Gaughan v. United Ben. Life Ins.
Opinion of the Court
John M. Gaughan sued United Benefit Life Insurance Company to recover on a policy of insurance alleged to have been issued on the life of Thomas M. Gaughan, father of plaintiff. The cause was tried to the court, defendant prevailed, and.plaintiff appealed.
I. V. Ewing was the managing-branch-agent of the company. His contract of agency provided that the company should allow him certain commissions on first year premiums and on renewal premiums; that he should collect full first year premiums in cash; that he had no authority to extend the time of payment of premiums or to -waive or extend any obligation or condition or incur any liability on behalf of the company; that he should remit promptly to the company all premiums as and when collected but should have the right of deduction therefrom in case of first year premiums; and that no contract made by him should be binding on the company unless it was reduced to writing and the approval of the president, secretary, or treas
The application recited that the premiums should be payable quarterly, and that each quarterly premium should be $140.25. The receipt given for the $100 recited that the applicant had applied for insurance in the amount of $45,000, bore the notation βBal. 310.75β across its face, and recited that there should be no liability thereunder until a policy should be issued and delivered to the applicant and the first premium thereon actually paid during his lifetime; and the policy provided that the consideration for it was the application and the quarterly premium of $140.25, and that no obligation was assumed on such policy until the first premium had been actually paid during the lifetime of the insured. Payment in full of the first quarterly premium thus was made a condition precedent to the insurance contract becoming complete and enforceable. That prerequisite was never met and performed and therefore the company incurred no binding obligation as insurer. West v. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co., 144 Kan. 444, 61 P.2d 918; Nixon v. Manhattan Mut. Life Ins. Co. of Manhattan, Kan., 153 Kan. 39, 109 P.2d 150.
The insurmountable obstacle in the way of recovery on the policy just reviewed is decisive of the case and eliminates need to consider the several other questions presented.
The judgment is affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- GAUGHAN v. UNITED BEN. LIFE INS. CO.
- Status
- Published