Sawyer v. Haley
Sawyer v. Haley
Opinion of the Court
The sums claimed were received by the defendants as assignees, and, of course, not to the use of the insolvents at the time, but to be administered according to law. The gravamen of their complaint now is, that the defendants in their capacity as assignees omitted to debit themselves in their account with the debts'thus rightfully collected. This very liability arising from such omission is released. It would seem
But the plaintiffs rely on an assignment made on the same day by the assignees to one of the plaintiffs, of all the real and personal property, choses in action, and the proceeds thereof, except such parts thereof as may have been disposed of according to law.
This assignment does not in any respect counteract or affect the release. This reassignment is only to one of the plaintiffs. If he has any remedy, it is upon this assignment. If it creates a liability to account, he may still show that he has disposed of these sums now claimed, according to law. So if it were a reassignment to both, though it be admitted that the release and the assignment were parts of one and the same transaction, it does not defeat the release, because they are not repugnant, but may well stand together. Even, therefore, if there was any liability on the part of these defendants, the assignees, to the plaintiffs, if any promise may be implied by law to pay the money to them, it was released, and therefore this action for money had and received cannot be maintained.
Exceptions overruled.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Asa Sawyer & another v. John J. Haley & another
- Status
- Published