Horton v. Horton
Horton v. Horton
Opinion of the Court
This action is brought by the respondent to recover of the appellant certain sums of money alleged to have been collected by the appellant for the respondent, and also for the value of certain notes and other evidences of debt delivered by respondent to the appellant for safekeeping and collection for the respondent.
The complaint alleges “that on the 11th day of December, 1884, the plaintiff, by himself and agent, John Hart, delivered to the said defendant, William Horton, for safekeeping and collecting, as fast as they matured, the following list of promissory notes, receipts, and moneys, to be returned to him, the said plaintiff, when called for, upon demand, as follows, to wit, [Here follows a description of fifteen notes given by different persons to the respondent, giving the amount of each note, one receipt for §20, and money to the amount of $35, and an allegation that the total amount of the notes, receipt, and money is $1,615; with accrued interest amounting to the sum of $125]y. that the notes wore worth the face amount thereof and''accrued interest at the time of said delivery; and that he,- the said plaintiff, was and is the real owner thereof, and-in> tile possession thereof at the time df the delivery thereof to the said defendant as aforesaid.”
The complaint then alleges that the plaintiff 'executed and delivered to the said defendant- a ¡power of: attorney, with full authority to collect for him the said promissory notes, and the interest thereon, and that he is informed and believes the said defendant has collected of the said notes, in whole or in part, which he (the defendant) wrongfully withholds from the said plaintiff.
To this complaint the defendant demurred on the ground that it. does not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action. The demurrer was overruled by the circuit court, and the defendant appeals from the order overruling such demurrer to this court.
The learned counsel for the appellant insists that it is nowhere alleged in the complaint that the plaintiff ever delivered to the defendant any notes, receipts, or money for collection or otherwise, and so does not show any liability of the defendant to the plaintiff. The contention is that the complaint only alleges that a “ list of notes,” etc,, was delivered to the defendant by the plaintiff, and not the notes, receipts, and money mentioned in the complaint. ■We think the criticism upon the language of the complaint is too refined to be sustained, when applied to a pleading under the Code, which provides that “ in the construction of a pleading for the purpose of determining its effect, its allegations shall be liberally construed, with a view to sub
By the Court.— The order of the circuit court is affirmed, and the cause is remanded for further proceedings.
Reference
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