Heimgartner v. Stewart
Heimgartner v. Stewart
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
The judgment in question was entered upon a bond of the defendant secured by a mortgage upon his real estate therein described and it represents a loan of $1,000 which the plaintiff made to him on June 30, 1893. When the loan was made he gave his promissory note for it payable in one year without interest. When the note fell due the plaintiff accepted in place of it the bond and mortgage payable in one year with interest at five and four tenths per cent. On July 6, 1895, the defendant claiming to have valid defenses to the judgment petitioned the court to open it and allow him to present them to a jury. Thereupon a rule to show cause was granted which rule on consideration of the testimony submitted for and against it was discharged. From the order discharging the rule this appeal was taken.
It appears that when the loan was made the defendant was a retail liquor dealer who wanted more money to carry on his business and the plaintiff was a brewer who wanted to sell his beer. The plaintiff loaned the money for a year and the defendant bought two hundred and sixty-two and one half barrels of his beer at $6.00 a barrel. In his petition to open the judgment the defendant alleged that he agreed to buy the plaintiff’s beer if it was satisfactory and acceptable to his customers, but that it was not satisfactory to them and because of their dissatisfaction with it he lost their patronage and was materially injured in his business. He also alleged in his petition that he understood he was to give the mortgage as security for the loan, and that he did not know that he had given the bond until some
Upon due consideration of all the evidence in the case we are of the opinion that the defendant should have an opportunity to present to a jury his defense founded upon the alleged agreement for a credit on the loan.
The order discharging the rule to open'the judgment is reversed, the rule is reinstated and made absolute as to $262.50 and interest thereon from the date of the bond, and as to the balance of the judgment the rule is discharged.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- William Heimgartner v. William Stewart
- Cited By
- 2 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Judgment— Opening judgment — Evidence. On a ruleto open a judgment entered upon abond accompanying amortgage to secure a loan, it appeared that the defendant was a retail liquor dealer who needed money to carry on his business, and plaintiff was a brewer who wanted to sell his beer. Defendant alleged that he had agreed to buy the plaintiff’s beer if it should be satisfactory and acceptable to his customers, but he averred that it was not satisfactory to them, and that in consequence he was materially injured in his business. The defendant also alleged that it was understood that he was to give the mortgage as security for the loan, and that he did not know that he had given the bond until sometime after the judgment was entered upon it. These allegations were specifically denied by the plaintiff, and were not supported by any other evidence than that of the defendant. Meld, that no ground was shown for opening the judgment. Plaintiff entered judgment upon a bond given by the defendant to secure a loan. On a rule to open the judgment, defendant and two witnesses testified that the plaintiff had agreed to allow the defendant a credit of $1.00 on the loan for each barrel of beer purchased by him from plaintiff; that defendant purchased beer, and that under this agreement lie was entitled to a credit on the judgment of an amount specified. Plaintiff denied the existence of such an agreement, but his testimony was not corroborated by a single witness. Held, that the judgment should be open so as to permit the defendant to present to a jury his defense founded upon the alleged agreement for a credit on the loan.