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Michigan Mutual Life Insurance v. Mather

MICHIGAN MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE CO. v. MATHER

Mich. Mut. Life Ins. v. Mather, 71 N.W. 639 (Mich. 1897)
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Court
Michigan Supreme Court · State Highest Courts
Decided
June 7, 1897
Judges
Moore, Other
Citations
71 N.W. 639113 Mich. 3571897 Mich. LEXIS 785
Disposition
Affirmed.
Headnotes
Appeal — Directed Verdict — Review. A judgment for the plaintiff upon verdict directed by the court will not be disturbed on appeal if his case at least entitled him to go to the jury, and the only assignment of error relates to the refusal of the court to direct a verdict for the defendant.
Summary
Error to Wayne; Carpenter, J. Assumpsit by tbe Michigan Mutual Life Insurance Company against Horatio N. Mather upon a promissory note. From a judgment for plaintiff on verdict directed by the court, defendant brings error.

Syllabus and headnotes are prepared by the reporter or publisher, not the court, and are not part of the opinion.

Opinion of the Court — Moore

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Moore, J.

Plaintiff sued the defendant to recover the amount due upon a promissory note. The defense interposed was that in December, 1890, the plaintiff issued to the defendant a policy of insurance upon which the premium for the ensuing year was $452.25; that the company accepted for said premium $113.05; and that a policy issued under such circumstances was void under the provisions of Act No. 171, Pub. Acts 1889; and that the note sued upon was given to renew a void policy, and was, therefore, without consideration. . After the testimony was all in, defendant asked the court to direct a verdict in his favor. The court declined to do this, and directed a verdict in favor of the plaintiff. The defendant appeals, and makes but one assignment of error, to wit, “The court erred in refusing to direct a verdict for the defendant.”

*358 The defendant introduced evidence tending to support his claim, as already stated. His cross-examination and the testimony offered by plaintiff tended to show two theories that would favor plaintiff’s claim. One was that Mr. Mather was an insurance broker, and would be entitled to the usual commission upon his policy, given to agents, of 75 per cent, of the amount of the first premium, which would amount to just the difference between what he paid in cash and the premium that was due; and that his premium was paid by cash and an allowance of commissions. There was also testimony tending to show that there was a note given by Mr. Mather for the amount of the first premium originally.

Giving this record the most favorable construction possible for defendant, it left some questions to be determined by a jury, unless the plaintiff was entitled to have a verdict directed in its favor. The defendant was not entitled to have the jury instructed to render a verdict in his favor, and, as he took no exceptions to the charge of the judge, or his failure to submit the case to the jury, we cannot discuss those features of the case.

Judgment is affirmed.

The other Justices concurred.

How later courts describe this case

No later court has written an explanatory parenthetical about this case yet.

1899: 11908: 118992026peak 1899 · 1

Relies on it most ⓘ

  1. Jackson Bridge & Iron Co. v. Lancashire Insurance81 N.W. 265 (Mich. 1899)
  2. Wolfe v. Stack116 N.W. 1010 (Mich. 1908)

Most recent

  1. Wolfe v. Stack116 N.W. 1010 (Mich. 1908)
  2. Jackson Bridge & Iron Co. v. Lancashire Insurance81 N.W. 265 (Mich. 1899)

Citing references are not a citator: they show that a later opinion cites this case, not whether it followed, distinguished, or overruled it. Check negative history before relying on this case.

Authorities cited 0

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