Huntington v. Supreme Commandery
Huntington v. Supreme Commandery
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
In 1893 the Supreme Council of the Home Circle, a Massachusetts corporation, hereafter called the Home Circle, issued a beneficiary certificate to George P. Huntington, which provided for the payment of $2,000 to the appellee, his widow, upon “satisfactory evidence” of his death. In April, 1906, when the certificate was in full force, the Home Circle entered into an agreement with the Supreme Commandery, United Order of the Golden Cross of the World, a Tennessee corporation, hereafter called the Golden Cross, for the consolidation of the two orders by merging the entire membership of the former into the latter. In November of the same year a bill in equity was filed by a number of the members of the Golden Cross, in the chancery court of Knox County, Tennessee, against the said order and the Home Circle, alleging that the Golden Cross had no right, under its charter or the laws of the State of Tennessee, to form the said merger or consolidation, and the prayer was for a
The precise question now under consideration was decided adversely to this appellant by the Supreme Court of Massachusetts in Timberlake v. Golden Cross, 208 Mass. 411. The situation of the plaintiffs there was exactly thát of the plaintiff here, and in holding that they could recover, the court said: “The plaintiffs were not parties or privies to the action brought by Knápp and others against the defendant in Tennessee, and are in no way bound by the decision made therein: Rothrock v. Dwelling House Ins. Co., 161 Mass. 423; Pennoyer v. Neff, 95 U. S. 714.” But it is urged that this is in.conflict with what was held in Supreme Council, Royal Arcanum v. Green, 237 U. S. 531. There is no conflict between the two cases. The Royal Arcanum, a beneficial association, of which Green was a member, had, under its by-laws, changed the rates of assessments. The order was a Massachusetts corporation, and some of its members filed a bill in that state to vacate the raised rates. The Massachusetts court held that they were proper. Subsequently Green instituted a proceeding In New York state, upon the same ground and upon the same facts, and" what was decided by the Supreme Court of the
When appellee’s husband was received by the Golden Cross as one of its members under the agreement of consolidation, it did not issue a new certificate to him. It merely assumed the liability of the Home Circle, with a slight modification, which is of no importance in this issue. A by-law of the Home Circle, adopted June 13, . 1898, provides that “no action at law or in equity in any court, shall be brought or maintained in any cause or claim arising o-ut of any membership, benefit certificate, or death of a member, unless such action is brought within one year from the time when such right of action accrues.” This action is based upon the certificate issued by the Home Circle and the agreement of consolidation, and the contention of the appellant is that there can be no recovery because it was not brought until two years, less one day, after the death of the holder of the certificate. Even if the appellee was bound by the said by
The assignments of error are overruled and the judgment is affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Huntington v. Supreme Commandery, United Order of the Golden Cross of the World
- Cited By
- 4 cases
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- Published
- Syllabus
- Actions — Actions in personam — Service of process — Service by publication — Service outside jurisdiction — Failure to serve — Fffect —Beneficial associations — Death benefit certificates — Suits—Time for bringing suits — By-laws—Construction. 1. Where the entire object of an action is to determine the personal rights and obligations of the defendants, that is, where the suit is merely in personam, constructive service by publication upon a nonresident is ineffectual for any purpose. Process from the tribunals of one state can not run into another state, and summon parties there domiciled to leave its territory and to respond to proceedings against them. Publication of process or notice within the state where the tribunal sits can not create any greater obligation upon the nonresident to appear. Process sent to him out of the state, and process published within it, are equally unavailing in proceedings to establish his personal liability. 2. A beneficial society organized under the laws of Massachusetts and a similar society organized under the laws of Tennessee were consolidated by an agreement whereby the entire membership of the Massachusetts society was merged in the membership of the Tennessee society. Thereafter a suit in equity was brought in Tennessee against both societies, alleging that the Tennessee society had no right to form said consolidation and praying that the agreement of merger be cancelled. The Massachusetts society was not served with process and did not appear; hut notice was given to it by publication in accordance with the laws of Tennessee. A decree pro confesso was entered for the plaintiff. In an action by a beneficiary under a death benefit certificate which had been issued by the Massachusetts society prior to the merger, against the Tennessee society, defendant contended that the agreement of merger between the two societies had been cancelled by the Supreme Court of Tennessee, and that, therefore, the plaintiff had no claim against the defendant. The trial judge directed a verdict for plaintiff upon which judgment was entered. Held, that the action of the Tennessee court in cancelling the agreement of merger was not binding upon the plaintiff because the Massachusetts society had never been served with process, and that the service by publication was not binding upon the Massachusetts society, and the judgment was affirmed. Timberlake v. Golden Cross, 208 Mass. 411, followed. 3. In such case it appeared that plaintiff’s husband was received by defendant as one of its members under the agreement of consolidation; that'defendant did not issue a new certificate to him, but merely assumed the liability of the Massachusetts company with an unimportant modification; and that a by-law of the Massachusetts society provided that “no action......shall be brought ■......unless such action is brought within one year from the time when such right of action accrues.” It further appeared from the certificate that payment was to be made to the plaintiff upon satisfactory evidence of the death of the member and that there was no right to bring an action until proof of the member’s death had been furnished; that a by-law of defendant provided that “no action ......shall be brought......unless the same is commenced within two years from the time when such right of action accrues. Said right of action accrues when official notice of death is received by the supreme keeper of the records.” It further appeared that the action was brought within two years of the death of plaintiff’s husband and within one year from the date when proofs of loss were furnished. Held, that the action was brought within the time required by the by-laws. . • Practice, Supreme Court — Questions which will he°considered on appeal. 4. No other questions except those raised in the statement of the question involved will be considered, on appeal.