing for consideration. Ground 6 complains that the court erred in permitting to be read an answer in an interrogatory of the defendant’s manager of its “benefits and assignment section,” that “An examination of the records does not reveal that any assignment of policy 3638004-A [the one under consideration] was ever received at the home office, either on blanks furnished by the company or in any other shape;” it being contended that the expression “an examination of the records” did not mean anything, and that the
Judgment affirmed.