Bank of America v. Woodworth

18 Johns. 315
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 15, 1820
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 18 Johns. 315 (Bank of America v. Woodworth) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bank of America v. Woodworth, 18 Johns. 315 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1820).

Opinion

Spehcer, Ch. J.

delivered the opinion of the Court (After stating the facts.) The question made upon the argument is, whether, under these facts, a demand of payment at the bank of America was sufficient ? On the part of the defendant, it was contended, that a personal demand of the maker at his residence, or place of business in Albany, was necessary; that it was not competent to the maker, by any act of his, to alter the place of payment; and there having been no personal demand, nor any demand at the residence or place of business of the maker in Albany, the endorser was discharged. When the note was endorsed by the defendant, it was not payable at any place. Had not the memorandum been made, and had the residence of the maker continued to be in Albany, and if he himself had been in Albany on the day the note fell due, undoubtedly, the demand must have been made of the maker, either personally, or at his place of business in Albany, to charge the endorser. If, however, the maker had changed his residence before the note fell due, or if he had been met with in Nezo-York. or elsewhere, when the note fell due, a personal demand upon him would have been regular, and sufficient to fix the endorsers. It cannot be said, then, that it was any part of the contract, as between the immediate parties to the note, that demand should be made of the maker in Albany, or that the endorsers relied upon the ne[322]*322cessity of such a demand, or that the note was endorsed in the confidence or expectation that a demand of payment was to be made only in Albany. In Anderson v. Drake, (14 Johns. Rep. 114.) it was decided, that a bill or note is not payable where it is dated, but that where no place is appointed in the note itself, it must be demanded at the known permanent residence of the maker. In that case, when the note was given, the maker resided in Jfem-York, and before it fell due he removed to Kingston, which fact being known to the holder when the note fell due, we held, that payment ought to have been demanded of him at Kingston. In Wolcott v. Van Santvoord, (17 Johns. Rep. 248.) it was decided, that the time and place of payment formed no essential part of the contract, as between the immediate parties to a note or bill, although, as regards the endorser, and to charge him, it is necessary to use due diligence, by demanding payment of the maker or acceptor, on the day the note or bill falls due, and giving notice ón that, or the subsequent day, to the endorser. The note being silent as to the place of payment, is it not competent to the maker to designate a place where payment shall be made ? And if so, will not a demand at such place be sufficient, and dispense, with the necessity of a personal demand ?

The case of Saunderson and others v. Judge, (2. H. Bl. 509.) seems to me to be very much in point on this part of the case. The action was on a note by the last endorser against the second endorser, and one of the questions was, whether a regular demand of payment had been made upon Sharp, the maker of the note. At the foot of the note was a memorandum by Sharp, that he would pay it at the house of Saunderson & Co. the plaintiffs in the suit. -Some time before the note fell due, Shdrp absconded, and there was no demand on him. The Court decided, that it was no part of the contract that the note should be paid at the house of Saunderson & Co. and, therefore, it need not be stated in the declaration ; that the maker had merely appointed the house of his banker as the place where he was to be called upon for payment, and when it would be paid; yet this was both an undertaking that there should be cash there, and also an order to the banker to pay it; that it was not necessary a de[323]*323mand should be personal; it was sufficient if it be made at the house of the maker of the note, and it was the ¿same thing, in effect, if it be made at the place where he appoints it to be made ; that if Judge had been the holder of the note, it would have been enough for him to have presented it for payment at the house of Saunderson & Co.; and as they at whose house it was to be paid, were themselves the holders of.it, it was a sufficient demand, for them to turn to their books and see the maker’s account with them, and a sufficient refusal, to find that he had no effects in their hands. In Price v. Mitchell, (4 Camp. N. P. Rep. 200.) the action was brought by the endorser against the maker of a promissory note, at the foot' of which were these words: “ at Messrs. Peres, Smart & Co. 77 Lombard-street, LondonIt was contended for the 'defendant, that the note when due ought to have been presented for payment, at Messrs. Veres, Smart & Co. Gibbs, Chief Justice, was of opinion, that the words at the foot of the note were only a memorandum where payment might be demanded. He observed, that had they been inserted in the body of the note, they would have formed a part of the contract, and a presentment then would have been necessary ; and he referred to the last edition of Bailey, (96.) where it is said, “ if a note be made payable ata particular place, and the place be mentioned in the body of the note, presentment for payment must be made at that place; but where the place is mentioned in the margin, it does not appear that such presentment is necessary Chief Justice Gibbs added, that when the direction to the place of payment is mentioned in Ur margin, or at the foot of the note, as in that case, the inspection and perusal of the instrument show that it was not intended to be any condition to the absolute promise to pay in the body of the note. In Trapp v. Spearman, (3 Esp. Rep. 57.) in assumpsit by the endorser against the acceptor, the defence set up was, that the bill of exchange had been altered after it was given. The alteration was, “ when due, at the Cross Keys, Black Friars Road.” Lord Kenyon said, it was not an alteration, either in the time of payment or in the sum ; that to make a bill void by reason of an alteration, it should be in a material part. Though it had been formerly holden, that even [324]*324telling up a sum on a bill, or writing any thing on it, would invalidate it, that strictness was now exploded ; and as the alteration in that case was not in a material point, but only designating the place where the bill would be paid, it was not suc|1 an alteration as should invalidate the bill.

The analogy between bills of exchange and promissory notes becomes perfect, the moment a negotiable note is endorsed. The maker of the note is to be regarded in the same light as the acceptor of a bill. Now, nothing is more common among merchants, in England, than for the acceptor of a bill, payable in a given number of days, or in so many days after sight, to accept the bill payable at a banker’s ; the bill itself being silent as to' the place of payment-. And it has uniformly been held, that a presentment of the bill at the place appointed by the acceptor for payment, is sufficient, and dispenses with the necessity of a personal demand./ In Parker v. Gordon, (7 East, 385.) the bill of exchange had been accepted, payable at Davison & Co’s, who were the acceptor’s bankers in London. A question arose, whether the bill had been presented at'the banker’s in due season, on the day it was payable. Lord Ellenborough

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Bluebook (online)
18 Johns. 315, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bank-of-america-v-woodworth-nysupct-1820.