16 Iowa 379 | Iowa | 1864
It is very manifest, from the report of the referee in the former case, the final decree, and from his testimony in this, (admitted without question or objection) that the account now sued for was not included in the final adjudication. From the record we conclude that the bill and pleadings contemplated a settlement of the entire accounts of the respective parties, plaintiff claiming that in such settlement-(including what he had paid for the firm and received of its assets, as well as from his individual accounts), defendant was largely his debtor. On the other hand, defendant, by his answer, insisted that plaintiff was indebted to him. The referee proceeded to hear the case,
The question to be determined is not alone whether the matter now in controversy was included in the issues joined in the former suit, but whether the judgment or determination was such as to estop the party from again claiming for the same demand. 1 Grreenl. Ev., §§ 529, 530. It would be thus included, if it was covered by or embraced in the pleadings; and to be so embraced, it is not necessary that it should always appear affirmatively from the face of the record. Thus, under the former practice, when the party might plead specially, or give the matter in evidence under the general issue, if the point was actually tried and deter
So far, therefore, as the instructions given relate to the question of former adjudication, they are substantially correct. If the Court had explained and illustrated more at length the office of the parol evidence introduced, and how far it could legitimately be considered in determining what was in controversy in the former suit, the jury would doubtless have had a clearer and better defined idea of the object of such testimony, and of their duty in the premises. It was the duty of the Court, however, to construe the record offered in evidence, and to state to the jury what it
There is one feature of the transaction, however, which we think was not properly submitted to the jury. By the propositions made to plaintiff through Snyder and accepted, he was to take the assets and pay the debts. By this was it meant and intended between the parties, that defendant was to pay plaintiff what he might be owing the firm— was this a part of the assets — or did they mean that each party should be relieved of any liability to the firm or each other, so far as related to their partnership accounts, plaintiff taking all the accounts and demands owing by others, and all the property, and paying all the debts except one? The arguments for and against either construction we need not advance, it being sufficient to say that the question should have been submitted to the jury, whether there was any agreement that defendant should pay this account. In the absence of agreement, of course as a partner, he would only be liable to plaintiff, in their accounting, for so much as his account exceeded plaintiff’s, and not for the whole amount. If there was a contract, however, which entitled plaintiff to the entire amount owing by defendant to the firm, by which it was understood to be assets, by this the parties should be governed, and under it their rights must be adjudicated. The third instruction, asked by defendant, sought to get this question to the jury. It was refused, however, and the jury were not allowed to take into consideration the true nature and scope of the contract. And as it seems to us, that while the judge below took the correct view of the main issues in the case, he nevertheless withheld from the jury a question
Reversed.