Northern Liberty Market Co. v. Kelly

Supreme Court of the United States
Northern Liberty Market Co. v. Kelly, 113 U.S. 199 (1885)
5 S. Ct. 422; 28 L. Ed. 948; 1885 U.S. LEXIS 1666

Northern Liberty Market Co. v. Kelly

Opinion

Mr. Justice Gray

delivered the opinion of the court. He recited the facts as above stated, and continued:

The plaintiff insists that the original notes were valid, because a corporation, empowered to hold and convey real estate for the objects of its incorporation, may convey an estate in fee or any less estate in lands which it has purchased, and may therefore make a valid lease of them for any term of years, though extending beyond the limit of its corporate existence. But it is unnecessary to express a definitive opinion upon that point, because it is agreed in the case stated that the defendant gave, in compromise of the original twenty notes for $171.05 each, the new note for $1881.60. If the plaintiff had exceeded its corporate powers in making the original contract, yet it had authority to compromise and settle all claims by or against it under that contract. Morville v. American Tract Society, 123 Mass. 129. The compromise of the disputed claim on the original notes was a legal and sufficient consideration for the new note. Cook v. Wright, 1 B. & S. 559; Tuttle v. Tuttle, 12 Met. 551; Riggs v. Hawley, 116 Mass. 596. By the terms of the agreement of compromise, the. plaintiff’s cause of action on the original notes was. not to revive, in case of the new note not being paid at maturity, except upon the surrender of this note to the defendant. The plaintiff,' not having surrendered it, but holding and suing upon it as well as upon the original notes, has not performed the condition on which the revival of the right of action on the original notes depended.

It follows, that the plaintiff cannot recover in this action on the original notes for $171.05 each, but is entitled to recover on the new note for $1881.60, and also, for like reasons, on the note for $394.08, made by Cross and guaranteed by the defendant.

Judgment reversed, a/nd case rema/nded with directions to enter judgment for the plaintiff on the twe^ty-fvrst and twenty-second coimts. ■

Reference

Full Case Name
Northern Liberty Market Company v. Kelly
Cited By
11 cases
Status
Published
Syllabus
A market-house company, incorporated for twenty years, with power to purchase, hold and convey any real or personal estate necessary to enable it to carry on its business, built a market house on land owned by it in fee simple, and sold by public auction leases for ninety-nine years, renewable forever, of stalls therein at a specified rent. The highest bidder for one of the stalls gave the corporation several promissory notes in part payment for the option of that stall, received such a lease, and took and kept possession of the stall; and afterwards gave it a note for a less sum, in compromise of the original notes, and upon express agreement, that if this note should not he paid at maturity, the corporation might surrender it to the maker, and thereupon the cause of action on those notes should revive: Held, That the new note was upon a sufficient legal consideration ; and that the corporation, holding and suing upon all the notes, could recover upon this note only.