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1 Daly 334

Eckstein v. Frank

New York Court of Common Pleas

Decided December 15, 1863

New York Court of Common Pleas · decided 1863-12-15

Appeal by the defendant from the judgment of a District Court. The defendant demurred to the complaint on the ground that it did not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action. The demurrer was overruled, and judgment rendered for the plaintiff on the trial.

Cited by 1 later decisions (1 by the Supreme Court) — most recently January 1927

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1863-12-15

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¶1By the Court.

Daly, F. J.

¶2The doctrine of Johnson v. Pie (1 Lev., 169; 1 Keb., 905, 913,) though recognized in a comparatively recent English case (Price v. Hewitt, 8 Wels., Hurl. & Gor., 146,) and though believed to be the law by Justice Sandford in Brown v. McCune (5 Sandf., 224,) had been eight years before distinctly repudiated by the Supreme Court of this State, upon full consideration, in Wallace v. Morse, (5 Hill, 392,) and it has also been considered and repudiated in a great number of cases in other States (Fitz v. Hall, 9 New Hamp., 441; Badger v. Phinney, 15 Mass., 359; Homer v. *336Thwing, 3 Pick., 492; Rice v. Clark, 8 Verm., 109 ; Green v. Sperry, 16 id., 393; Town v. Wile , 23 id., 361; Vosse v. Smith, 6 Cranch, 226; Burley v. Russell, 10 New Hamp., 184; Kilgrove v. Jordan, 17 Texas, 349; Norris v. Vance, 3 Rich., 164; Pergin v. Sutchliffe, 4 McCord, 387; Jervis v. Littlefield, 15 Maine, 233 Ward v. Vance, 1 Nott & McCord, 1, 7.)

¶3It is therefore to be regarded as overruled in tiiis country by an overwhelming weight of authority.

¶4The Justice has found that the defendant, before the contract was entered into, represented himself to be twenty-two years of age, he then being a minor. When an infant obtains property by falsely representing himself to be of full age, an action of tort may be maintained against him, either to recover it back or to recover damages, upon the ground that he obtained the possession of it wrongfully. It has long been the rule in courts of equity, that an infant will be held liable where he obtains property by a false representation respecting his age. “ If an infant, is old and cunning enough,” says Lord Chancellor Cowper, to contrive and carry out a fraud, he ought to make satisfaction for it.” (2 Eq. Ca. Ab., 515,) and the good sense and justice of requiring him to do so has been held in the numerous cases cited to be as applicable in a court of law as in a court of equity. '

¶5The judgment should be affirmed.

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