Rives v. Jordan
Rives v. Jordan
Opinion of the Court
Judgment affimned.
Jordan sued George S. Rives et al., as executors of George S. Rives deceased, for $300 and interest, alleged to be due as a fee for services rendered as attorney at law, under a contract made with the deceased when in life, to represent him and his interests in a suit pending in Iiancocksuperior court, brought by Reese, ordinary, for the use of the county, against G. R. Brown as principal, and George S. Rives et al., as securities on the bond of said Brown as county treasurer, which suit was for $16,000. At the trial the plaintiff introduced the original demurrer in the suit mentioned, filed by him as attorney for George S. Rives, one of the defendants, at the April term, 1889, of the superior court; and the record of said court, showing that the case named was tried in 1889 and was dismissed on demurrer. The present action was brought in the county court. Frank L. Little, the judge thereof, testified that it was tried in that court in 1892, in which trial David L. Rives, now deceased, swore for the plaintiff that at the time or soon after the filing of the declaration in the superior court in the case of Reese, ordinary, for use, v. George S. Rives et al.,
George S. Rives, executor, testified: About the time
P. P. Tye testified: I was in Jordan’s office when D. L. Rives came to him and said, “My father told me to see you about representing him in the case against him on Gf. W. Brown’s bond.” They spoke about the amount of fees. D. L. Rives said, “Is that your idea? is that the best you can do ?” referring to fees. Before they separated Rives said, “ You had better write to my brother George about the matter.” Jordan replied, “ Yes, I want to see George about it.” I saw Jordan some weeks after, and asked him if he had seen George; he said, “Yes, but we could not agree about fees. George said I charged him too much.” This was before the trial of the case of Reese, ordinary, v. Rives et al., and said D. L. Rives had employed him for his father and agreed to pay him $300.
R. H. Lewis, attorney at law, testified: Before the return of the case testified about, I was employed by George S. Rives to represent his father therein ; he gave me the writ that had been served on his father. I was connected with the case until it was finally determined.
The jury found for the plaintiff. The defendants moved for a new trial on the grounds, that the verdict was contrary to law and evidence; axxd that the court erred in refusing to allow George S. Rives, one of the defendants, to testify that he was the general agent of his deceased testator, and that he was in charge of all the business of every kind of said deceased; and in refusing to allow Frank L. Little to answer the question, “ Ho you not know that Geoi’ge S. Rives was at that time the general agent of Geoi’ge S. Rives deceased, and attended to all his business ? ” Defendants contend that this question was competent as illustrating • the issue whether David L. Rives was such an agent at the time as would justify the plaintiff' in acting on this statement, and also in aiding the jury to settle the question of agency. The motion was overruled, and defendants excepted.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.