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109 Mass. 61

Barber v. Floyd

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

Decided November 15, 1871

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · decided 1871-11-15

Contract on a recognizance under the Gen. Sts. c. 124, § 10, in the sum of $200, entered into by Samuel E. Floyd as principal, and Samuel Eldridge as surety, and conditioned that Floyd, who had been arrested on execution upon a judgment in favor of the plaintiff for $78.11, should, within thirty days from May 12,1870, “ deliver himself up for examination, before some magistrate authorized to act, giving notice of the time and place thereof in the manner provided in and by ”…

Cited by 2 later decisions — most recently December 1884

2 state decisions

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1871-11-15

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Chapman, C. J.

¶1The recognizance was valid, though it was in a sum a little more than double the amount of the execution. Currier v. Poor, 5 Allen, 585. Whittier v. Way, 6 Allen, 288.

¶2The agreement, to postpone the hearing before the magistrate on the debtor’s examination, could not affect the surety injuriously. The condition of the recognizance was, that the debtor should deliver himself up for examination before some magistrate within thirty days, giving notice of the time and place of his examination, and appear at the time fixed for his examination, and from time to time, till the same should be concluded, and not depart without leave of the magistrate. The court ruled correctly, that the agreement was not a waiver of the obligation of the defendant Floyd to give the notice required by the terms of the recognizance, and was no defence to the action. It did not purport to waive anything more than the right to make the examination on the day specified, and postpone it for a week *63This the magistrate might have ordered on motion, or for his own convenience, or the parties might agree to, within the terms of the recognizance. The recognizance having been violated by the neglect to give any notice to the plaintiff, the verdict is right.

¶3Judgment on the verdict.

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