Brehen v. O'Donnell
Brehen v. O'Donnell
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was delivered by
Upon demurrer in this form it is the well-settled rule that judgment will be given against the party whose pleading is first defective in substance. 1 Chitty’s PI. 668.
Upon the record before the court, it appears to me clear that the first fault is in the special plea of the defendant, which is defective both in substance and in form.
And first as to the form of the plea. It answers, in particulars, the special matter in the first count, but is framed in denial of the whole declaration, which includes the common counts also. Such pleading is bad. 1 Chitt's Pl. 524; Conover v. Tindall, Spencer 518. The matters contained in the special plea are no answer to the common counts.
But the plea is also defective in substance. The contract declared on is without stipulation of time for the payment of the money. It was, therefore, without credit, and due immediately. The plaintiff’s right of action was complete as soon as the agreement was made. The idea of the defendant, expressed in his plea, appears to be that as one year in time was given for the removal of the sand, therefore he had all of that time to pay the purchase money — §600—-and that if he paid, as he alleges ho did, as fast as the sand was taken from the
This conclusion makes it unnecessary to consider whether the replication of the plaintiff is bad or not, for in either case the demurrer must be decided upon the validity or invalidity of the former pleading.
Judgment must be entered for the plaintiff.
Cited in Salt Lake Nat. Bank v. Hendrickson, 11 Vr. 56,
Reference
- Full Case Name
- EDWARD BREHEN v. EDWARD O'DONNELL
- Status
- Published