235 A.D. 460 | N.Y. App. Div. | 1932
Plaintiff seeks to recover money damages for an alleged conversion of one-half of the proceeds of a policy of fife insurance for $10,000 issued upon the life of William H. Sauvage, deceased. The summons and complaint were issued herein on or about December 5, 1931. The defendant is a non-resident of the State of New York, residing at Dayton, in the State of Ohio. At the time of issuing the summons and complaint plaintiff procured a warrant of attachment to be issued on the ground that the defend
We are of the opinion that there was no valid levy made under said warrant of attachment. The warrant was served upon the attorney for the administrator of the estate of said decedent. There was no property whatever belonging to the defendant in the hands of said attorney at the time of the attempted service of said warrant of attachment. The sheriff was so advised by the attorney. The papers in opposition to defendant’s motion to vacate the warrant of attachment do not describe any property belonging to the defendant individually which plaintiff claims was in the possession of said attorney. Whatever property was in the hands of the attorney belonged to the estate of William H. Sauvage, deceaed, and was held by the administrator with the will annexed of the estate of said .decedent. The title to the assets of the estate of a deceased person, pending administration, rests in the administrator. In 23 Corpus Juris, page 1172, the rule is thus stated: “ The executor or administrator is the legal owner, for the time being, of the personal property of which decedent died possessed, and his title and authority extends so completely to all such property as to exclude for the time being creditors, legatees, and all others beneficially interested in the estate.” As a beneficiary of the estate of William H. Sauvage,
“ 3. Upon other personal property, by leaving a certified copy of the warrant, and a notice showing the property attached, with the person holding the same; or, if it consists of a demand, other than as specified in the last subdivision, with the person against whom it exists; or, if it consists of a right or share in the stock of an association or corporation, or interests or profits thereon, with the president, or other head of the association or corporation, or the secretary, cashier, or managing agent thereof, or if it consists of a right or interest in an estate of a deceased person arising under the provisions of a will or under the provisions of law in case of intestacy, with the executor or trustee under the will, or the administrator of the estate.” (Italics are the writer’s.)
Under the provisions of the above-quoted section the only manner in which the defendant’s interest in the estate of said decedent might be attached was by the service of the warrant of attachment upon the administrator with the will annexed of said estate. No attempt was made to effect such service. The attempt to justify the service of the warrant of attachment under the first clause of subdivision 3, above quoted, is futile because of the fact that the attorney for the defendant had no property whatever in his possession belonging to the defendant individually. At the time of the delivery of said warrant to the attorney, he had no property whatever in his possession belonging to the defendant individually. The only manner that a right or interest of the defendant in the estate of decedent could be reached was pursuant to the last, or italicized, portion of subdivision 3, above quoted, to wit, by service of the warrant upon the administrator. Service upon an attorney is not service upon the administrator, unless the attorney accepted service for his client. The record shows that the attorney refused to accept service, and so advised the sheriff.
We are also of the opinion that the service of the summons and complaint outside the State without an order, upon the assumed authority of section 235 of the Civil Practice Act, was ineffective. That section (as amd. by Laws of 1930, chap. 833) provides as follows: “ Personal service out of the State without order. Where the complaint demands judgment that the defendant be excluded from a vested or contingent interest in or hen upon a specific real
It is clear, from the language of the section above quoted, that service of the summons and complaint herein could not be made under that section, in the absence of a valid levy under the warrant of attachment first had within this State. The cause of action alleged in the complaint does not otherwise come within either of the forms of actions mentioned in section 235. Under that section a levy under a warrant of attachment must first be made prior to the service outside of the State without an order. In an action in rem the rule is different, and the court having jurisdiction of the res may validate its process to the extent of such res, although served outside the limits of its jurisdiction. This action is one in personam, and no judgment can legally be obtained in such an action by the service of the summons and complaint outside this State prior to a levy under a warrant of attachment being first had and obtained. In our opinion the levy upon the property of the defendant was a condition precedent to the service of the summons and complaint without the State without an order for such service.
The order appealed from should be reversed, with ten dollars costs and disbursements, and defendant’s motion granted, with ten dollars costs to defendant, appellant, against plaintiff, respondent.
Finch, P. J., McAvoy, Martin and Townley, JJ., concur.
Order reversed, with ten dollars costs and disbursements, and motion granted, with ten dollars costs.