Court Opinion

ID: 9766012
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 04:28:39.655746+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:30:18.328776
License: Public Domain

ON MOTION FOR REHEARING
Appellee has filed his Motion for Rehearing in which he complains of this court’s holding that he could not recover insurance premiums theretofore paid, since he had voluntarily paid the excess premiums. He asserts that the point was raised for the first time by appellant on appeal and therefore should not be considered by this court.
In the trial court, appellant vigorously contested the right of appellee to recover the premium payments sued for. The trial court rejected appellant’s contentions and rendered judgment allowing appellee to recover for the alleged excess premium payments.
From this judgment appellant timely gave its notice of appeal to this court, which appeal was duly perfected. By perfecting its appeal and presenting its Points of Error, appellant availed itself of the right to have this court review the judgment rendered by the trial court.
Appellee instituted this suit in part to recover premium payments which he claims were in excess of what he should have paid. He alleged that the original policy he obtained covered his former wife, Opal I. Boyd, and that after he and Opal I. Boyd obtained a divorce, he requested the company to remove the name of Opal I. Boyd from the policy, that the company refused to remove her name, and that he continued to pay $6.50 monthly for her coverage which he should now be entitled to recover.
Even though the trial court based his judgment on the finding that appellee did request and direct the appellant to drop his former wife as insured from said policy of insurance and that appellant should have complied with such request, nevertheless the appellee continued to pay the full premium payment voluntarily with full knowledge of all the facts, and without fraud, deception, duress or coercion; and having done so such payments cannot be received back, although it was paid upon a valid or a legal demand or upon a claim which had no foundation in fact, and was paid without consideration. Gibson v. General American Life Ins. Co., 89 S.W.2d 1070, (Tex.Civ.App.) 1936, writ dismissed; Sanders v. Republic National Bank of Dallas, 389 S.W.2d 551, (Tex.Civ.App.) 1965, no writ history.
We adhere to our original holding that the evidence having shown voluntary payments upon appellee’s part that the money paid cannot be recovered except upon aver-ments of mistake of fact, or because of fraud, deception, duress or coercion and the burden of proving the existence of any such ground is upon the person seeking to recover the money. Collins v. Kelsey, 97 S.W. 122, (Tex.Civ.App.) 1906, n. w. h. The appellant did neither in this case.
*691Moreover, it has been held that matters presented for the first time in a Motion for Rehearing cannot he considered. W. T. Burton Company, Inc. v. Keown Contracting Company, et al., 353 S.W.2d 909, (Tex.Civ.App.) 1961, writ refused, n. r. e.; O. E. Metcalfe v. McCarty, 301 S.W.2d 263, (Tex.Civ.App.) 1957, n. w. h. Appellee’s contention is presented for the first time in his Motion for Rehearing. As pointed out in our original opinion, appellee did not file a brief in this case.
Motion for rehearing overruled.