Jones v. Hughes
Jones v. Hughes
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
The action of the circuit court upon the instructions was correct. This casé is plainly distinguishable from Foster v. Metts, 55 Miss. 77, and Gunning v. Royal, 59 Miss. 45, in which the promise was by the party alleged to be liable, and which was not enforceable because of want of consideration. Here a new party — a third person — induced Hughes to cancel the deed of trust he held, by obligating himself to pay what Hughes claimed to be due him from Winter, unless Hughes’ receipt for the sum of five hundred dollars should be produced. Hughes had the right to refuse to cancel the encumbrance without payment, or to prescribe other terms on which he would do it. He says his terms, agreed to by Jones, were production of his receipt for the five hundred dollars, or payment of that sum by Jones. Testimony by Winter that he had paid the five hundred dollars, and had held a receipt by Hughes for it was not what Hughes bargained for, as he testified, and the jury believed and found.
The court did not err in excluding the book of Winter. All the evidence that the disputed five hundred dollars had been paid was irrelevant. The issue was not, whether it had been paid, but as to proof of payment by the production of Hughes’ receipt as the evidence of it. He stipulated for that, and was entitled to demand it, under the circumstances of this case.
Affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Geo. W. Jones v. John E. Hughes
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- 1. Promise to Pay Debt oe Another. Consideration. Release of lien on certain stipulation. One has a debt secured by mortgage, a part of which, the debtor claims, has-been paid; a third person buys the encumbered property, and, in consideration of a cancellation of the lien, he verbally promises to pay the-mortgagee the entire debt, including the disputed amount, unless the mortgagee’s receipt for this is produced. Held, that this constitutes a sufficient consideration to uphold the promise of such third person, and he becomes an original debtor liable for the debt, including the disputed portion, if the receipt for it is not produced. This case distinguished from Foster v. Metis, 55 Miss. 77, and Cunning v. Royal, 59 Miss. 45. 2. Contract. Performance. When evidence of payment inadmissible. Right of creditor to insist on compliance with promise. In such case if the promisor is sued for the amount of the disputed indebtedness after cancellation, the receipt not being produced as stipulated for, evidence going to show that the mortgagor had in fact paid the debt prior to the agreement, is irrelevant and inadmissible.