Matthews v. Insurance Co.
Matthews v. Insurance Co.
Opinion of the Court
In the absence of an express agreement to the contrary, whenever the insurance ceases in favor of the company, the premium ceases to accrue against the insured. Tyric v. Fletcher, Cowp., 668; May on Ins., sec. 4; Am. Ins. Co. v. Stoy, 41 Mich., 394.
Here the company claims that such an agreement existed, by reason of the reference to the charter and its incorporation into the contract. But the charter was to be “ used to explain the rights and obligations of the parties hereto in all cases not herein otherwise specially provided for.” The policy itself specially provided for the case of a default in the payment of any installment of the premium note, giving full effect to the stipulation set out in the application.
The stipulations of the application and policy made the-policy null and void during the whole period of default. No provision was-made for a revivor save by the act of payment by the insured. Unless he should by his act restore its vitality it was to remain void. The premium note was part of the contract made by the policy, and was additional evidence of what the insured agreed to pay in consideration of the promises of the company. So soon as the policy became void the premium ceased to accrue, and the company lost the right to recover the unearned installments of the premium note. The policy constituted the contract between the parties. The application and notes were parts of it. To make the policy void was to, leave no contract between them in existence. To make it void until Matthews should pay the installments in default was to leave no contract between them except the stipulation, that he, by payment, might restore the contract. This suit was begun
The judgment of the district court and common pleasure reversed.
Reference
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