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24 Wend. 454

Ketchell v. Burns

New York Supreme Court

Decided October 15, 1840

New York Supreme Court · decided 1840-10-15

Error from the Cayuga common pleas. Ketchell sued Burns in a justice’s court, and declared upon a guaranty, endorsed upon a promissory note, in these words : “ For and in consideration of thirty-one dollars and fifty cents received of B. F. Spencer, I hereby guarantee the payment and collection of the within note to him or bearer. Auburn. Sept. 25, 1837.” (Signed) Thomas Burns.

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1840-10-15

How this case has been cited

Cited by 16 later decisions — most recently July 1919

1 federal appellate · 13 state decisions

6018401850186018701880189019001910decided

Later decisions citing this case, by decade. The current decade is in progress, and our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so the latest bars are undercounted — not a real decline.

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¶1By the Court,

Nelson, Ch. J.

¶2Regarding the legal effect given to this form of guaranty by the decisions in this court, the plaintiff" below was entitled to recover. It amounts to an absolute promise to pay the note if the maker fails at the day. 20 Johns. R. 365. 19 Wendell, 202. It is a new note for the payment of the money, upon full consideration, and as it is made payable to Spencer or bearer, it is negotiable. See also 17 Wendell, 214, and 6 Conn. R. 315.

¶3It was supposed that this case should be governed by Lamourieux v. Hewitt, 5 Wendell, 307; but there the guaranty did not import an absolute undertaking to pay. The endorsement was, I warrant the collection of the within note, for value received; importing, simply a special agreement, that if the money could not be collected of the maker, the defendant would pay. Here the promise to pay is absolute and unconditional to Spencer or bearer—in terms a full negotiable note.

¶4It is agreed if the endorsement had been in blank by Burns, while the note was in the hands of the original payee, the latter might have filled it *457up and recovered as on a promissory note payable to himself. 21 Wendell, 590. Here the defendant has done the same and more, for he has added words of negotiability.

¶5Judgment reversed; venire de novo by Cayuga common pleas; costs to abide the event.

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