Jordan v. D'Heur

71 Ind. 199
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 15, 1880
DocketNo. 7007
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 71 Ind. 199 (Jordan v. D'Heur) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jordan v. D'Heur, 71 Ind. 199 (Ind. 1880).

Opinions

Biddle, J.

Complaint by the appellee on a promissory note, dated October 19th, 1874, tor sixteen hundred dollars, due twelve months after date, payable to the appellee at the First National Bank of Shelbyville, with interest at the rate of ten per cent., without relief, etc.

The note is signed by Joseph I. Jones, Richard Jones, Alfred Jordan and Martha Jones.

The following written agreements were endorsed on the back of the note :

“We hereby agree and consent to an extension of twelve months on within note.

“ Shelbyville, Ind., October 19th, 1875.

(Signed,) “ Richard J ones,

her

“ Martha x Jones,

mark.

“ Alfred Jordan.”

“We hereby agree to an extension on within note of twelve months.

“ Shelbyville, October 19th, 1876.

(Signed,) “ Richard Jones,

“ Alfred Jordan.

“ Interest paid until October 19th, 1877.”

The makers of the note, at even date therewith, executed a mortgage on certain lauds, described, to secure the note. Jane A. Jordan, wife of Alfred Jordan, joined in the mortgage. Jane having died before suit, her heirs at law, and several other persons, who, as it is averred, claimed to have some interest in the mortgaged premises, were made [201]*201defendants. All the defendants, except Alfred Jordan and the heirs of Jane A. Jordan, made default. Alfred Jordan answered, and the heirs of Jane A. Jordan, who were minors, answered by guardian ad litem.

Alfred Jordan answered:

1. A denial;

2. A special paragraph, in substance, that he is surety on the note; that the plaintiff, on the 19th day of October, 1875, for a valuable consideration, agreed with Joseph I. Jones aud Richard Jones, to extend the time of payment of the note, from October 19th, 1875, for twelve months next after the maturity of the note; that the said Joneses paid the consideration therefor, and the plaintiff extended the time of payment of the note for twelve months, according to the agreement, without the knowledge or consent of the defendant, — all of which is particularly averred.

To this second paragraph of answer, the plaintiff replied:

2. Setting up the agreements endorsed upon the notes, by which the defendant agreed to said extension of time.

A demurrer to this paragraph of reply, for want of facts, was overruled.

The minor heirs of Jane A. Jordan answered by their guardian ad litem :

1. Denial;

2. That Alfred Jordan, their father, signed the note as surety ; that Jane A. Jordan, their mother, died seized of one-third of the land mortgaged; that after her death the plaintiff agreed with the principals in the note, for a valuable consideration, to extend the time of payment of the note from the 19th day of October, 1875, for twelve months, without the consent of their father, Alfred Jordan; all of which is more particularly alleged than here stated.

[202]*202A demurrer to this paragraph, for want of facts, was overruled.

Reply, general denial ; trial by the court ; fiudiug for the plaintiff; motion, by Alfred Jordan for a new trial overruled; motion by the guardian ad litan for a new trial overruled; motion in arrest of judgment by the guardian overruled; judgment; appeal.

Assignments of error:

1. Overruling motion of guardian for a new trial;
2. Overruling motion for anew trial by Alfred Jordan;
3. Overruling motion in arrest of judgment; and,

4. Overruling demurrer to the second paragraph of reply to the second paragraph of answer by Alfred Jordan.

The appellant’s counsel discuss the following points in their brief:

1. That the evidence “ wholly failed to show that the said infant defendants, or either of them, had ever claimed to have any interest whatever in the lands described in the mortgage in suit, which proof, we submit, was indispensable to the plaintiff’s right to recover against them.”

The counsel have made a long argument in support of the affirmative of this proposition, but we confess that we are unable to see its force. They cite many authorities to show us, that, when the complaint is denied, the plaintiff must prove all the averments necessary to his recovery, or he will fail. No one would dispute this proposition ; but there are averments necessary to be made in a complaint, which are not necessary to be proved by the plaintiff. It was necessary in this case that the plaintiff .should aver that the note sued on was not paid; but it was not necessary that he should prove it. If the note" had been paid, it was for the defendants to allege payment, and prove it, if they relied on payment as a ¿defence. So it was necessary to make the heirs of Jane A. Jordan defendants, if they claimed any right in the property mortgaged; not that [203]*203the plaintiff was bound to prove that the heirs had made such a claim, but to give them the opportunity to make it aud prove it, if they had any, or be barred as against the mortgage made by their ancestor. When the plaintiff’ introduced the note aud mortgage sued on, he had proved his claim to the land as mortgagee against the ancestors of the minor defendants, and thus made out his case against their heirs, unless they alleged and proved a claim to it superior to the mortgage.

2. It is insisted on behalf of the minor heirs of Jane A. Jordan, that they fully proved the facts alleged in the .second paragraph of their answer.

We do not see the evidence in that light. The material allegations in that paragraph of answer were, that they are the heirs of Jane A. Jordan; that she died seized of the lauds; that the plaintiff had extended the time of payment of the note, by agreement with the principals, upon sufficient consideration, without the consent of Alfred Jordan, the surety on the note. That they were the heirs of Jane A. Jordan was admitted; but there was no evidence offered tending to show that she died seized of the land, or had any interest therein, except her inchoate right as the wife of Alfred Jordan, which was not perfected by survivorship, but ceased at her death. It was proved that the plaintiff extended the time of payment of the note, by agreement, upon a valuable consideration, with the principals; and just as clearly proved that such extension of time was given by the written consent of Alfred Jordan as surety. We can not see that the evidence proves the answer of the minor heirs of Jane A. Jordan, by their guardian ad litem,.

3. That the court erred in overruling the motion of the minor heirs in arrest of judgment, is insisted upon with great earnestness, upon the ground that the complaint shows no right of recovery against them. Cer[204]*204tainly, the complaint does not show a right to recover a personal judgment against the minor heirs, but it shows a right to subject the lands of their ancestors, described in the mortgage, to sale to pay the note sued on.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Caldwell v. Alley
123 N.E. 432 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1919)
Jacobs v. City of Cedar Rapids
181 Iowa 407 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1917)
Breedlove v. Breedlove
61 N.E. 797 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1901)
Kelley v. Highfield
14 P. 744 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1887)
Evansville, Rockport & Eastern Railway Co. v. Harrington
82 Ind. 534 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1882)
Bake v. Smiley
84 Ind. 212 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1882)
Searle v. Whipperman
79 Ind. 424 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1881)
Over v. Shannon
75 Ind. 352 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1881)
Abshire v. Williams
76 Ind. 97 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1881)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
71 Ind. 199, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jordan-v-dheur-ind-1880.