Mitchell v. Mitchell
Mitchell v. Mitchell
Opinion of the Court
This is an appeal from the direction of a verdict in favor of the appellee in a case involving a contest over the proceeds of a life insurance policy. The insured had a life insurance policy issued by the Coastal States Life Insurance Company. The policy named the appellee as beneficiary. It appears without dispute that on June 4, 1970, the insured while hospitalized with terminal cancer executed the change of beneficiary form on the company’s standard form by which he changed the beneficiary from the appellee to his two sons, the appellants. The change of beneficiary form was held by the insured’s mother until after the death. The policy contains the following provision concerning changing of beneficiary: "The person having control of this policy may change any beneficiary . . . with the consent of the company at any time while this policy is in force by filing written notice at the home office of the company on a form satisfactory to the company and accompanied by this policy for endorsement . . .” Held:
It is undisputed that the change of beneficiary form was executed by the insured. It is also undisputed that the form was never filed with the company until after the insured’s death. The policy provisions concerning the method of change of beneficiary are made solely for the benefit of the insurance company and where, as in this case, it pays the funds into court and stands indifferently between the respective claimants to the fund, the provisions as between adverse claimants have no effect except to aid and ascertain the intention of the insured. Baldwin v.
Judgment reversed.
Concurring Opinion
concurring specially. I concur in the majority opinion which orders a jury trial in this case. But the issues of fact to be submitted to the jury for determination are not spelled out sufficiently for the guidance of the trial court when this case is tried therein.
One of the issues is whether the insured intended to change the beneficiary. Another issue is whether the insured had control of the policy on the date of the purported execution of the "change of beneficiary form.” The language of the policy clearly makes this a requirement for changing the beneficiary as is pointed out in the opinion in this case, to wit: "The person having control of this policy may change any beneficiary . . .” On that date, June 4, 1970,
Reference
- Full Case Name
- MITCHELL Et Al. v. MITCHELL
- Cited By
- 10 cases
- Status
- Published