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Northrup v. NorthrupNorthrup v. Northrup

New York Supreme Court
Aug 15, 1826
Reporters:
Before:
Savage

Curia, per

Savage, Ch, J.

The plea is bad. The payment of the money to Tomlinson, on the day specified, is clearly ‍‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‍a condition precedent. The performance by the plaintiff of his part of the agreement is not necessarily simultaneous ; but was naturally to be subsequent. A general averment of his readiness to perform, is all that *297can be necessary or ‍‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‍proper. To aver a tender was certainly not necessary.

Lord Mansfield, in Jones v. Barkley, (Doug. 690,) makes three classes of covenants ; 1. Such as are mutual and independent, where separate actions lie for breaches on either side ; 2. Covenants which are ‍‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‍conditions, and dependent on each other, in which the performance of one depends on the prior performance of the other ; 3. Covenants which are mutual conditions to be performed at the same time, as to which the ‍‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‍party who would maintain an action must, in general, offer or tender performance. I consider the plaintiff’s covenant as clearly belonging to the second class. The defendant’s covenant was absolute.

The cases cited by the defendant’s counsel relate to the ‍‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‍third class.

The plaintiff must have judgment, with leave to the defendant to amend on payment of costs.

Judgment for the plaintiff.

Case Details

Case Name: Northrup v. Northrup
Court Name: New York Supreme Court
Date Published: Aug 15, 1826
Citation: 6 Cow. 296
Court Abbreviation: N.Y. Sup. Ct.
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