Neenan v. ITT Hartford

—Order unanimously affirmed without costs. Memorandum: We affirm for reasons stated in the decision at Supreme Court (Siracuse, J.). We add only that there is no merit to the contention of defendant Sergio Joseph Rizzo that, in the absence of a written assignment of the life insurance policy, plaintiffs wife retained the authority to change the policy’s beneficiary (see, General Obligations Law § 5-701 [a] [9]). An insurance policy is a chose in action, “and delivery to the assignee or donee with intent to vest title is essential to a valid gift * ** and * * * accomplishes a valid assignment…