Court Opinion

ID: 6754252
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-07-21 00:25:39.781902+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T16:02:22.622408
License: Public Domain

Caldwell, J.
The-action in the,-court below, was assump* sit. The plaintiff declared as indorsee of a promissory note made by defendant for $85.00. The declaration also contained the common counts. The case being at issue, the plaintiff offered the note in evidence, which was ruled out by the court, and the plaintiff non-suited. The refusal by the court to permit the note to go in evidence, is assigned for error. No argument is presented on either side, and the bill of exceptions only shows that the court decided that the note was not proper evidence in the cause.
On examination of the record, we do not see any objection to the note being given in evidence, and we think the court erred in ruling it out. The note has attached to it, and forming a part of the instrument a power of attorney to confess a judgment, and we presume the court may have held that that fact would prevent its negotiability. And on that presumption, we would merely remark that the power of attorney, being added to the note, does not in any way change the legal character of the note, except that it gives a more summary proceeding for its collection. It is still a promissory note, and being payable to order, is negotiable *131by indorsement. The power of attorney is not negotiable, and when the legal title to the note is transferred, the power of attorney becomes invalid, and no power whatever can be exercised under it, for the benefit of the indorsee; and he holds the note as if no such power had ever been attached to it.
The judgment of the court of common pleas will be reversed, and the cause remanded for further proceedings.