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Cunningham v. MahanCunningham v. Mahan

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Mar 15, 1873
Reporters:
Before:
Moktom
Moktom, J.

When a statute fixes a limitation of time within which a particular act may or may not be ‍‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‍done, if the time limited exceeds a week, Sunday is included in the computation ; but if it is less than a week, Sunday is excluded. This is the established rule of interpretation in this state. Alderman v. Phelps, 15 ‍‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‍Mass. 225. Thayer v. Felt, 4 Pick. 354. Penniman v. Cole, 8 Met. 496. McIniffe v. Wheelock, 1 Gray, 600. Hannum v. Tourtellott, 10 Allen, 494.

The St. of 1861, c. 112, provides that “whenever the notice permitted by the thirteenth section of the one hundred and twenty-fourth chapter of the General Statutes shall be ‍‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‍served by leaving a copy thereof at the last and usual place of abode of the plaintiff or creditor, bis agent or attorney, not less than twenty-four hours shall be allowed before the time appointed for ‍‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‍the examination.”

As there is nothing in the statute to indicate a different intention of the Legislature, it falls within the general rule above stated, and, in the computation of the twenty-four hours to be allowed to ‍‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‍the creditor, Sunday is to be excluded. It follows that the notice in this case was insufficient.

Exceptions overruled.

Case Details

Case Name: Cunningham v. Mahan
Court Name: Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Date Published: Mar 15, 1873
Citation: 112 Mass. 58
Court Abbreviation: Mass.
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