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10 S.C.L. 83

Lovel v. Wartenburgh

Supreme Court of South Carolina

Decided January 15, 1818

Supreme Court of South Carolina · decided 1818-01-15

Tried before Mr. Justice Grijike, at Charleston, January, 1817. The defendant was the endorser of a promissory note, for the recovery of which this action was brought by the plaintiff as endorsee. The note had been lodged in the - bank for collection; but on the second day of grace, no demand having been made by that bank, it was withdrawn and lodged in the Planters *and Mechanics’ Bank, and on the same day demand of payment was made of the drawer.

Decided 1818-01-15

¶1The opinion of the Court was delivered by

Crafts, for the motion. Cogdell, contra.Johnson, J.

¶2To charge the endorser of a promissory note, all that is necessary is to make a demand of the drawer, and to give notice of nonpayment to the endorser, within the time, and in the manner established by mercantile usage. Whether the drawer did or did not retain his credit with the bank, appears to me, therefore, wholly unimportant, whatever might have been the reasons, and was therefore properly rejected. Nor do, I think, that the protest having been made earlier than three days after the demand of payment, of more importance; as in this case it was not indispensably necessary to charge the defendant.

¶3The case, then, is reduced to the single question, whether the demand was or was not made as early as was necessary, in order to charge the defendant as endorser, as there is no pretence on his part, of want of notice of nonpayment. Three days are usually ^allowed by the custom of merchants for the payment of notes, after they become due, according to the time fixed by the note itself; and it is to be presumed that every man, who issues paper, is aware when it becomes due, and that he will make provision for the payment; but as they are a sort of circulating medium, it is incumbent on the person into whose hands they fall, to demand payment, by way of giving notice, when the-note is due. Now, if he has this notice before he is bound to pay it, and before his endorsee could legally demand payment, all the reasons that render a demand necessary, are fully answered.

¶4A demand, therefore, under any circumstances, on the last day of grace, is sufficient to charge the endorser. ■ (Chitty on Bills, 194; and Maxwell on Bills, 163.)

¶5Let the motion for a new trial be dismissed.

Colcock and Gantt, JJ., concurred.

¶6 See post, 116. 2 MeC. 436.

Cheves, J.

¶7I concur in this opinion. But I do not understand the fact to be, that the protest was made earlier than three days after the demand of payment. This fact I understand to be, (the notice given by the bank,) that the note which was given, was lodged for collection after three days of grace commenced.

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