Merriam v. Bacon
Merriam v. Bacon
Opinion of the Court
The note had been assigned by the payee, with notice to the promisor, the present defendant, long before the alleged payment by Frederic Bacon, now relied upon ; a payment therefore by the promisor himself, to the original payee, would have been a payment in his own wrong: The question is, whether he can avail himself of a payment, made by Frederic Bacon, his son, not a party to the note, hut a co-mortgagor, in a mortgage given to secure it. This question is to be considered on the ground that the payment was actually made by Frederic Bacon to the original payee, in good frith, and without actual notice of the assignment. If such payment was made at the actual request of his father, then he acted in behalf of the father, and as his agent, and must be affected with notice of any thing which would affect the father; or, to state the proposition a little differently, the present defendant cannot avail himself of a payment made at his actual request by another person, which he could not have availed himself of, had he made the payment personally.
But the only plausible ground on which to distinguish a payment made by the son, from one made by the father, is, that Frederic was independently liable for the debt, by having pledged his estate for the payment; and therefore payment of the debt of the principal, under a legal liability, was a request in law, as in case of payment by a surety or co-obligor, which rendered it a payment for the principal. Let us examine this ground. Not being a co-promisor, or personal surety, his only liability was that oi a mortgagor. He was a mortgagor 'after condition broken, and his only title was a right to redeem. But a mortgage in fee is a conveyance of real estate; it is in its nature assignable and transferable ; and by a legal assignment, the fee vests in the assignee ; an estate which cannot be devested by the release of the original mortgagee. By Rev. Sts. c. 107, § 14, “ the person entitled to redeem the estate shall pay to the mortgagee, or to the person lawfully claiming or holding under him, the whole sum.” It appears that the alleged payment was made June 23d 1840, and the assignments of the mortgage were recorded April 5 8th 1840, two. months before. He had therefore full con
Reference
- Full Case Name
- John A. Merriam v. Jonathan Bacon
- Status
- Published