50 Iowa 395 | Iowa | 1879
The court refused all the instructions, fifteen in number, asked by the plaintiffs, and instructed the jury as follows: “In this case it is shown that, the note in question being negotiable, the suit, under the law, was brought before the maturity of the note; and it being further shown, by uncontradicted evidence, that a petition in bankruptcy was filed against E. J. Bruce, the payee of the note in question, in the District Court of the United States, on the 15th day of March, 1876, and that said E. J. Bruce filed an answer to said petition, by his attorneys, Seaton & Spaan, the plaintiffs in this case, on the 25th day of March, 1876; and that said note was transferred by E. J. Bruce to plaintiffs, on the 1st or 2d day of April, 1876, and that said E. J. Bruce, under said proceedings, was adjudged a bankrupt; that the plaintiffs had notice of the filing of said petition before said 1st day of April. The court, in view of'the foregoing facts being established’by uncontradicted evidence, instructs the jury to find a verdict for the defendant.”
However correct, as abstract propositions, the instructions asked may have been, there was no error in refusing them, if the instruction above quoted was properly given.
Section 2650 of the Code provides: “When any of the matters enumerated as grounds of demurrer do not appear on the face of the petition the objection may be taken by answer. If no such objection is taken it shall be deemed waived. If the facts stated by the petition do not entitle the plaintiff to any relief whatever, advantage may be taken of it by motion in arrest of judgment before judgment is entered.” This is a ease where the defect appears upon the face of the petition, and it is one, also, wherein the facts stated in the petition do not entitle the plaintiff to any relief. That the petition should have been held bad upon demurrer, if one had been interposed, there can be no doubt. Not only did the petition show upon its face that the plaintiffs were not entitled to maintain an action when the suit was commenced, but the proof introduced by the plaintiffs showed the same fact. It was competent, therefore, for the court to instruct the jury that, under the evidence submitted, the plaintiffs could not recover.
The judgment is
Affirmed.