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13 Wend. 283

Stone v. Case

New York Supreme Court

Decided January 15, 1835

New York Supreme Court · decided 1835-01-15

Error from the Monroe common pleas. Stone sued Case and Keeler in a justice’s court, and declared orally , in substance, as follows: “ The plaintiff declares against the defendants in this suit in assumpsit, for that in consideration of a certain piece or peices of wheat the defendants agreed and promised to pay the plaintiff a certain sum of money, to wit, twenty dollars.

Cited by 3 later decisions — most recently December 1909

3 state decisions

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1835-01-15

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¶1By the court,

Savage, Ch. J.

¶2The counsel for the plaintiff in error contends that the declaration was sufficient. In Timmerman v. Morison. 14 Johns. R. 369, the plaintiff declared in writing :• his declaration containing the general counts, but without stating any time, or averring a request on the part of the defendant. The defendant demurred specially, but the justice decided the declaration was sufficient. On certiorari, this court said that the demurrer was well taken, and the defendant was entitled to judgment thereon. In Keyser v. Shafer, 2 Cowen, 437, such a declaration was held good in a justice’s court on general demurrer ; and in Van Hoesen v. Van Alstine, 3 Wendell, 78, it was said that although pleadings in justice’s courts are to be received with liberality, yet, when they are objected to beforethe justice they are to be governed by the same rules as pleadings in other courts. When a cause from a justices’ court is brought tip for review, and no objection was taken to the pleadings before the justice, this court will not readily listen to such an objection, particularly one of form merely. If it be good in substance, that is sufficient; and no doubt it was in reference to that principle that the revised statutes provide, that where a plaintiff declares orally, the justice shall enter in his docket the substance thereof. 2 R. S. 234, § 48. The legislature did not thereby intend to say that a declaration before a justice should not be perfect in form as well as substance, if so required., at the time when put in.

¶3The justice erred in saying the declaration was sufficient, and also in giving judgment without evidence of the amount of the plaintiff’s damages. The common pleas were correct in reversing the judgment; and their judgment must be affirmed, with single costs.

¶4Judgment of common pleas affirmed.

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