46 N.Y.S. 523 | N.Y. App. Div. | 1897
The recovery in this case is for personal services performed by the plaintiff at the request, as he claims, of the defendant in assisting her to procure a settlement of a claim she had against a railroad company for damages for the death of her husband, and also in assisting her in her appointment as administratrix of her husband’s estate and in investing the moneys received from the railroad company..
At the trial the plaintiff was called" as a witness and gave a state- ■ ment of what he had done, but did not state the value of his services. A witness was then called who testified that he lived in Saratoga Springs, was a lawyer, had been admitted eight or nine years; had some familiarity with the work connected with the settlement of claims against railroads; had seen other claims than those
Both of the witnesses on the question of value'testify,, upon their cross-examination, that their knowledge as to charges for settling claims was confined to cases of charges by lawyers. So that any inference from their opinions, as well as the verdict of a jury based on them, as to- the value of the services of the plaintiff, a retail grocei’j would, to say the least,'be somewhat speculative.
The court charged the jury that the plaintiff could not recover, if the -services were rendered without, any expectation of being paid for. The jury, by their verdict, say there -was such an .expectation.
The parties were relatives, on very-intimate terms, and so continued up to May, 1895, when some, dissatisfaction was manifested about a security and the friendly relations terminated. All of the services in question had been rendered before this, and no charge
We are inclined to the opinion that the finding that the services were rendered with the expectation of being paid for, is against the weight of evidence. It is suggested that this . question cannot.be raised as no motion, for a nonsuit was made. That does not seem to be a condition precedent to a motion made, under section 999 of the Code of Civil Procedure, for a new trial upon the ground that the verdict is contrary to the evidence. (Picard v. Lang, 3 App. Div. 51, and cases cited.)
It follows that the judgment should be- reversed.
All concurred, except Putnam, J., not acting.
Judgment- and order reversed and a new trial granted, costs to abide the event.