Case Name: McDONALD v. PAGE
Court: Supreme Court of Ohio
Jurisdiction: Ohio
Decision Date: 1832-10
Citations: 1 Ohio Ch. 121
Docket Number: 
Parties: McDONALD v. PAGE.
Judges: 
Reporter: Reports of cases at law and in chancery Ohio
Volume: 1
Pages: 121–121

Head Matter:
McDONALD v. PAGE.
Costs — attorney’s fees — no parol evidence to explain the term costs — plea puis darrain continuance.
The term cosSs has a 'legal signification, and includes only taxable costs, not attorney’s fees. Parol evidence is inadmissible to prove,-that the parties to a written agreement to pay cos&, intended to embrace-attorney’s fees.
Assumpsit upon a promissory note. The defendant pleaded puis darrain continuance, that he had agreed with the plaintiff to pay him a certain sum and costs, and the plaintiff should discontinue these suits, which sum with the costs he had paid. Issue was taken on this.
The plaintiff contended that the agreement, which was in writing, obliged the defendant to pay the attorney’s fees in the suit, and offered evidence to .prove., that such was the understanding of the parties, and that the word costs used by them, was intended to embrace those fees.

Opinion:
Lane, J.
The evidence is inadmissible. The word costs has a legal signification. It includes only those expenditures which are, by law, taxable, and to be included in the judgment.
The defendant had judgment.