Public-domain · open source
OpenJurist

101 N.C. 188

7 S.E 709

Sugg v. . Watson

Supreme Court of North Carolina

Decided September 5, 1888

Supreme Court of North Carolina · decided 1888-09-05

Civil action, tried before Shepherd, J, at November Term, 1887, of the Superior Court of Orange County. On the 20th of November, 1886, the plaintiff instituted two actions against the defendant in a Court of a Justice of the Peace — one on a note for $250, dated September 25th, 1868, credited by $125, May 22d, 1869, the other on a bond for $180, dated February 25th, 1871. There was a credit of $5 on each note, as hereinafter set out.

Cited by 1 later decisions — most recently April 1898

1 state decisions

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1888-09-05

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

Davis, J.,

¶1 (after stating the case). “ The effect of any payment of principal or interest” on a debt otherwise barred by the statute of limitations, is to take it out of the operation of the statute, at least as to the debtor making the payment.

¶2 In McDowell v. Tate, 1 Dev., 249, it is said a payment is, by consent of the parties, either express or implied, appropriated to the discharge of a debt.”

¶3 If a debtor, who owes a creditor a single debt, makes a payment to the creditor, it is a discharge pro tanto of that debt, but if a debtor, who owes to a creditor several distinct and separate debts, makes a payment, he has a right to direct the application of the payment to such debt as he chooses, and it is the duty of the creditor to apply it as directed, but if this right is not exercised and the direction of the application made at or before the time of payment, the creditor may make the application to such of the debts as he pleases.

¶4 The controverted questions here are whether the defendant owed the plaintiff other debts, and whether the payment was made on the debts sued on.

¶5 Counsel for the defendant insists that there was not sufficient evidence to go to the jury, to warrant the verdict rendered. Whether there is any evidence, is a question for the Court; if any, the weight and sufficiency of it is a question for the jury. Thisqs well settled. It is also settled that where there is a mere scintilla of evidence, the Court ought not to leave the case to the jury.

¶6*192 In the case before us there was some evidence to which there was no exception, and in regard to which no instructions were asked. If there is an exception to the sufficiency of the evidence to warrant the jury in finding an alleged fact, the objection should be made when the testimony is all in, and the Court should be asked to charge the jury that there is not sufficient evidence to warrant a verdict, and if there is any evidence, and no instructions are asked, and it is permitted to go to the jury without objection, this Court cannot disturb the verdict. Lawrence v. Hester, 93 N. C., 79.

¶7 The Judge below has the discretionary power to set aside a verdict, if against the weight of evidence, but this Court possesses no such discretionary power.

¶8 “An omission of the Judge to instruct the jury upon a point on which, if he had been so requested, it would have been his duty to advise and direct the jury, cannot for the first time be assigned as error in this Court.” State v. Nicholson, 85 N. C., 548.

¶9 There is-no error.

¶10 Affirmed.

/101/nc/188 · .json · Public domain