Cook v. Forker
Cook v. Forker
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
The original statement on the promissory notes having been amended, the only form of the action with which we are concerned is for money had and received.
Certain notes of one Weston were discounted by plaintiffs on
The weight of the authorities is to this effect: Daniel on Negotiable Instruments, sec. 69; Adams v. Gay, 19 Vt. 358.
Contracts made on Sunday are not void in the sense that they do not admit of ratification, though so long as they are executor}’ the law will refuse to enforce them: Chestnut v. Harbaugh, 78 Pa. 473 ; and acts of ratification will make them new contracts which parties will be bound to perform : Uhler v. Applegate, 26 Pa. 140. It was accordingly held in the latter case that an agreement made on Sunday to extend the time of payment of a note, in consideration of the anticipation of part of the amount, became binding by the'agreed prepayment on a legal day, Chief Justice Lewis saying, “ It is not the intention of the law that its regard for the Sabbath day shall be made the means of perpetrating a fraud.” So in Whitmire v. Montgomery, 165 Pa. 253, a note made. and delivered on Sunday was held to be ratified and made good by a subsequent payment of interest on it.
The other grounds of defense set out in the affidavits are equally insufficient. Defendant avers that the notes were not discounted for him, and that he received no part of the proceeds of the check. But the check was drawn to his order and in-L dorsed by him. Payment to his order was payment to him.
The discount of the notes at the rate of ten per cent per annum was not usurious. They were the notes of one Weston discounted by plaintiffs for defendant, or, in the extreme view, for his principals, the Pittsburg Vehicle and Harness Company. Under such circumstances a banker may purchase the notes at any agreed rate: Gaul v. Willis, 26 Pa. 259; Moore v. Baird, 30 Pa. 138.
The allegation that no notice of protest was received was not sufficient. The rule of commercial law in such cases is the exception in which the requirement is, not that notice shall be received, but only that it shall be sent: Weakly v. Bell, 9 Watts, 273, 279; Daniel on Negotiable Instruments, sec. 1021. The proper form of affidavit is, therefore, that the defendant is informed, believes and expects to be able to prove that no notice was sent, and, even if not in that form, it should at least in substance lay ground for inference that none was sent.
The affidavits were insufficient, and judgment should have been entered for plaintiffs.
Order refusing judgment reversed, and judgment directed to be entered for plaintiffs unless other legal or equitable ground be shown why such judgment should not be entered.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Rebecca Ann Cook, J. W. Cook, A. W. Cook, J. H. Cook, T. B. Cook, Ida M. Calvin, Hattie J. Ross, trading as A. Cook Sons v. J. B. Forker
- Cited By
- 6 cases
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- Syllabus
- Contracts—Sunday law—Application. Contracts made on Sunday are not void in the sense that they do not admit of ratification, though so long as they are executory the law will refuse to enforce them; and acts of ratification will make them new contracts which the parties will be bound to perform. Where a note is discounted on a Sunday, and a cheek for the proceeds dated as of the day following is given to the defendant on Sunday, and indorsed by him on that day, but not drawn on until the following Wednesday, the transaction as a whole, being ratified and reaffirmed, constitutes a legal and binding loan of the money. Promissory notes—Indorsement. Where a check for the proceeds of a discounted note is drawn to the order of the indorser on the note, and is indorsed by him, it is not a sufficient affidavit of defense in an action for money had and received on the cheek, that he did not receive the money personally, and that he was merely an agent for other parties. Interest—Usury—Promissory notes—Purchase of note. Where a bank discounts a promissory note for an indorser who is neither the maker nor the payee of the note the bank may purchase the note at any agreed rate. Promissory notes—Notice of protest. In an action against the indorser of a promissory note, an averment in an affidavit of defense that no notice of protest was received is insufficient. The proper form of affidavit is that the defendant is informed, believes and expects to be able to prove that no notice was sent, or it should, at least, in substance, lay ground for inference that none was sent.