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3 N.H. 231

Davis v. Huggins

Superior Court of New Hampshire

Decided May 15, 1825

Superior Court of New Hampshire · decided 1825-05-15

Assumpsit on a note dated January 26, 1820, for ⅝130, payable in six months with interest, and made by Huggins as principal, and Read as surety. Huggins was defaulted.

Relies on King v. Baldwin · Pain v. Packard

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1825-05-15

How this case has been cited

Cited by 10 later decisions — most recently April 1916

10 state decisions

401825183018401850186018701880189019001910decided

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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Richardson, C. J.

¶1delivered the opinion of the court.

¶2It is to be considered as settled in this state, that a mere delay to call upon the principal does not, in any case,discharge a surety. 2 N. H. Rep. 448, Townsend vs. Riddle.—1 Gallison 32, Hunt vs. U. S.—Kirby 193, Barnard vs. Norton.—10 East 34.—15 John. 433.

¶3But it has been supposed, that if a creditor contract with his debtor.to give further day of payment, without the assent of the surety, the latter is discharged. Kirby 397, Deming vs. Norton.—1 B. & P. 419, Peel vs. Tatlock.—3 Binney 520.—Holt’s N. P. Rep. 84, Orme vs. Young—10 Johnson 587.

¶4So it has been supposed, that a surety might be discharged by very gross negligence of the creditor, in certain cases, 7 Johnson 332.

¶5And some have held, that if a creditor, after being requested by a surety to collect the debt of the principal, neglects so to do until the principal becomes insolvent, the surety is discharged. 17 Johns. 384, King vs. Baldwin.13 Johns. 174, Pain vs. Packard.

¶6*232But this principle is believed to have been adopted only in the state of New-York, and stands opposed there by tbe opinions of men, whose legal talents and sound reasonings more than counterbalance the weight of authority, which the decisions, that sanction the principle, carry with them. 2 Johns. Ch. R. 554.—17 John. 384.

¶7And we are of opinion, that a surety is not discharged by a mere delay of the creditor to call upon the principal, when requested so to do by the surety. It seems to us Unnecessary to establish such a principle, because the surety may in any case, if he feel any anxiety,' pay the debt and call upon the principal byasuitin his own name. This, we think, is a sufficient protection for the surety ; and we are of opinion, that there must be judgment in this case, that the plea is insufficient.

¶8Judgment for the plaintiff.

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