52 Me. 267 | Me. | 1863
The right to maintain this bill was affirmed on demurrer thereto. Crooker v. Crooker, 46 Maine, 250.
The facts alleged in the bill having been sustained by proof, the only remaining question is, whether the same injunction shall issue against the President, Directors & Co. of the Lincoln Bank as has been decreed against the other creditors of William D. Crooker.
It is in proof that the Lincoln Bank had a note against the firm of C. & W. D. Crooker, given while their partnership was in existence; that, after its dissolution, the bank agreed to a division of the note between the members of the firm, taking the several note of each partner for his half, and surrendering up the note of the firm. Notwithstanding this, the claim is now made, that the bank has lost none of its rights as creditors of the firm, but are still to be regarded as such.
A negotiable note, given for an account, or in renewal of a preceding note, is presumed to be in payment of the original demand.
In Evans v. Drummond, 4 Esp., 89, a firm of two partners gave a partnership note for goods sold them. One of the partners retired. The bill, when due, was not paid, but was renewed by another bill, given by the partner who continued the business, which the creditor took, knowing of the dissolution. Lord Kenyon held that, by so doing, the creditor had relied on the sole security of the continuing partner and had discharged the other. The decision in Reid v. White, 5 Esp., 122, was to the same effect. In Thompson v. Percival & al., 5 Barn. & Ad., 925, the preceding cases were examined and the decisions therein affirmed. " It appears to us,” observes Denman, C. J., "that the facts proved raised a question for the jury, whether it was agreed between the plaintiffs and James, (one of the defendants,) that the former should accept the latter as their sole debtor, and should take the bill of exchange accepted by him alone, by
In the present case, the several note of each partner for
Their rights are in no respect superior to those of their co-defendants.
The rule in equity is well established, that if one co-partner has paid more than his share of the partnership debts, he has a claim upon the partnership property, which in equity is superior to the claims of the separate creditors of his co-partner. Buchan v. Sumner, 2 Barb. Ch., 165. This the bill alleges and the proof shows to have been done by the plaintiff. Bill sustained.
Injunction as prayed for.