Miller v. Georgia Masonic Mutual Life Insurance
Miller v. Georgia Masonic Mutual Life Insurance
Opinion of the Court
This was an action brought by the plaintiff against the defendant to recover the sum of $5,000 00, which the plaintiff alleged the defendant was indebted to her by reason of the death of her husband, John B. Miller, who was a member of defendant’s company. On the trial of the case, the jury, under the charge of the court, found a verdict in favor of the plaintiff for the sum of $649 00. -The plaintiff made a motion for a new trial on the various grounds alleged therein, which was overruled by the court., and the plaintiff excepted,
The main controlling question in this case is, whether the recovery of the plaintiff under the defendant’s charter and
By the seventh article of the by-laws of defendant, the death of a member of its company was to be made known to the company by the affidavit of. two respectable witnesses, and its genuineness vouched for by the secretary of the lodge nearest the place of the decease, and shall state when, where, and how, deceased came to his death, etc. And it shall be the duty of the president to lay before the board of directors, at their regular monthly meetings, all such proofs of the deaths of members, who shall pass upon the same, and to require each and every member of the class or classes to which the deceased belonged to pay one dollar, etc. The evidence in the record does not show that the death of Miller was proven, as required by the by-laws of the defendant prior to June, 1871, when the assessment was ordered, if it was proved at all at that time. The resolution of the board of directors is as follows: “The case of brother J. B. Miller, supposed to have been murdered at Brunswick, was brought up, and his claim allowed, the board being'satisfied as to his death, and' assessment ordered.” Whether the defendant could have resisted the payment of the plaintiff’s claim for the want of the proper proof of Miller’s death, if the foregoing action of its board of directors had not been taken, it is not necessary to decide; but even the action of the board of directors does not fix the time of Miller’s death. Inasmuch
Let the judgment of the court below be affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Sue E. K. Miller, in error v. The Georgia Masonic Mutual Life Insurance Company, in error
- Status
- Published