Westcott v. Patton

10 Colo. App. 544
CourtColorado Court of Appeals
DecidedJanuary 15, 1898
DocketNo. 1297
StatusPublished

This text of 10 Colo. App. 544 (Westcott v. Patton) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Colorado Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Westcott v. Patton, 10 Colo. App. 544 (Colo. Ct. App. 1898).

Opinion

Wilson, J.,

delivered the opinion of the court.

This was an action on promissory notes by the assignee against the maker, Harriet E. Westcott. The complaint was [545]*545in the usual form, and was unobjectionable. It recited, among other things, that “ before the maturity of said note, for a valuable consideration, said Robert Patton ” (payee) “ sold and assigned the said notes to this plaintiff, who is now the legal and lawful holder and owner thereof.” The answer admitted the execution and delivery of the notes, and that the same were unpaid. It also set up that at the time when ¿aid notes fell due, plaintiff was ready, able and willing to pay them, but that they had not been presented for payment at the place where they were payable. It also averred that “ as to whether before said notes fell due, or at any other time or times, the said Robert Patton assigned or transferred said notes to plaintiff, this defendant has not and cannot obtain sufficient knowledge or information on which to base a belief.” The defendant prayed that the court order the notes to be deposited in court, and that she be permitted to pay into court the amount due upon each of said notes at the time of its maturity, and that thereupon she be discharged from all liability in connection therewith, and have judgment for her costs. For a further and separate answer it was set up that prior to the institution of this suit, C. M. Henderson & Co. had instituted suit in the county court, of Pueblo county against Robert Patton, the payee named in the notes, Mary M. Patton, plaintiff in this suit, Amanda J. Burns and the defendant herein. The precise nature and object of this suit is not set forth, but it was alleged that the county court had issued therein a mandatory injunction directed to the defendants, by which it had ,ordered, and required the two Pattons and Amanda J. Burns to bring into court the four promissory notes involved in this suit, and permit this defendant to pay into that court the money due on said notes, and have the same canceled. It is further alleged that the Pattons were fully informed of this injunction issued by the court, but failed to comply with its order. What the matters set up in this defense have to do with this suit, we are utterly at a loss to determine. It is unnecessary, however, to discuss it, as it was admitted on the trial of this cause in the [546]*546district court that these proceedings in the county court had long prior thereto been abandoned and dismissed. When this cause came up for trial in the trial court, plaintiff moved for judgment on the pleadings. This motion was sustained, and defendant appealed. The only question to be determined, therefore, is, Did the answer present an issue which required a trial ? Did it put in issue any fact necessary to be proven by plaintiff before she could recover judgment? We thinlc it did not. The answer, it is true, put in issue the alleged assignment by the payee to plaintiff, but this was not essential to plaintiff’s recovery. The answer did not attempt to put in issue the allegation that plaintiff had become and was the legal owner and holder of the note for value. This was the material part of plaintiff’s allegation. If she were the legal owner and holder of the note for value, and had possession of it, she was entitled to recover even though the payee may not have made any formal assignment to her. The answer expressly admitted the execution and nonpayment of the notes, and did not set up as a defense any matter which would, if admitted, defeat a recovery.

It is claimed by defendant that the notes not designating any place for payment, the place would be the residence of the maker, and that it was the duty of the holder of the notes to demand payment at such place at the time of the maturity of the notes; otherwise, he would not be entitled to recover interest thereon. It is elementary that as against the maker of a note, it is not necessary to make any formal presentment or demand for payment. This is universally conceded where the note is by its terms, as in the case at bar, payable at a time fixed and not on demand or on the happening of any contingency. The suit itself is a sufficient demand, as in other cases of a precedent debt or duty. Daniels, Neg. Ins. § 571; Tiedeman, Com. Paper, § 310 ; Edwards, Bills, Notes, etc., § 663; Randolph, Com. Paper, § 1070. Presentation for payment is only required where it is sought to hold indorsers and others, who may be secondarily liable. Only in such case, in the absence of a designation of a place of pay[547]*547ment in the instrument itself does the presumption prevail that the place where the note appears to have been executed was intended as the place of payment. The presumption arises from the necessity that there must be a presentation to the maker for payment in order to bind the indorser. Where it is sought to enforce the liability against the maker only, the necessity for presentation and demand of payment does not exist, and therefore the presumption does not prevail. At the utmost it could only be claimed that as a matter of fact, payment was presumptively contemplated at the place of execution. The law would attach no force to the presumption because it would not be material or necessary in the determination of any legal rights.

The ordinary rule as between debtor and creditor is, that where no place of payment is specified in a note for the direct payment of money, the former must seek the latter in order to tender or make payment. Stoker v. Cogswell, 25 How. Pr. 274; Goodwin v. Holbrook, 4 Wend. 377; Smith v. Smith, 2 Hill, 351.

If the maker of a note desires to fully protect himself against accrual of interest after maturity, he can specify in the note a place for its payment. Then under proper circumstances, a tender of payment at this designated place at maturity might entitle him to plead this in bar of recovery of interest accruing thereafter, and of costs of suit. In order however to render this plea effective, when permissible, it would be necessary that it be accompanied by the tender and actual payment into court, subject to the plaintiff’s disposal, of the money admitted to be due. Mulherrin v. Hannum, 2 Yerg. 81; Caldwell v. Cassidy, 8 Cowen, 272; Hills v. Place, 48 N. Y. 521. If the profert of the money in court is omitted, the plea would be bad. Bacon v. Dyer, 12 Me. 23. Defendant in this case made no payment nor even tender of the money into court, and hence even if this had been a case, in which the plea attempted to be made was allowable, it would not have been good.

The notes of defendant specifically provided that they [548]*548should severally bear interest from date until paid. In such case, even had the notes designated a place of payment, a failure to have presented for payment at maturity would not have stopped the accrual of interest. Nothing would have done so but a proper tender of payment by the maker. Tiedeman, Com. Paper, § 310.

Prior to the motion for judgment on the pleadings, it appears that C. M. Henderson & Co., who are also appellants herein, filed a petition in intervention in which they recited among other things, that they were judgment creditors of Robert Patton, the payee in the notes; that he was insolvent; that the transfer and assignment of the notes by him to plaintiff Avas Avithout consideration, and made for the sole purpose of hindering, delaying and defrauding his creditors.

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Related

Bacon v. Dyer
12 Me. 19 (Supreme Judicial Court of Maine, 1835)
Horn v. Volcano Water Co.
13 Cal. 62 (California Supreme Court, 1859)
Stoker v. Cogswell
25 How. Pr. 267 (New York Supreme Court, 1863)
Goodwin v. Holbrook
4 Wend. 377 (New York Supreme Court, 1830)
Limberg v. Higginbotham
11 Colo. 316 (Supreme Court of Colorado, 1888)
Curtis v. Lathrop
12 Colo. 169 (Supreme Court of Colorado, 1888)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
10 Colo. App. 544, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/westcott-v-patton-coloctapp-1898.