Shields v. Schorno

Plaintiff sued on a promissory note. The defendants’ answer admitted execution and delivery of the note to the plaintiff as payee, but interposed affirmative defenses of fraud, and that the note was given without consideration.

At the close of the testimony, the court granted plaintiff’s motion for a directed verdict upon the ground that, as a matter of law, the defendants had not made a prima facie showing on the affirmative defenses.

The defendants appeal.

The appellants operated a large dairy farm and had bor rowed extensively from the Puget Sound National Bank of Tacoma. The following…