Sengfelder v. Mutual Life Insurance
Sengfelder v. Mutual Life Insurance
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was delivered by
Plaintiff brought this action to recover of the defendant a certain sum of money which he had paid to one Leadbetter, as the first annual premium upon a policy of insurance upon his life for the sum of five thousand dollars, to be thereafter issued by the defendant. The ground upon which he sought to recover this premium back was that the defendant had failed to approve his application, and issue him a policy as required by the terms of his ap
As to the first alleged error, we think the answer of the defendant, in which it by way of affirmative defense asserted the issuance of a policy by it, was a sufficient admission of its corporate capacity. The rule laid down by this court in the case of Frost v. Ainslie Lumber Co., 3 Wash. 241 (28 Pac. Rep. 354), is decisive of this question, for, while it is true that in that case the complaint was not challenged by demurrer, while in this case it was, yet the demurrer being general was under the circumstances of .this case waived by, the answer, and this question must be decided as though it had never been interposed.
As to the second ground, the proof clearly showed that Leadbetter was the agent of-the company for the purpose ,of receiving applications for insurance, and we think that this, and the other facts shown ■ by the proofs, clearly established his authority to act for the company.
The judgment must be affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- John Sengfelder v. Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York
- Cited By
- 2 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- INSURANCE — ACTION TO RECOVER MONEY PAID—PLEADING CORPORATE CHARACTER — AUTHORITY OF AGENT — EVIDENCE. In an action against an insurance company to recover a premium paid, the fact that defendant pleads an affirmative defense, setting up the issuance of a policy by it in return for such premium money, is a sufficient admission of defendant’s corporate capacity to waive allegation and proof by the plaintiff on that point. The fact that a person is an agent of an insurance company for the purpose of receiving applications for insurance is sufficient proof of his authority to act for the company in the receipt of premium money. Whei’e an insurance company, in an action against it to recover money paid as a premium on a $5,000 policy, alleges in its answer that the contract was for a $10,000 policy, which was delivered with the understanding that after the first year it should be reduced to one for $5,000, at the option of the insured, it is not error to allow plaintiff to introduce in evidence a written instrument wherein a demand was made by the company upon plaintiff for payment of the second year’s premium on the $10,000 policy.