Warmcastle v. Castner
Warmcastle v. Castner
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
The appellant complains that the court gave binding instructions for the defendant and the question which we are to consider is whether there is any evidence of a disputed fact which should have been submitted to the jury. On October 25, 1897, the plaintiff gave his promissory note to Kate Castner for the sum of $3,000 payable sixty days after date, and the same day L. C. Castner, the decedent, gave his promissory note to the plaintiff for $1,500 payable sixty days after date. On January 24, 1898, a credit of $1,000 was indorsed by Kate Castner on the $3,000 note. Among the assets of the decedent's estate was a promissory note for $2,000 dated January 24,1898, drawn by the plaintiff in favor of L. C. Castner payable three months after date. To the action brought by the plaintiff to recover the amount of his note for $1,500 dated October 25, 1897, the defendant pleaded a set-off alleging an indebtedness by the plaintiff to the defendant on account of the $2,000 note referred to. A replication to the plea admitted the execution of this note but averred a want of consideration, the plaintiff alleging that it was given by him to L. C. Castner to be delivered to Kate Castner in renewal' of the $3,000 note above recited when the payment of $1,000 was made on that note, and this $2,000 note, as stated in the replication, was refused by Kate Castner and remained in the possession of L. C. Castner. The execution of the note was admitted by the plaintiff and the issue imposed upon him the burden of proving the averments of the replication. The plaintiff’s evidence tended to show that the note for $3,000 was given by the plaintiff to Miss Cast* •ner for $3,000 to be used by him and L. C. Castner in a mining, venture and that L. C. Castner gave the $1,500 note to secure the plaintiff for the former’s share of the1 indebtedness. No witness was called who was present when the arrangement between the plaintiff and L. C. Castner was carried out, but W.
The judgment'is affirmed.
Reference
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- Promissory notes — Consideration—Decedents’ estates — Evidence. In an action against a decedent’s estate, the defendant offered as a set-off a promissory note executed by the plaintiff which had been in possession of the decedent for four years before he died. The plaintiff admitted the execution of the note, but averred a want of consideration, alleging that it had been given by him to the decedent in order to be delivered by the latter to another person in renewal of a note held by such person against the plaintiff. There was no direct evidence to support the plaintiff’s claim, but it was shown that on the day on which the note offered as a set-off was given, the person holding plaintiff’s old note had indorsed thereon a money payment which was the difference between the old note and the note which the plaintiff claimed was to be a renewal note. It appeared that -the old note remained in the hands of its holder, and that plaintiff made no effort to have the renewal note- substituted in its place. Held,, that as there was no sufficient evidence to submit to the jury on the question of lack- of consideration, it was not error for the court to give binding instructions for defendant.