Pioneer Reserve Life Insurance v. Smith

Morgan, the agent of the insurance company, gave Reed an advance premium receipt for the $242.40. The receipt provides that, if for any reason the application is denied, the company will notify the applicant, and return the premium upon the surrender of the receipt. When Reed failed to get his policy, and got into a wrangle, as he terms it, about the non-delivery of it, he turned the receipt over to Smith. This practically amounted to an assignment to Smith by Reed of his claim against the insurance company for a return of the advance premium, although it is not so called in express words. Reed admits that Smith is entitled to recover $242.40 from either the company or himself. This amounts to an admission that he, Reed, is not entitled to recover against the company. He is a party to the present suit and is bound by the judgment, so that the insurance company cannot again be compelled to pay the claim in a suit by Reed. If it be conceded that the court should not have rendered judgment against Reed, that error would not result in any prejudice to the insurance company, and would not call for a reversal of the judgment, because Reed has not appealed.