Public-domain · open source
OpenJurist

3 Wend. 486

Story v. Patten

New York Supreme Court

Decided January 15, 1830

New York Supreme Court · decided 1830-01-15

Error from the Onondaga common pleas. Story sued. Patten before a justice of the peace, who rendered judgment for the plaintiff. The defendant appealed to the Onondaga common pleas. In the declaration, the plaintiff set forth a judgment rendered in his favor against J. Smith and G. How- , , , „ „ „ . . . . land by Kelly Vase Esq. the issuing oi an execution thereon, an(j the delivery of the same to the defendant, as a constable, J to collect.

Decided 1830-01-15

¶1By the Court,

Sutherland, J.

¶2The plaintiff was improperly nonsuited. The case appears to me to fall within the well established principle, that where the nature of the proceedings or the form of action or pleadings gives the opposite party notice to be prepared to produce a writing or instrument, if necessary to falsify the plaintiff’s evidence, no other notice to produce it is requisite. The defendant must have known, from the declaration in this case, that the contents of *488the execution in his possession would come in question; that qle plaintiff could not recover without proving it. He was therefore bound to have it in court, ready to be produc'ed,. or suffer parol evidence of its contents to be given. (The People v. Holbrook, 13 Johns. R. 90. 1 Campb. 143. 3 Bos. & Pul. 143. 14 East, 274. 17 Johns. R. 293. 4 Taunt. 865. 1 Phil. Ev. 392. 2 Merriv. 464.)

¶3In Gorham v. Gale, (7 Cowen, 739, and 6 Cowen, 467, note a,) the declaration was in the general form for money had and received, and of course gate bo notice* to the* sheriff of producing tb.efi.fa. If it was necessary for the plaintiff in this case to give notice to the defendant to* produce the execution, the case of Gorham v. Gale shews that the notice given was not sufficient; but I think notice Was tiot necessary.

¶4Judgment reversed, and Venire de novo awarded.

/3/wend/486 · .json · Public domain