Westcott v. Garrison
Westcott v. Garrison
Opinion of the Court
The, first reason assigned for reversing this-judgment is, that the state of demand does not contain a lawful cause of action. The plaintiffs and defendant were three, among many owners of a tract of bank meadow, inclosed pursuant to the statute of 29th November, 1788. Pat. 84. By agreement among all the owners, a certain part of the bank had been assigned. to each one to be kept in repair. To the defendant, Westcott, were allotted, definitely, 79 rods in length for his part, and ten rods thereof' being suffered to get out of repair, so that the tide water flowed over the meadows and rendered immediate repairs-necessary, $.nd the defendant neglecting to do them, the plaintiffs, being two of said owners, entered and made the necessary repairs, under the 18th section of the said statute, (Pat. 87) which gives them an action to recover the expense of such repairs against the person whose duty it was to-make them. Such is, in substance, the state of demand,, and, I think, it amounts to a lawful cause of action.
The second reason is, that the justice admitted illegal evidence. The record states, “ that’ the plaintiffs offered to prove by Michael Swing, that the owners of the meadow all agreed, that witness, .Matthias Burch, and Daniel Parvin, Jun., should assign and set off to each owner-
The third reason is, that the justice refused to charge the jury, although requested to do so by the defendant. But there does not appear to have been any question of law in dispute, nor any point on which his charge was requested. It cannot be an error not to charge the jury when there is nothing to charge them about.
Let the judgment be affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Sheppard Westcott against Powell Garrison and Jacob Danzenbaker
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published