Barker v. Bucklin

2 Denio 45
New York Supreme Court·Decided January 15, 1846·Published·Cited by 102 cases

Opinion

By the Court, Jewett, J.

The first question which I shall consider is, Avhether the plaintiff under a count adapted to the case can sustain an action to enforce the defendant’s promise tpay the price of the horses Avhich he purchased. This involves the question, Avhether in cases of simple contracts, where one makes a promise to another, for the benefit of a third person, he can maintain an action upon it, though the consideration does not move from him. Upon this question, the adjudged cases in England are somewhat contradictory. That such promises are [48] binding, all agree. The difficulty seems to be as to which party has the right of action. There is a class of cases in which it is held that as between the plaintiff and defendant there must be a privity of contract, and if the plaintiff is a stranger to the consideration, and no promise is made by the defendant to him, he cannot maintain an action although a promise has been made to pay the plaintiff. Bourne v. Mason, (1 Ventr. Rep. 6,) was an action of assumpsit. The plaintiff declared that one Parrie was indebted to him and the defendants in two several sums of money, and that a stranger was indebted in another sum to Parrie; that there being a communication between them, the defendants in consideration that Parrie would permit them to sue the stranger in his name, for the sum due to him, promised that they would pay the sum which Parrie owed to the plaintiff; and alleged that Parrie permitted them to sue, and that they recovered.. After verdict for the plaintiff, it was moved in arrest of judgment, that the plaintiff could not bring this action; for he was a stranger to the consideration. In behalf of the plaintiff a judgment was cited in 1658, between Sprat and Agar, in the king’s bench, where one promised to the father, in consideration that ho would give his daughter in marriage with his son, he would settle so much land. After the marriage the son brought the action, and it was adjudged maintainable. And another case was cited, of a promise to a physician that if he did such a cure he would give such a sum of money to himself, and another to his daughter, and it was resolved, that the daughter might bring an assumpsit; to which cases the court agreed; “for in the one case the parties that brought the assumpsit did the meritorious act, though the promise was made to another; and in the other case the nearness of the relation gives the daughter the benefit of the consideration performed by her father. But here the plaintiff did nothing of trouble to himself, or benefit to the defendant, but is a mere stranger to the consideration.” It was therefore adjudged that the plaintiff take nothing by his bill. In Crow v. Rogers, (1 Stra. 592,) one H. was indebted to the plaintiff, and the defendant promised to pay H.’s debt to the plaintiff, if H. would assign his interest [49] in a house to the defendant, and H. assigned, (or offered to assign, which was tantamount in law,) yet it was held that, the plaintiff could not recover on this promise, because he was a stranger to the consideration.

The principle contained in these cases was recognized and approved in the case of Price v. Easton, (4 Barn. & Ald. 433.) The declaration stated that W. P. owed the plaintiff £13, that in consideration thereof, and that W. P. at the defendant’s request, had promised the defendant to work for him at certain wages, and also in consideration of W. P. leaving the amount which might be earned by him in the defendant’s hands, he the defendant undertook and promised to pay the plaintiff the said sum of £13; averment, that W. P. performed- his part of the agreement; breach, non-payment to the plaintiff of the £13. After verdict for the plaintiff on plea of the general issue, a motion in arrest of judgment was made, on the ground that the plaintiff was a mere stranger to the consideration; Denman, Ch. J. said: I think the declaration cannot be supported, as it does not show any consideration for the promise moving from the plaintiff to the defendant.” Littledale, J. said: “ No privity is shewn between the plaintiff and defendant. This case is precisely like Crow v. Rogers, (1 Str. 592,) and must be governed-by it.” Taunton, J. said: “ It is consistent with all the matter alleged in the declaration, that the plaintiff may have been entirely ignorant of the arrangement between "William Price and the defendant.”

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