Lenig v. Eisenhart

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Lenig v. Eisenhart, 127 Pa. 59 (Pa. 1889)
17 A. 684; 1889 Pa. LEXIS 1079
Clark, Collum, Green, Paxson, Sterrett

Lenig v. Eisenhart

Opinion of the Court

Per Curiam :

The learned counsel for the plaintiff in error have failed to satisfy us that the court below erred in entering a nonsuit. The plaintiff proved that Eisenhart was not a relation of Jacob H. Lenig, the assured, and if he had also proved that Eisenhart was not a creditor of Lenig, he would have had a stronger case. The plaintiff contended, however, that the burden was upon the defendant to prove that he was a creditor of Lenig. We do not think so. The' policy of insurance had been formally assigned to Eisenhart, and the company had paid him the money. He was prima facie entitled to retain it. The transaction upon its face was regular and legitimate. What occasion had the defendant, with the money in his pocket, to prove anything, until his right to retain it had been impeached 'by evidence ? It must be remembered that this was not a suit against the company to recover upon the policy, but a suit by the administrators of the assured to recover the money from one to whom the company had voluntarily paid it, thus recognizing his right to recover it.

Judgment affirmed.

Reference

Full Case Name
P. R. LENIG, ADMR. v. D. EISENHART
Cited By
11 cases
Status
Published
Syllabus
In an action by tbe administrator of a person whose life was insured, against one to whom the assured had assigned the policy two days after it was issued, and who had received payment thereof after the death of the assured, the burden is upon the plaintiff to prove, not only that the assignee was not a relative of the assured but also that he was not his creditor.