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7 Conn. 523

Breed v. Hillhouse

Supreme Court of Connecticut

Decided July 15, 1829

Supreme Court of Connecticut · decided 1829-07-15

This was an action of assumpsit against Samuel Hillhouse, on his guaranty of a promissory note, made by Nathaniel Hillhouse, for 122 dollars, 19 cents, dated the 15th of March 1822, payable to the plaintiff, or order, on demand, with interest. The declaration contained several counts, stating the case with some variations, on which no question arose.

Key passage — most relied on by later courts

““The agreement in question to forbear, was clearly proved, on a principle of probable presumption, which harmonizes with common sense and is conformed to experience; and both reason and experience bear concurrent testimony to the inference of a consideration in this case. The acceptance of the- indorsed guaranty by the plaintiff, and his consequent forbearance, prove the agreement in question, and are incompatible with any other supposition.””

quoted by 1 later decision, including Warren Paint Co. v. Swihart

Relies on Thornton v. Wynn

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1829-07-15

How this case has been cited

Cited by 31 later decisions — most recently January 2003 · most notably Szymanska v. Equitable Life Insurance (1936), Hungerford v. O'Brien (1887)

31 state decisions — followed in 18 states

601829183018401850186018701880189019001910192019301940195019601970198019902000decided

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.

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

Hosmer, Ch. J.

¶1Although an agreement to forbear is not. specifically averred, otherwise than by the allegation that the plaintiff accepted the guaranty and actually forbore, yet under this declaration such agreement is provable. This mode of declaring is sanctioned by Wentworth, Chitty and almost all the approved writers on pleading ; (2 Chitt. Plead. 83.) and an averment of an agreement to forbear, has ever been considered as necessarily implied from the above allegations. In Lent & al. v. Paddleford, 10 Mass. Rep. 230. the above point was explicitly made and decided.

¶2*528The agreement in question to forbear, was clearly proved, on a pr¡nc¡p]e 0f probable presumption, which harmonizes with common sense and is conformed to experience ; and both reason and experience bear concurrent testimony to the inference of a consideration in this case. The acceptance of the indorsed guaranty, by the plaintiff, and his consequent forbearance, prove the agreement in question, and are incompatible with any other supposition.

¶3In respect of the demand and notice, the defendant’s promise to pay the note is sufficient evidence of these facts ; and stands good until the contrary is made to appear. Lundie v. Robertson, 7 East 231. Gibbon v. Coggon, 2 Campb. 188. Wood v. Brown, 1 Stark. Rep. 217. Pierson v. Hooker, 3 Johns. Rep. 68. Hopkins v. Liswell, 12 Mass. Rep. 52. Greenway & al. v. Hindley, 4 Campb. 52. The case of Trimble v. Thorne, 16 Johns. Rep. 152. is opposed to these decisions ; but so far as my knowledge extends, it stands alone and unsupported. It is a presumption of reason, sustained by the common experience of mankind, that “a man will not pay a debt which is not due, nor acknowledge the existence of a debt, to which he is not liable.” 3 Stark. Ev. 1253.

¶4Besides, if a party entitled to notice, has knowledge of the want of due diligence, on the part of the holder of a note or bill, and promises to pay the debt, this is a waiver of the want of notice, Goodall & al. v. Dolley, 1 Term Rep. 712. Hopes v. Alder, 6 East, 16 n. Lundie v. Robertson, 7 East 231. Borradaile & al. v. Lowe, 4 Taun. 93. Stevens v. Lynch, 2 Campb. 332. Miller v. Hack, 5 Johns. Rep. 375. Martin v. Winslow, 2 Mason 241. Thornton v. Wynn, 12 Wheat. 183. Fotheringham v. Price's Exrs. 1 Bay 288. 291. Chitt. Bills 301—309. Now, if there was a want of due notice, the defendant knew it; for he was the person to be notified.

¶5After all, the above questions, in this case, are merely speculative. The defendant’s guaranty was absolute, that the note should be paid within four years, by the maker, or that he would pay it himself; and demand and notice were not necessary in this, any more than in all other cases of absolute and unconditional engagements. The indebtedness of the defendant arose on the non-payment of the note ; and at this time, he became legally liable to pay it. Mason v. Pritchard, 12 East 227. Campbell v. Butler, 14 Johns. Rep. 349. Allen s. *529Rightmere, 20 Johns. Rep. 365. Upham v. Prince, 12 Mass. Rep. 14. The result is, that a new trial is not by me advised.

The other Judges were of the same opinion.

¶6New trial not to be granted.

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