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19 Abb. Pr. 281

Philips' Case

New York Supreme Court

Decided January 15, 1865

New York Supreme Court · decided 1865-01-15

<p>Discharge in Insolvency.—Amendment of Petition.</p> <p>In proceedings by an insolvent to obtain a discharge from his debts under the two-thirds act, the omission by judgment creditors uniting in the petition, to add to their signatures, at the time of signing, a relinquishment of their judgments to the assignee, is an irregularity, and does not deprive the judge, to whom the petition is presented, of jurisdiction.</p> <p>The defect may be cured by subsequent amendment, before further proceedings in the case.</p>

Cited by 1 later decisions — most recently June 1899

1 state decisions

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1865-01-15

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Sutherland, J.

¶1The certiorari in this case brings up for review only questions of jurisdiction, of regularity, and of law. (Morewood a. Hollister, 2 Seld., 309.)

¶2The only question presented by the return appears to be one of jurisdiction.

¶3Certain of the petitioning creditors were judgment creditors, and did not, at the time of signing the petition, add to their signatures a declaration that they relinquished such judgments to the assignee to be appointed, though such relinquishments were subsequently, and before any further proceedings by the judge, obtained and attached to the petition.

¶4If the omission of these judgment creditors at the time of signing the petition was a mere irregularity, it was thus cured.

¶5The Russell & Irwin Manuf. Co. a. Armstrong (12 Abbotts’ Pr., 472), is a decision of the general term of this district to the effect that this omission did not deprive the judge of jurisdiction, but was a mere irregularity.

¶6The proceedings should be affirmed with costs.

*282Leonard, J.

¶7In the case of Hurst (7 Wend., 240), an amendment was allowed, specifying the consideration of several debts, which had been omitted by the insolvent in the account of his creditors.

¶8The amendment was held to be an answer to the objection that the original account was defective in this respect.

¶9The amendment allowed in the case of Philips appears to-be of a-similar charactér.

¶10The amendment in the present case, as in that of Hurst; cured an irregularity in a point not material to give the judge below jurisdiction over the case in its inception. Otherwise the amendment would have been within the principle decided in Small a. Wheaton (4 E D. Smith, 306).

¶11I concur- with Judge Sutherland’s conclusion.

¶12Barnard, J., concurred.

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