197 N.Y. 361 | NY | 1910
This is a special proceeding to compel James H. Hickey to turn over certain papers upon which he claims a possessory lien as attorney. These papers consist of the printed cases on appeal to the Court of Appeals in an action in which one Hans O. Swoboda was plaintiff and Frank C. Hollins and others were defendants. Mr. Hickey was the attorney of record for Mr. Hollins in that litigation which he conducted up to the Appellate Division and through that court. Pending an appeal which he took in behalf of Mr. Hollins to the Court of Appeals, Mr. Hollins died, and his executrix was duly substituted as a defendant, appellant, in the action at her own instance and upon the application of Messrs. Earle Russell, her attorneys. These gentlemen thereupon applied to Mr. Hickey to turn over to them or file the printed cases on appeal. He declined to comply with the demand on the ground that he had a lien on the papers in his hands for a balance of $520.15 due him from Mr. Hollins for his services in the Swoboda suit. The executrix of Mr. Hollins then presented a petition to the Supreme Court at Special Term, alleging upon information and belief that Mr. Hickey had been paid in full by her testator for his disbursements, and that the cost of printing the cases on appeal had been paid and discharged by the testator, so that Mr. Hickey had no lien thereon, and praying that the court would grant an order directing Mr. Hickey forthwith to turn over to her attorneys, Messrs. Earle Russell, all the printed copies of the case on appeal which were in his possession. Her application was granted, and the court made an order directing Mr. Hickey to turn over the cases on appeal accordingly. This order has been affirmed by the Appellate Division.
The memorandum filed by the learned judge who made the order at Special Term indicates that he acted upon the assumption that the cases on appeal were held by the attorney under a special agreement which freed them from the usual attorney's lien. His citation of Matter of Bergstrom Co. (
The existence of such a lien in behalf of the attorney has been recognized in this state from an early day. "Attorneys and solicitors," says Chancellor KENT, "as well as factors, have a general lien upon the papers of their clients in their possession, for the balance of their professional accounts; but the lien is liable to be waived or devested as to papers received under a special agreement or trust, where they take security from their client." (2 Kent's Commentaries [14th ed.], p. 640.) InMatter of Knapp (
So far as appears from the papers used upon the motion at Special Term the value of the services for which Mr. Hickey *365 claims a lien to the extent of $520.15 is not disputed, nor does it appear that he has done any act or been guilty of any omission prejudicial to the rights of his client. He merely objects to parting with the papers upon which the law gives him a lien until his claim shall be satisfied or secured in order that other attorneys may avail themselves of his labor in prosecuting an appeal without providing for his compensation. In our judgment he was entitled to have the amount of his claim ascertained by the court or by a referee and paid or to have security given for the payment of such amount as should eventually be determined to be justly due him before he could be compelled to turn over the papers in controversy.
The courts of this state have always been careful to compel attorneys to discharge the full measure of their obligations to their clients (Matter of H., an Attorney,
The order should be reversed and the motion denied, with costs in all courts.
CULLEN, Ch. J., VANN, WERNER, HISCOCK and CHASE, JJ., concur; EDWARD T. BARTLETT, J., absent.
Ordered accordingly.