Case Name: J. M. Lapeyre v. M. A. Thompson, Gaspard Didier, Intervenor
Court: Louisiana Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1852-04
Citations: 7 La. Ann. 218
Docket Number: 
Parties: J. M. Lapeyre v. M. A. Thompson, Gaspard Didier, Intervenor.
Judges: 
Reporter: Louisiana Annual Reports
Volume: 7
Pages: 218–220

Head Matter:
J. M. Lapeyre v. M. A. Thompson, Gaspard Didier, Intervenor.
Where underwriters execute a policy on which, at the time, there is the endorsement of the assured to pay it over to another, it is a recognition of the assignment, which hinds the underwriters. An adjustment of the loss, and a promise to pay to the assignee is binding, and an attachment of the money by the president of the company, as funds belonging to the assured, cannot defeat the right of the assignee.
An adjustment and a promise by the insurers to pay in accordance with it, is equivalent to a settlement, arbitration or compromise, and concludes the parties. An action may be brought on it, or in an action on the policy itself, the adjustment will be evidence of the loss and its amount.
By the Court: It frequently happens, that one man may represent several persons or quality of persons. He may be an executor, a syndic, an alderman, a president of a company, a church warden, &c. What he does in one quality, cannot prejudice him in another. Nor can he transfer what be has in one quality to the other. In each quality, the personation is distinct and so maintained. *
from the Fourth District Court of New Orleans, Strawbridge, J.
Lambert and Tissot, and St. Paul and Bonney, for the intervenor.
Marine policies are commercial instruments, transmitted from one part of the world to the other, in about the same manner as the goods they secure. Like bills of lading, their possession is primd facie evidence of their ownership, and when this possession is known to have been made by the insured, with the knowledge of the underwriter, it constitutes a complete title.
Park on Insurance, page 450, note A, says, that unlike fire insurances, marine insurances are transferrable instruments.
Burrill’s Law Dictionary, vol. X, m. Assignment, page 102: In assignments, the operative words are “assign, transfer and set over,” but any words which show an intention to pass the property, will amount to an assignment.
United States Digest, vol. 11, page 611, No. 997: A policy having been assigned with the assent of the insurer, the assignee can claim for loss happening during the voyage before or after the assignment. 1004. Even after a loss, the insured may assign his interest in the policy without the consent of the insurer.
Same work, vol. 4, page 150 : A chose in action may be assigned for a valuable consideration, by the delivery of the evidence of the debt, without any written transfer. Same work, vol. 1, p. 244: All choses in action may be assigned in equity.
No. 30. Thus, a contingent debt may be assigned, and when the debt becomes due on the happening of the contingency, the assignee may sue for it.
No. 36. A policy of insurance is assignable in equity, and every set ofT, between insurer and insured, prior to the assignment, is good against the assignee. See the following cases: Gourdon and Insurance Company of North America, 3 Yeates 327; 1 Binn. 429; 5 Mass. 201; 3 Mass. 515; 8 'Wheaton’s R. 278.
Watkins on Conveyancing, page 228 (Law Library, 4:) Any words which show an intention to pass'the property, will amount to an assignment.
Barbour and Harrington’s Equity Digest, vol. 1, page 187, No. 6: A bond maybe assigned in general terms. Phillips on Insurance, vol. 1, page 38: The mere delivexy of the policy without any other act of assignment, for the purpose of securing the depositary against liabilities assumed by, him, has been held to give such depositary a lien on the proceeds of such policy, for the purpose of such security or indemnify against other claims or proceeds, of which such depositary had no notice at the time of the delivery to him.”
Benjamin and Micou, for plaintiff.

Opinion:
By the court:
Rost, J.
The judgment in this case, must be affirmed. The words written by the defendant on the back of the policy of insurance before the loss occurred, (paid over to G. JDidier) were not a giving in payment, and are too informal to have the effect of a pledge against an attaching creditor; the defendant was about leaving for California, and the transfer can be viewed in no other light, than as an authority to collect whatever might become due under the policy, in case of loss by fire. There may have been an ulterior intention between the parties, that any sum thus collected by Bidier, should go to pay the notes of the defendant which he held, but the sum in controversy was attached by tha plaintiff before Bidier collected it, and before it could have been extinguished by compensation.
Judgment affirmed, with costs.