185 A.D. 712 | N.Y. App. Div. | 1919
The order denying the motion for a bill of particulars does not necessarily affect the final judgment and, therefore, is not reviewable on an appeal from the judgment. (Code Civ. Proc. § 1316; Raff v. Koster, Bial & Co., 38 App. Div. 336.) The appeal, therefore, in so far as it attempts to bring up for review the order is dismissed.
This is an action to recover for services alleged to have been rendered by the plaintiff as an accountant on a per diem basis on employment by the defendant. The defendant put in issue the material allegations of the complaint and pleaded that the plaintiff was not the real party in interest in that he had assigned his claim to the Broadway Building Company, and that there was a defect of parties in that one
The action in which the services were rendered was one brought by the defendant and his coadministrator of the estate of said Charles McWilliams, deceased, in their representative capacities, for a copartnership accounting with respect to a copartnership between their intestate and his brother, who also had died. The testimony of the plaintiff tended to show that after he had had some interviews and correspondence with the attorney for the plaintiffs in the copartnership accounting action, he met the attorney and the defendant; that the attorney stated in the presence of the defendant that he was the attorney for the defendant and correspondence between the plaintiff and the attorney with respect to the services to be rendered and compensation therefor was referred to, and that he was asked to do the work; that defendant asked how long it would take and he replied, “ I don’t know, but it certainly is not going to take any longer than I can possibly help, because I understand that I have to wait for my money until you get yours,” and that finally the defendant told him to go ahead but to finish the work as soon as he could and that he thereupon entered upon the services and completed the preparation of the account and testified before the referee; that after completing the work he told the defendant the cost of his services on the per diem basis, to which the defendant made no response, and that he subsequently mailed a letter to the defendant inclosing a bill therefor. The bill, which was offered in evidence by the plaintiff, was to the defendant and his coadministrator as such. . The testimony of the defendant tends to show that the employment of the plaintiff was by the attorney for the
That evidence was excluded on plaintiff’s objection. If received it would have tended not only to show that the services were rendered on the credit of the estate, but also that the plaintiff was not the real party in interest and that he had parted with the claim absolutely. It would not, however, have been conclusive upon either point, for the defendant was not a party thereto and it was, therefore, subject to explanation.
A reassignment of the claim to the plaintiff after the commencement of the action was erroneously received in evidence over the defendant’s objection and exception. (Walsh v. Woarms, 109 App. Div. 166.) That, of course, could not avail the plaintiff in this action. In view, however, of the fact that the court ruled that as matter of law the plaintiff had a sufficient interest to maintain the action, this error did no"t affect the verdict. It does not appear that the assignee gave notice to defendant of the - assignment, and if the assignment was only as collateral the plaintiff retained a sufficient interest in the claim to enable him to sue thereon, and he would hold the proceeds as trustee for the assignee to the extent of its interest, and if defendant required protection as against the assignee he should, in the event that the assignment was as collateral, have pleaded a defect of parties in that the assignee was not joined. (Lang v. Eagle Fire Co., 12 App. Div. 39; Hawkins v. Mapes-Reeve Construction Co., 82 id. 72, 80; Mercantile Trust Co. v. Gimbernat, 143 id. 305; affd., 206 N. Y. 722.) Such a plea would not have availed the defendant since the claim was reassigned to plaintiff by which it appears that the assignee has now no interest therein.
The error in the exclusion of material evidence requires
Dowling, Smith, Page and Shearn, JJ., concurred.
Judgment and order reversed and new trial ordered, with costs to appellant to abide event.