Whipple v. Abbott
Whipple v. Abbott
Opinion of the Court
Opinion ly
Suit commenced by Charles H. Abbott against E. C. Whipple, on an order drawn by said Whipple on Geo. A. Ellsworth for “ ten hundred and sev
The only question to be decided is: Was a demand upon the maker of the order necessary before it could be sued on as a money demand ?
By the Code, § 959, “ no contract for labor, or for the payment or delivery of property — other than money, — in which the time of performance is not fixed, can be converted into a money demand, until a demand of performance has been made, and the maker refuses, or a reasonable time is allowed for performance.”
The contract, or order, in this case does not fix the time of performance. Before suit could be brought for the value of the trees in money, a demand was necessary upon the maker. The drawee was not the maker; he was not a party to the contract; and consequently a demand of him was not a compliance with the above section. The fact that the order was presented to the drawee, and payment refused, does not deprive the maker of his right to pay the order in trees, unless a demand had been made upon him, and performance neglected. The drawee having had that number of trees in his hands subject to the order of the maker, and having refused payment, the maker’s claim was converted into a money demand against him. But this circumstance alone did not change the liability of the maker to the payee. •Upon the failure of the drawee, the maker was liable for the specific payment of the order, and its specific character
Judgment reversed.
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