Balcom v. O'Brien
Balcom v. O'Brien
Opinion of the Court
This is an action upon a promissory note executed by the defendants, payable to the order of John L. Far-well, and claimed to have been indorsed by his attorney in fact, George N. Farwell, and delivered to the plaintiff. A verdict
The execution of the note by the defendants was not denied; but the indorsement and delivery to the plaintiff, and that plaintiff is the owner and holder thereof, was denied by the answer. It is alleged in the answer that said John L. Farwell, payee named in the note, was a resident of the State of New Hampshire, but was engaged in loaning money in the State of South Dakota; that all transactions in reference to such loans, including the paying and receiving of money, both principal and interest, were attended to by.the Bailey Loan Company, which was his duly-authorized agent in this state, and that said loan company transacted its business at Sturgis, S. D., through Joseph J. Davenport; that these defendants, through the said loan company and said Davenport, executed and delivered the said note mentioned in the complaint, and that the defendants, on the 4th day of January, 1896, paid the said note, both principal and interest, to the said John L. Farwell, through his duly-authorized agents. On the trial the plaintiff’s counsel produced the note, and the following proceedings were had: “ ‘We now offer in evidence the note.’ (No objection. The note, with all indorsements thereon, admitted, marked ‘Exhibit A.’)” The indorsement appearing upon the note is as follows: “Without recourse. John L. Farwell, per Geo. N. Farwell, His Atty. in Fact.” At the conclusion of plaintiff’s evidence defendants moved the court to direct a verdict in their favor, for the reason that there was no evidence offered or received tending to prove that George N. Farwell wTas the attorney in fact of John L. Farwell, and the appellants now contend that this motion should have been granted. Respondent, however,
The defendant on the trial testified that he paid the money due upon the note to Joseph J. Davenport, who was at that time vice president of the First National Bank of Sturgis, and Davenport testified that he deposited the money in the bank to the defendant’s account. It clearly appears, however, from the undisputed evidence, that Davenport was not at that time, and never had been, either the agent of Farwell or of the plaintiff and that his only connection with Farwell or the plaintiff at any time was in transacting business at Sturgis for the Bailey Loan Company. The defendants therefore entirely failed to prove payment of the money due upon the note, either to John J. Farwell or to the plaintiff. The payment of the money to Davenport, or its deposit in the bank, did not have the effect of extinguishing the defendants’ liability upon their note, They therefor© failed to make out any defense to the
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Balcom v. O'Brien et ux
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- 3 cases
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- Syllabus
- 1. Defendant executed a note to F, Thereafter suit was brought on the same by B., to whom it bad been indorsed, the indorsement purporting to be by N. F., F.’s attorney in fact. On tbe trial, plaintiff offered the note in evidence without objection, and at the conclusion of plaintiff’s evidence defendant moved the court to direct a verdict in his favor, for the reason that there was no evidence to prove that Ñ. F. was tbe attorney in fact of F. Held that, as the note and indorsement were admitted in evidence without objection, defendant could not thereafter be heard to object that there was no proof that N. F. was the attorney of the payee. 2. Where, in an action on a note, which had been indorsed by the payee to plaintiff, the indorsement reciting that it was made by an attorney in fact of the payee, and plaintiff’s attorney testified that he received the note from plaintiff, and on cross- examination testified that he supposed payee was the owner of the note, but when he came to look up the note he found that the payee was not,and never-had been,since it was immediately transferred to plaintiff, and being asked how he knew such facts, stated he knew them by reason of correspondence he had with the payee and the plaintiff, although such evidence was clearly hearsay, not having been objected to, it was not error to refuse to direct a verdict for defendant on the ground that there was no evidence that plaintiff was th-e owner of the note. 3. Where defendant, through one D., executed and delivered a note to the payee thereof, and thereafter, in an action on the note by an indorsee of the payee, defendant claimed that he had paid the money to D., and D. testified that he deposited the money in his bank to defendant’s account, and evidence was undisputed that D. was not at that time, and never had been, either the agent of the plaintiff or 'defendant, it was proper to direct a verdict in favor of plaintiff, since the evidence showed no payment.