Andrew v. Ideal National Insurance Co.
Andrew v. Ideal National Insurance Co.
Opinion of the Court
Appeal from a summary judgment dismissing plaintiffs’ class action with respect to rights under a Bonus Fund endorsement on a life insurance policy. Reversed, with costs to plaintiffs.
In 1960, about 12 years after issuance of the policies subject of this litigation, the defendant merged with another company, acquiring its assets and assuming its liabilities under policies it had written, including those considered here, which were written in 1948 and 1949. Such policies had a single annual premium covering life insurance coverage and a savings feature, — the Bonus Fund, — where the insurer agreed to deposit at least $1.00 into the Bonus Fund for every $1,000 of insurance written over a 20-year period, to be divided among those who were current in their premium payments during such period. The number of policies to' be sold was limited. The policies sold were delivered to the purchasers along with a letter of cheer, congratulating the lucky purchasers for having made “a sound and wise decision.” In March 1948, shortly after having bought a policy, the plaintiff Andrew, after contacting the Utah Insurance Commissioner, received a letter from the latter stating that the company was “sound financially in every respect,” that the policy had been approved and that it was “a special policy granted this company to get them established” and that “all the older companies have had the same privilege.”
Under the policy’s terms by December 31, 1951, the Bonus had accumulated $6,930. Not long after, and after defendants’ paid actuary rendered an opinion, the company “re-calculated” the Fund for some reason other than that stated in its solicited insurance policy, so that in 1954 the Fund dwindled to $2,416 by some different kind of calculation, ostensibly on account of some sort of illegality which never was reported to the policyholders, — nor was the shrinkage of the Fund, — until the 20th and maturity year of the Fund, when the company, after having collected full premiums for 20 years, bombshelled its pol-' icyholders with an arbitrary letter declaring the Bonus Fund endorsement void, based on an Attorney General’s opinion. The policyholders were offered four options for settlement of this alleged void policy, which options were the brain children of the defendant insurer, — which the
It might be urged that the company may be impaled on the horns of its own dilem■ma by its claim that the language' of the -endorsement creates a purported contract that is null and void, but by virtue of which such language it concedes sufficiently is valid to prompt a compromise or settlement of legitimate claims. If the contract is void, it is void. Defendants seem ■to say that this being so, however, plaintiffs cannot enforce it, but defendants can modify it by asserting unenforceability on their own urged statutory violation, subjecting them to a penalty and possible suspension of their license for issuing a void •contract.
It is axiomatic that he who seeks equity must do it. Hardly can the defendant insurer here conform by attempting to assume a dual role of litigant savior and benevolent Chancellor, — and at once reserve a conscionable expectation of judicial approval. It is difficult to concede the equities lie only with defendants and their predecessors who sought out Andrew, not he them. The facts of this case do not lead us to agree with Ideal’s asserted defense that “special penalties imposed on the insurer would in no way excuse, mitigate or condone the unlawful act of the insured (Andrew).”
First, it assumes something not in the record: That Andrew approached the company to get it to sell him a policy; second, that the company consistently can say that, after it illegally sold to Andrew, the latter became particeps to such illegality, although the company, but not he, could be punished under the statute.
Defendants’ brief largely is devoted to self-serving reports of employed actuaries and some insurance commissioners (who tended to agree with such reports), without bothering to consult anyone representing the policyholders. For example, to illustrate the indifference to insureds’ interest, the Commissioner who heard and granted the merger petition in 1960 said nothing in his findings or conclusions anent any sug-
It seems almost obvious to us that defendants simply relied heavily on the conclusion of the Attorney General that the
It is difficult to buy that kind of equity.
Chap. 63, Laws of Utah 1947, 43-27, appears to us to be a brake statute designed to slow down insurers, not insureds. It obviously is designed generally to protect the latter against the misrepresentations and deceptions of the former. The isolated Sec. 43-27-15 is no exception, although by straining language one could argue, as do the defendants, that the legislature intended that an innocent, honest, unsuspecting purchaser of an insurance policy across the kitchen table and at the unsolicited solicitation of an eager agent, becomes suspect. We think that taking the statute at face value, the defense that plaintiff, Andrew, for example, conspiratorially is an accomplice to illegality, would offend against the intention of the legislature. Also, we are of the opinion, without saying that solely it is dispositive here, that the rule of noscitur a sociis well may be applicable in excluding Mr. Andrew from the statute’s language. Certainly, to hold
What is more, however, we conclude that the language of that statute necessarily does not condemn the provisions of the endorsement, except in the eyes of the beholder.
Defendants accepted the word of their actuaries and the Attorney General, whose reasoning did not justify the implied conclusion, .that-’the policy was invalid at its inception, while Mr. Andrew accepted the word of the company and the Insurance Commissioner. It seems almost obvious that the statute which defendants use to claim illegality, because of doubt and ambiguity, was corrected in 1955 by another, but not retroactive one, that was the cornerstone of the Attorney General’s opinion. In pursuing the course the defendants pursued, in declaring their own policy void, without first consulting its policyholders, we think, presents a study in prematurity resulting in forcing its con-tractees into expensive litigation resulting in casting the burden of proof on them where the reverse might have been true-had the company instituted clarifying litigation.
Two separate suits were consolidated here. In one an accounting was prayed. In the other specific performance was-asked. The specific performance request, invites us to shift to the equity side of the court. It would seem that the equitable thing to do is to remand this case for a factual determination of the issues. The parties should have an opportunity to try their cases, not by summary judgment because we believe there are facts here making-summary judgment inappropriate. This author suggests that equity be with all, else most everyone in this case may lose his litigable shirt. The company here appears-to be a sound and reputable one, trying to-adjust the equities in a possible improvident part of a sales program designed by its predecessor to help the latter become established.
The case is remanded for a trial of the-issues under the rules, with the hope that all concerned cooperate in strengthening-the company and the best interests and security of all concerned, without resorting to protracted and costly litigation.
. Chap. 63, Laws of Utah 1947, 43-27-1, p. 273.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Merlin L. ANDREW, and v. IDEAL NATIONAL INSURANCE COMPANY, and Respondent Joyce Cordner OLPIN and LeRoy M. Richman, for themselves and for and on behalf of all other persons similarly situated, and v. IDEAL NATIONAL INSURANCE COMPANY, and
- Status
- Published