1774. Carta de Juan Manuel Araújo Somoza, escribano, para Domingo de Santa Marina Noguerol, escribano.

Letter from Juan Manuel Araújo Somoza, law oficial, to Domingo de Santa Marina Noguerol, law official.

The author warns Domingo de Santa Marina Noguerol of the risks he faces accepting the position as a law official he sold him.

The plaintiff of this litigation from 1777 was Juan Manuel Araújo Somoza, a public notary official native to Chantada (Lugo), against Domingo de Santa Marina Noguerol, also a law official. The litigation was issued regarding compliance of an instrument on obligation. Juan Manuel Araújo Somoza accepted the position as a law official in the jurisdiction of Camba y Roseiro (Pontevedra) when his uncle, José Araújo, renounced it. Juan Manuel Araújo Somoza worked at the said position between 1766 and 1773. In 1773, the plaintiff and the respondent signed an instrument on obligation whereby Juan Manuel Araújo Somoza handed the position as a law official to Domingo de Santa Marina Noguerol and the latter committed to pay the former a pension of one hundred ducats per year. The litigation started because Domingo de Santa Marina delayed in the payments since the very first day he took office, in August the 22nd 1774. There are four letters attached to the process documentation: the three first letters (PS6108, PS6109 y PS6110) were presented by the respondent in order to prove that Juan Manuel Araújo Somoza was aware of the abusive character of the instrument on obligation. He argued he had been fooled and he had been notified about the news referred to in the letters after having accepted the position and having spent a lot of money. Besides, he also argues no one informed him of the low income he would have from the position. The fourth letter (PS6111) was presented by the plaintiff in order to prove that Domingo de Santa Marina Noguerol was fully aware of the conditions of the instrument on obligation, therefore, he never had any intention on fooling him.