Heisler v. Lyon
Heisler v. Lyon
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
'There was no right of action against the indorser of this commercial paper at the time the suit was brought, for his liability was to be measured solely by the note to which his name was affixed. The original promise was to pay the sum named five years from the date of the instrument, with the agreed interest specified in the coupons attached. When the payee, for a consideration, indorsed the paper to the holder, he simply undertook according to the well settled principles of the law merchant that the makers should discharge their promise according to its terms. Unless varied by some collateral agreement, to which the makers were a party, and which became by necessary intendment and construction a part of the promise sued on so that it would bind the indorser, the right of action must of necessity be measured by the terms of the promise. The appellee contends, and the court below found, that the trust deed, which was executed concurrently with the note, contained a clause which was to be taken as incorporated into and a part of the promise, and that thereby the holder of the note had a right to declare the whole sum '
We are not compelled to declare which is the better principle as between these conflicting authorities, although we confess that we are unable to see on what basis the liability of the indorser of a promissory note can be enlarged by the terms of a contract to which he ivas not a party. The facts disclosed by this record remove any possibility to appty the doctrine stated in the Noell case. The note in suit was made by three parties. The trust deed was executed by only two of them.' O. C. French did not sign the security, and hence was not bound by the clause in that instrument, by virtue of which the holder was given the right to declare the maturity of the entire promise in case of a failure to pay any of the interest coupons attached to it. We are not considering the right of the holder with reference to the enforcement of the coupon notes attached, since it might possibly be true that those would stand as independent promises, with a right of action
We cannot settle this question on the present appeal, and the case is therefore reversed and remanded for further proceedings not inconsistent with the judgment.
Reversed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.