Tate v. Winfree

Feb 12, 1901
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
Couet
By the Couet:

The right of one surety to call upon his co-surety for contribution, like the ‍‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‍rights of all sureties to call upon the principal for indemnity, arises from a principle of equity growing out of the relation which the parties have assumed towards each other. That ‍‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‍equity springs up at the time of entering into that relation, and is fully consummated when the surety is compelled to pay the debt. Wayland v. Tucker, 4 Gratt. 267; 1 White & Tudor’s Lead. Cases in Equity, ‍‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‍134.

The right of action in such case is based upon the implied promise arising from the equitable relations which the sureties *256bear to each other, and not upon the -written contract by ‍‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‍which they became sureties. The statute of limitations applicable to such a case is three years, and not the limitation which- applies to the bond, note or other writing which they ‍‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‍have been compelled to pay. Section 2920 of the Code. See Faires v. Cockrell, 28 L. R. A. 528.

Appeal denied.