Robinson v. Mutual Life Insurance
Robinson v. Mutual Life Insurance
Opinion of the Court
This is an action against the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York, brought by Marie D. Robinson, a minor, by her guardian, Julia K. Robinson. She sues to recover one seventh part of ten thousand dollars, with interest, which she alleges is due to her as her share of the money payable on a life insurance policy for ten thousand dollars, issued by the defendant to Enoch Robinson on his life, and made payable “ to the said assured, his executors, administrators, or assigns.” This one seventh part she declares to amount to $1,434, and to be due to her under an assignment by said Robinson of said policy to Nancy T. Robinson and his children, dated January 11, 1869. The insurance company files a petition or answer, to the effect that $1,434 is due on the policy, and that a claim for this sum has been made by the plaintiff and by four other persons whom it names, and it prays that the court will order said four other persons to appear and be made parties defendant; and it offers to pay this sum of $1,434 into court, and prays that then it may be struck out as a party to the action, according to the provisions of St. 1886, c. 281. It does not appear that the money has been paid into court, or that .the defendant in any way has ceased to be a party to the action. Under the statute, the money may remain in the hands of the defendant until final judgment, or may be paid into court to await final judgment. The four persons named as claimants in the answer of the insurance company appear and file their claim, which is that they, as four of the five children of Enoch Robinson living at the time of the assignment by him of January 11, 1869, are entitled by virtue of that assignment to four sixths of the sum of ten thousand dollars, which sum they allege to be due under the policy; or, if the assignment by him to Nancy T. Robinson, who was then his wife and has since deceased, on her death enured to their benefit, that they, in addition to said four sixths, are entitled to four sixths of one sixth of said sum, and that the plaintiff is entitled to nothing. In this state of the pleadings, the plaintiff and the four claimants, by their attorneys, sign and file in the Superior Court an agreed statement of facts, which recites, among other things, “ that there is now
It does not appear that there has been any judgment entered on the finding in the Superior Court, and the appeal, therefore, must be dismissed.
There are some difficulties in entering judgment for the claimants on the agreed statement of facts which the Superior Court may think it necessary or proper to consider. Judgment cannot be entered against the insurance company on the agreed statement of facts if the statement is not signed by or in behalf of that company. The statement of facts does not appear to have been signed by or in behalf of other persons, who, it seems, on the facts agreed, ought to be heard, if the action after the claimants were brought in is to be regarded as of the nature of a suit of interpleader. It ought to be considered whether Julia K. Robinson and the personal representatives of the estate of Enoch Robinson, Jr., who was a child of Enoch Robinson living at the time when the assignment of January 11,1869, was made, but who has since deceased, should not have an opportunity to be heard. If we were to express any opinion on the case as it stands, we should say that we do not see that the plaintiff has any interest in the money due from the insurance company, because we think that no interest in the policy was conveyed to her by the assignment of January 11,1869, inasmuch as she was
The plaintiff sues for one seventh part of the ten thousand dollars, because she contends that Julia K. Robinson, the four claimants, and the estate of Enoch Robinson, Jr., are each entitled to a seventh, and that she as an after-born daughter of Enoch Robinson by his wife Julia, is also entitled to a seventh, under the assignment of January 11, 1869. The four claimants contend that by this assignment the interest of the assured was conveyed to themselves and their brother Enoch, Jr., who were all the children of Enoch Robinson living at the time of the assignment, and to their mother, in equal shares, one sixth each. They accordingly claim four sixths of the whole sum of ten thousand dollars, or if the conveyance to Nancy T. Robinson after her death enures to their benefit, four sixths of one sixth in addition to said four sixths, which last claim probably is a mistake for four fifths. The Superior Court has found in favor of the four claimants for the whole sum sued for, which is more than they claim, and more than in any view of the law on the facts as they appear they are entitled to. If more than the SI,434 is due from the insurance company, as seems probable from the statement of the claimants, it ought to be considered what the effect of entering judgment for the four claimants for the whole of this one seventh would be upon their right to recover their shares of the remainder of what is due. It may be doubted whether St. 1886, c. 281, was intended to apply to cases where only a fractional part of the whole amount due is sued for.
Under the policy, the right to sue at law was in the personal representatives of Enoch Robinson. If the insurance company
Appeal dismissed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Marie D. Robinson v. Mutual Life Insurance Company
- Status
- Published