213196P.pdf   11/23/2022  The Estate of Charles D. Smith  v.  Kansas City Chrome Shop, Inc.
   U.S. Court of Appeals Case No:  21-3196
   U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri - Kansas City   
   [PUBLISHED] [Gruender, Author, with Shepherd and Erickson, Circuit Judges] 
   Civil case - Equity. The district court did not err in determining that a 
   Missouri court judgment collaterally estopped defendants from asserting 
   that they were living beneficiaries of the policy on Smith's life as the 
   issue in the federal court - whether defendant KCCS was a valid, existing 
   corporation at the time of Smith's death - was decided in the state court 
   action; the district court did not err in finding that the evidence failed 
   to demonstrate a contract between Smith and defendant Clark-Wall that 
   could have been breached by the estate's action in claiming the death 
   benefits; novation claim was properly rejected as there was no evidence of 
   an agreement between Smith and Clark-Wall concerning use of the benefits 
   to pay off existing loans; the district court did not err in rejecting 
   Clark-Wall's affirmative defenses of estoppel and waiver; the district 
   court did not abuse its discretion in denying Clark-Wall's claim for 
   prejudgment interest on her unjust-enrichment award.