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13 Wend. 26

M'Nish v. Coon

New York Supreme Court

Decided October 15, 1834

New York Supreme Court · decided 1834-10-15

Error, from the Washington common pleas. M’Nish, tire intestate, sued Coon on an instrument in writing, dated 2d December, 1823, whereby Coon promised to pay M’Nish $63,-70 in sawing to be done at the mill near the house of Daniel Coon; tobeperfonned duringtheterm specified in a lease made by D. R to A. M’Nish, date 6th November, 1816, and which lease expires on the 6th November, 1825.

Cited by 2 later decisions — most recently September 1852

2 state decisions

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1834-10-15

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¶1By the Court,

Sutherland, J.

¶2The sale and removal of the mill in the fore part of October is a decisive fact against the defendant. The plaintiff had a right to wait as long as he pleased before he demanded the sawing, so that time enough was left to the defendant to perform it before the expiration of the lease, which was the sixth day of November. There is nothing in the case to show that a month was not more than sufficient for that purpose; and in the fore part of October, *28before the plaintiff was obliged to make the demand, the dexo v fendant had disabled himself from performing, by the sale and removal of the mill. Upon this ground the plaintiff was clearly excused from making a demand; it would have been an act entirely nugatory; the defendant had not the physical power of performing; there was no mill at the place where the sawing- was to be done. The case of Lovett v. Cornwell & Wing, 6 Wendell, 369, is in point. The court below should have held that the plaintiff had excused the demand, and was entitled to recover.

¶3Judgment reversed; venire de novo.

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