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147 Mass. 407

Rice v. Howland

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

Decided October 17, 1888

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · decided 1888-10-17

Contract on a promissory note,- dated January 5, 1880, made by the defendant to Benjamin F. Robinson, the plaintiffs’ testator. Writ dated December 15, 1885. The defendant filed a declaration in set-off, for a balance due from the plaintiffs upon certain notes made by the testator to him. The answer to the declaration in set-off, among other things, averred payment, and set up the statute of limitations.

Cited by 2 later decisions — most recently July 1936

2 state decisions

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1888-10-17

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W. Allen, J.

¶1The note on which the action is brought was without consideration. The defendant held several notes against the plaintiffs’ testator, which were due and payable; the testator paid money to the defendant, and the defendant gave the note in suit. Whether the payments were made upon the notes was a question of fact, which concerned the consideration of the defendant’s note, and upon which the fact that he gave the note was not conclusive. If the payment was made by the plaintiffs’ testator to extinguish indebtedness from him to the defendant, and not to create indebtedness from the defendant to him, it was not made in consideration of the defendant’s promise to pay him, and the promise was without consideration. The agreed statement shows that the auditor found that the money was paid upon the notes, and that the promise of the defendant contained in the note, which he gave as a voucher or memorandum of the payment, was without consideration. Sargent v. Southgate, 5 Pick. 312. Braynard v. Fisher, 6 Pick. 355. Smith v. Bartholomew, 1 Met. 276, 278. 1 Chit. Con. (11th Am. ed.) 61. Hare, Con. 216.

¶2The payments made upon the notes declared on in set-off took them out of the operation of the statute of limitations, and the defendant is entitled to recover the balance due upon the notes to him.

¶3Judgment for the defendant affirmed.

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