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8 Misc. 516

Townsend v. Auld

City of New York Municipal Court · decided 1894-05-15

<p>In an action upon a promissory note against the indorser thereof, where notice of protest was given by mail, evidence that the defendant did not receive such notice is properly rejected, as such notice, if properly addressed and mailed, will charge the indorser whether he received it or not. (Ehrlich, Ch. J., dissenting.)</p> <p>In such an action a paper given by the maker to the indorser, certifying that the note in question was indorsed to take up another note signed and indorsed by the same parties, and held by the plaintiff, of which paper the plaintiff had no knowledge, is inadmissible.</p>

Decided 1894-05-15

Ehrlich, Ch. J. (dissenting).

¶1The action is against the defendant, an indorser of a promissory note.

¶2The defense relied upon was want of service of notice of protest.

¶3The proof on the subject of notice consisted of: First, the certificate of the notary certifying to the fact that the notice of protest was mailed to the defendant; second, the evidence of the plaintiff proving that he mailed a copy of such notice to defendant.

¶4At the trial the defendant undertook to prove that he had never received any notice of the dishonor of the note, but the testimony was ruled out by the trial judge under the defendant’s exception. This was error.

¶5The certificate of the notary was merely presumptive evidence of the fact of service of notice (Code, § 923), and it was quite competent for the defendant to negative this presumption by proof that he had never received the notice.

¶6This would have created a question of fact for the jury to determine, whether the notice was as a matter' of fact deposited in the post office or not.

¶7If the jury found that the deposit was actually made, it would be good service of the notice upon the defendant whether he received it or not.

¶8For the error in excluding this evidence the judgment must be reversed and a new trial ordered, with costs to the appellant to abide the event.

¶9Judgment and order affirmed, with costs.

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