91 N.Y.S. 378 | N.Y. App. Div. | 1904
Upon the final settlement of his accounts the administrator presented a personal claim against the estate of his decedent, Phebe A. Hiller, for a considerable amount for professional services as a physician rendered to her, and also for the amount of several promissory notes, claimed by him to have been made by her and delivered to him. Josephine H. Dunning, sister of the decedent, and her sole next of kin, filed objections to the account. The learned surrogate has decided in favor of the claimant upon his claim for professional services and upon all the notes, and from a part of the judgment entered upon such decision this appeal is taken. The only question presented for review by the appeal is as to the correctness of that part of the decree adjudging that a note for $2,275, bearing date October 15, 1894, less certain small payments thereon, is a valid claim against the estate of the decedent in favor of the claimant.
The claimant was sworn in his own behalf in support of his claim-In referring to the note in question and the other notes the ques
This testimony was clearly incompetent as involving, in an indirect way, a personal transaction with the deceased, namely, that she had delivered the note to the claimant.
It was held in Clift v. Moses (112 N. Y. 435) that section 829 of the Code of Civil Procedure prohibits not only direct testimony of the survivor that a personal transaction took place between him and the deceased and what occurred between the parties, but also every attempt by indirection to prove the same thing.
It was said by Andrews, J'., in that case: “ The statute cannot be evaded by framing a question which, on its face, relates to an independent fact when it is disclosed by other evidence that the fact had its origin in and directly resulted from a personal transaction.” The doctrine of that case, in condemning testimony of a like character to that admitted here, was affirmed and applied in the recent case of Richardson v. Emmett (170 N. Y. 412). It has also been applied in this department in the earlier case of Viall v. Leavens (39 Hun, 291).
It is urged, however, that the appellant waived the provisions of section 829 of the Code of Civil Procedure, and that even if the evidence was improperly received it was cumulative and, therefore,
Hor can we say that the error committed in receiving this testimony was harmless. Two of the witnesses called by the claimant in support of his claim, and who testified to seeing the note in the claimant’s possession, were successfully impeached by witnesses called for the contestant. The only other witness except the claimant, who swore that the latter had the note in his possession, while not impeached by direct evidence, was so discredited by his cross-examination as to his recollection of seeing the claimant have this identical note in his possession, five years before he was sworn, that we cannot say, in a case where, as here, the law requires the claim against an estate to be supported by clear and satisfactory evidence, that the testimony erroneously received was harmless. On the contrary, we think the appellant was necessarily prejudiced thereby.
That part of the decree appealed from should be reversed and a new trial granted, with costs to the appellant against the respondent personally to abide the event.
All concurred.
That part of the decree appealed from reversed and a new trial granted, with costs of appeal against the respondent personally to abide event.