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63 Me. 587

York v. Pearson

Supreme Judicial Court of Maine

Decided July 1, 1874

Supreme Judicial Court of Maine · decided 1874-07-01

On exceptions and motion eor a new trial. Assumpsit upon a promissory note, payable to the plaintiff’s order in three months from its date. The defendant was administratrix of her husband’s estate and the note in suit was given by her for the balance due from the estate to the plaintiff upon a grocery bill. The estate was insolvent and it was contended that there was no consideration for the note.

Cited by 2 later decisions — most recently July 1928

2 state decisions

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1874-07-01

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Walton, J.

¶1We think the verdict in this case is unmistakably wrong. The defendant’s own testimony shows that there was a legal consideration for the note declared on.

¶2The acceptance of a negotiable promissory note for a pre-existing debt, if the note is made payable at a future day, necessarily, and by operation of law, and without any agreement to that effect, suspends the right of the creditor to enforce the payment of his debt till the pay day of the note arrives; and this suspension alone is a sufficient consideration for the note.

¶3It was not therefore important to inquire whether the debt for which the note in suit was given, was absolutely discharged of not. Undoubtedly it was. But still that was not an important inquiry ; for the acceptance of the defendant’s note, payable at a future day, operated to suspend the plaintiff’s right to take any measures to collect his debt till the pay day of the note arrived; and this alone was a sufficient consideration for the note. Andrews v. Marrett, 58 Maine, 539, and authorities there cited.

¶4Motion sustained.

Appleton, C. J., Cutting, Barrows, Daneorth and Peters, JJ., concurred. •
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