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De Young v. Frank A. Andrews Co.

100 N.E. 1080, 214 Mass. 47, 1913 Mass. LEXIS 1066
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court·Decided February 26, 1913·Published·Cited by 32 cases

Opinion

Hammond, J.

When the plaintiff relies upon demand and refusal as independent and basic evidence of conversion, it must appear that at the time of the demand and refusal the defendant had the control of the article so as to be able to comply with the demand; and the burden of proving all this is upon the plaintiff. Lord Ellenborough in Smith v. Young, 1 Camp. 439, 441. 2 Greenl. on Ev. 644, and cases cited. See also Johnson v. Couillard, 4 Allen, 446; Gilmore v. Newton, 9 Allen, 171. The fifth instruction should have been given.

We are therefore compelled to sustain the exceptions, even if there was evidence which would have warranted a finding that the plaintiff had sustained the burden. The general finding for the plaintiff so far as dependent upon this branch of the case may have turned upon the erroneous theory apparently adopted at the trial as to where the burden of proof lay.

Exceptions sustained.

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De Young v. Frank A. Andrews Co., 100 N.E. 1080, 214 Mass. 47, 1913 Mass. LEXIS 1066 (Mass. 1913).

100 N.E. 1080 (De Young v. Frank A. Andrews Co.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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