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Saturday, October 9, 2010

PROMISSORY NOTES -PROBLEMS- 3

4. "Promissory note".- A "promissory note" is an instrument in writing (not being a bank-note or a currency-note) containing an unconditional undertaking signed by the maker, to pay a certain sum of money only to, or to the order of, a certain person, or to the bearer of the instrument

Illustrations



A sign instrument in the following terms:

(a) "I promise to pay B on order Rs. 500".

(b) "I acknowledge myself to be indebted to B in Rs. 1, 000, to be paid on demand, for value received."

(c) "Mr. B, I.O.U Rs. 1,000."

(d) "I promise to pay B Rs. 500 and all other sums which shall be due to him."

(e) I promise to pay B Rs. 500 first deducting there out any money which he may owe me."

(f) "I promise to pay B Rs. 500 seven days after my marriage with C."

(g) "I promise to pay B Rs. 500 on D's death, provided D leaves me enough to pay that sum,"

(h) "I promise to pay B Rs. 500 and to deliver to him my black horse on 1st January next."

The instruments respectively marked (a) and (b) are promissory notes. The instruments respectively marked (c), (d), (e), (f), (g) and (h) are not promissory notes.

20.Inchoate stamped instruments.- Where one person signs and delivers to another a paper stamped in accordance with the law relating to negotiable instruments then in force in [India], and either wholly blank or having written thereon an incomplete negotiable instrument, he thereby gives prima facie authority to the holder thereof to make or complete, as then case may be, upon it a negotiable instrument, instrument, for any amount specified therein and not exceeding the amount covered by the stamp. The person so signing shall be liable upon such instrument, in the capacity in which he signed the same, to any holder in due course for such amount, provided that no person other than a holder in due course shall recover from the person delivering the instrument anything in excess of the amount intended by him to be paid thereunder.

18. Where amount is stated differently in figures and words.- If the amount undertaken or ordered to be paid is stated differently in figures and in words, the amount stated in words shall be the amount undertaken or ordered to be paid

43. Negotiable instrument made, etc., without consideration.-A negotiable instrument made, drawn, accepted, indorsed, or transferred without consideration, or for a consideration which fails, creates no obligation of payment between the parties to the transaction. But if any such party has transferred the instrument with or without endorsement to a holder for consideration, such holder, and every subsequent holder deriving title from him, may recover the amount due on such instrument from the transferor for consideration or any prior party thereto.

Exception I.- No party for whose accommodation a negotiable instrument has been made, drawn, accepted or indorsed can, if he has paid the amount thereof, recover thereon such amount from any person who became a party to such instrument for his accommodation.

Exception II.-No party to the instrument who has induced any other party to make, draw, accept, indorse or transfer the same to him for a consideration which he has failed to pay or perform in full shall recover there in an amount exceeding the value of the consideration (if any) which he has actually paid or performed.

87. Affect of material alteration.

Any material alteration of a negotiable instrument renders the same void as against anyone who is a party thereto at the time of making such alteration and does not consent thereto, unless it was made in order to carry out the common intention of the original parties;

Alteration by endorsee:- And any such alteration, if made by an endorsee, discharges his endorser from all liability to him in respect of the consideration thereof.

The provisions of this section are subject to those of sections 20, 49, 86 and 125.

118. Presumptions as to negotiable instruments of consideration

Until the contrary is proved, the following presumptions shall be made:-

(a) of consideration-that every negotiable instrument was made or drawn for consideration, and that every such instrument, when it has been accepted, indorsed, negotiated or transferred, was accepted, indorsed, negotiated or transferred for consideration;

(b) as to date- that every negotiable instrument bearing a date was made or drawn on such date;

(c) as to time of acceptance- that every accepted bill of exchange was accepted within a reasonable time after its date its date and before its maturity;

(d) as to time of transfer.- that every transfer of a negotiable instrument was made before its maturity;

(e) as to order of endorsements - that the endorsements appearing upon a negotiable instrument were made in the order in which they appear thereon;

(f) as to stamps-that a lost promissory note, bill of exchange or cheque was duly stamped;

(g) that holder is a holder in due course - that the holder of a negotiable instrument is a holder in due course; provided that, where the instrument has been contained from its lawful owner, or form any person in lawful custody thereof, by means of an offence or fraud, or for unlawful consideration, the burden of proving that the holder is a holder in due course lies upon him.