New York Life Insurance v. Bonner
New York Life Insurance v. Bonner
Opinion of the Court
The plaintiff took out a policy of insurance from the defendant on his own life, payable to his wife and their children, on which policy he paid the annual premiums for many years, but finally allowed it to lapse. Shortly afterwards one J. B. Cary, an acting agent of the defendant, applied to the plaintiff and proposed to purchase in the said lapsed policy on behalf of the defendant; and, finally, after considerable negotiation, it was agreed between them that $350 should be the surrender value of the old policy; that plaintiff would surrender it to the company, and receive a new policy, running for ten years. The annual premiums on this new policy would amount to $113.64, so that the $350 agreed upon as the surrender value of the old policy would a little more than pay the said premiums for
The first point made by the plaintiff in error, other than the general one that the court erred in overruling the motion for a new trial, arises upon the overruling of the demurrer to the reply, as well as upon certain instructions to the jury, and certain instructions prayed by the plaintiff in error, and refused by the court. The instruction prayed by the plaintiff in error and refused by the court presents the point, and is as follows: “If the jury find from the evidence that in the policy of insurance described in the pleadings the premiums were contracted to be paid by Rebecca O. Bonner, and in the case of the death of James Bonner, the insurance
The testimony was that the defendant in error had paid all the premiums on the old policy out of his own money; that he had always had the policy in his exclusive possession; that all of the negotiations for the taking up of the same and paying the surrender value thereof, by the company or its agent, had been made with James Bonner, and that his wife, Rebecca O. Bonner, knew nothing about it. It is true, that there is no direct testimony that the contract as evidenced by the old policy was (on the one part) made by the defendant in error, James Bonner, but I think myself warranted in assuming from his testimony, which I quote, that such was the case.
Q. Who paid the premiums on this old policy ?
A. I did always.
Q. Whose money was it you paid on that policy ?
A. My individual money.
Q. In whose possession was that policy, and under whose control was it ?
A. Mine always.
Q. Had it been in the possession and under the control of anybody else? .
A. No, sir.
Q. It was under your control all the. while ?
A. Tes, sir.
Section 32 of the code provides that « * * * a person with whom * * * a contract is made for the benefit of another, *. * * may bring an action without joining with him the person for whose benefit it is prosecuted.” Gen. Stat., 528.
If I am not wrong in assuming that the contract was
There were other points made in the motion for a new trial and petition in error; but they are not insisted upon in the brief, nor do I think that, were they urged, they could be made controlling ones of the case.
The judgment of the district court must .be affirmed.
Judgment aeeirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- The New York Life Insurance Company, in error v. James Bonner, in error
- Cited By
- 2 cases
- Status
- Published