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Kenney v. BrownKenney v. Brown

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
May 8, 1885
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
Morton
Morton, C. J.

The letters of the defendant to the plaintiff’s intestate set forth in ‍‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍the bill of exceptions are not sufficient evidence of a new contract which deprives the defendant of the benefit of his discharge in insolvency. They refer ‍‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍to his insolvency, express his desire to pay all his debts, and his hope and trust that he will be able to pay the debt of the ‍‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍plaintiff’s intestate in the future, speak of partial payments, and express regret that he is not able to do more ; but they do not contain language ‍‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍which amounts to a clear and unequivocal promise to pay the whole debt, or an undertaking which is inconsistent with a reliance upon his discharge. The ‍‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍cases of Elwell v. Cumner, 136 Mass. 102, and Bigelow v. Norris, ante, 12, are decisive of the case at bar. Exceptions overruled.

Case Details

Case Name: Kenney v. Brown
Court Name: Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Date Published: May 8, 1885
Citations: 1 N.E. 547; 139 Mass. 345; 1885 Mass. LEXIS 101
Court Abbreviation: Mass.
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