West v. Murph
West v. Murph
Opinion of the Court
Curia, per
A distinction has always been taken between those cases where the promise is made, or the undertaking is implied in consequence of a precedent duty or debt, and thuse cases where, by the express or implied terms of the contract, the obligation to pay or perform is to arise only by request. The former class of cases embraces all actions for goods sold and delivered, money lent, work and labor performed, creates eo instante the duty and liability to pay, and implies the
It is equally necessary to prove the special request as laid — for no action arises until the request. Nothing can be more explicit than the terms of this agreement. There was no precedent duty or existing debt; none arose at the instant; and the liability was to arise when the money should be called for. This would be true from the terms of the contract, if the intestate had received a compensation. But he was to receive none ; a mere depository, a naked bailee ; and in such a case it has never been held that he would be liable to action until refusal to deliver upon demand. And this would be true if it were not so expressed in the contract. It would be implied from the nature of the undertaking; Story, Bail. 82; 9 Johns. Rep. 361. The declaration was bad for want of the averment of a special request. The vague declaration of the administrator amounted to no more than that he understood there was such a claim, not that it had been demanded of him or of his intestate.
The motion is refused.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- ELISHA WEST v. JOHN MURPH, ADM'R OF KINSEY WEST
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published