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58 N.H. 50

Murray v. Whitcomb

Supreme Court of New Hampshire

Decided December 5, 1876

Supreme Court of New Hampshire · decided 1876-12-05

Bill in Equity, to foreclose a mortgage. The answer admits the execution of the mortgage, and. states, in substance, that the defendants purchased of the plaintiff’s testator a farm known as the “ Richard Ford farmthat the parties knew what lands were to be conveyed, but the testator, when he made the deed, omitted, by accident or design, to include in his conveyance a large tract of land, of great value, that was included in the purchase, and that the mortgage and note in…

Relies on Furbush v. Goodwin · Drew v. Towle · Butler & Co. v. Northumberland

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1876-12-05

How this case has been cited

Cited by 3 later decisions — most recently June 1925

3 state decisions

10187618801890190019101920decided

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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Bingham, J.

¶1 We understand that the land purchased, but not conveyed to the extent of its value, increased the sum for which the note was given, and that there was a want of consideration for the note, to the extent of the value of the land not conveyed.

¶2 It is claimed that the contract was entire, and that it has never been rescinded — Way v. Cutting, 17 N. H. 451; that the defendants still hold the deed of the lands conveyed, and, as the failure is only partial, and the value of the land omitted cannot be determined by computation, no deduction can be made from the note. Sanborn v. Osgood, 16 N. H. 112; Drew v. Towle, 27 N. H. 412; Riddle v. Gage, 37 N. H. 519.

¶3 At common law, we think that the plaintiff’s view is correct. But under the statute.of 1861 (Gen. St., c. 201, s. 11) it is provided, that when, in an action upon a promissory note, a total want or failure of consideration would be a defence, a partial want or failure of consideration may be proved in reduction of damages, under a brief statement. Nichols v. Hunton, 45 N. H. 470; Butler v. Northumberland, 50 N. H. 33; Swain v. Saltmarsh, 54 N. H. 9.

¶4 This proceeding is to enforce the collection of the note secured by the mortgage. If there is nothing due upon the note, the mortgage is discharged. Bowman v. Manter, 33 N. H. 530 ; Sanborn v. Sanborn, *51 41 N. H. 306; Furbush v. Goodwin, 25 N. H. 426. Tins is an action upon a promissory note, within the meaning of the statute, and a sum equal to the value of the land omitted in the conveyance may be deducted from the note.

¶5 Exceptions sustained, and judgment reversed.

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