25-906. Confession of judgment after action brought; effect.

After an action for the recovery of money is brought, the defendant may offer in court to confess judgment for part of the amount claimed, or part of the causes involved in the action. Whereupon, if the plaintiff, being present, refuses to accept such confession of judgment in full of his demands against the defendant in the action, or, having had such notice that the offer would be made, of its amount and of the time of making it, as the court shall deem reasonable, fail to attend, and on the trial do not recover more than was so offered to be confessed, such plaintiff shall pay all the costs of the defendant incurred after the offer. The offer shall not be deemed to be an admission of the cause of action or amount to which the plaintiff is entitled, nor be given in evidence upon the trial.

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Annotations

In order that a confession of judgment may be binding on the plaintiff, it is essential that he, either expressly or impliedly, assent thereto; if it is made without his request, knowledge, or consent, and entered at the instance of the debtor alone, it will have no validity unless the creditor ratifies or accepts it. In re Estate of Redpath, 224 Neb. 845, 402 N.W.2d 648 (1987).

No compliance was had with requirements for confession of judgment. James v. Hogan, 154 Neb. 306, 47 N.W.2d 847 (1951).

An offer to confess judgment, incorporated in an answer, should not be referred to in the instructions. Hammang v. Chicago & N.W. Ry. Co., 107 Neb. 684, 186 N.W. 991 (1922).

Offer must be made in open court or served on plaintiff though filed. Rose v. Peck, 18 Neb. 529, 26 N.W. 363 (1886).

This section is not applicable to proceedings in ad quod damnum. Johnson v. Sutliff, 17 Neb. 423, 23 N.W. 9 (1885).