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20 Tex. 825

Ashworth v. Dark

Texas Supreme Court

Decided July 1, 1858

Texas Supreme Court · decided 1858-07-01

Error from Orange. Tried below before the Hon. J. M. Maxcy. Suit commenced Sept. 27th, 1855, by Dark against Ashworth, on two promissory notes for $1000 each; both dated Oct. 80th, 1854; one payable at six, and the other at twelve months, with ten per cent, interest from date; and to foreclose a mortgage on a stock of cattle, amounting to about six hundred head, more or less, branded T. S. The mortgage was filed as part of the petition, and contained a clause authorizing…

Decided 1858-07-01

Wheeler, J.

¶1The object of amending the answer was to waive the tort, and rely upon the implied contract. As amended, the answer amounts to this: that the plaintiff had taken and appropriated the identical property of the defendant, upon which he had taken the mortgage to secure the payment of the note sued on, of value more than sufficient to satisfy the debt. Can it be doubted that this was an answer to the action to foreclose the mortgage upon this property ? We think not. If true, it was an answer to the entire action ; for if the mortgage was thus satisfied, there was no longer a subsisting debt. And the Court having acquired cognizance of the defendant’s demand, would retain it for the purpose of final disposition, and would award a recovery over against the plaintiff, if the defendant showed himself entitled to it. We are therefore of opinion that the Court erred in sustaining exceptions to the answer; for which the judgment is reversed, and the cause remanded.

¶2Reversed and remanded.

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