121 Mo. App. 419 | Mo. Ct. App. | 1907
(after stating the facts). — Plaintiff maintained on the trial, that defendant received and kept the May and June assessments on the policy. Defendant introduced evidence tending to show that these assessments were temporarily retained for the purpose of giving Mrs. Reed credit for them and reinstating her and
Bishop says, “Waiver is where one in possession of any right, whether conferred by law or by contract, and of full knowledge of the material facts, does or forbears the doing of something inconsistent with the existence of the right or of his intention to rely upon it; thereupon he is said to have waived it, and he is precluded from claiming anything by reason of it afterward.” [Bishop on Contracts, sec. 792.]
In First National Bank of Los Angeles v. Maxwell, 123 Cal. 360, quoting from Ross v. Swan, 7 Lea 467, it is said: “To malte out a case of abandonment or waiver of a legal right there must be a clear, unequivocal and decisive act of the party showing such a purpose, or acts amounting to an estoppel on his part.”
In Andrus v. Insurance Assn., 168 Mo. 151, 67 S. W. 582, where the facts were very similar to those in the case at bar, the court, speaking through Marshall, J., at pages 165-6, said: “It (the insurance company) did not refuse to take it (the premium). It did not mark the policy lapsed or forfeited. It never objected to keeping the money and never offered to return it until more than a month after she was dead. Then it Avas too late to take such a position. The conditional receipt in use by the company is a snare in itself. It acknoAvledged receipt of the money. It keeps the money. But it says the policy is not reinstated by the acceptance of the money and shall continue to be null and void until the health certificate is filed, and until the president and medical director determine to reinstate the policy. The company must take one horn of the dilemma or the other. It cannot retain the benefits and deny the existence of the contract. If it does, not wish the receipt of the premium to have the effect in laAV of reinstating the policy or of preventing a forfeiture, it must refuse to receive the money until the health certificate is filed and until the president and medical director act.”
The defendant not only received and kept the May assessment, for the non-payment of which when due, it might have claimed a forfeiture, but it also received and kept'the June assessment, notwithstanding it had not received a health certificate signed by Mrs. Reéd. This conduct is inconsistent with an intention on the part
In Knarston v. Ins. Co., supra, it is said: “A general agent of a life insurance company may waive the conditions of a policy, and extend the time of payment of a premium unless specially restricted by limitations and instructions communicated to parties dealing with him. The waiver of conditions is within the apparent scope of his authority in the absence of notice to the contrary to the insured.”
On the facts as found by the learned trial judge, we think there is ample evidence to1 show a waiver of the forfeiture of the policy. The judgment is affirmed.