Barstow v. New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad

158 A.D. 665, 143 N.Y.S. 983, 1913 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 7450
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedNovember 7, 1913
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 158 A.D. 665 (Barstow v. New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Barstow v. New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad, 158 A.D. 665, 143 N.Y.S. 983, 1913 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 7450 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1913).

Opinions

Clarke, J.:

The plaintiff on September 15, 1911, purchased at Gardner, Mass., a first class passenger ticket to New York city via the Boston and Marne Railroad Company and the defendant, for which she paid $4.78. In determining the rate the railroad companies, among other things, based the same upon the cost of transporting the passenger, together with the cost of transporting 150 pounds of personal effects of a value not exceeding [666]*666$100. This ticket contains the following: “Issued by Boston & Maine B. B. * * * Good subject to the following contract between purchaser and all lines over which this ticket reads for one passage to New York, N. Y.” It sets forth provisions as to limit of time, class and stopovers, and contains the following: “Baggage liability is limited to personal baggage not to exceed One Hundred (100) dollars in value for a passenger presenting a full ticket and Fifty (50) dollars in value for a half ticket, unless a greater value is declared and stipulated by the owner and excess charges thereon paid at time of checking the baggage.” The first word “Baggage” of that clause is printed in large black-face type. After purchasing her ticket she checked a trunk not exceeding 150 pounds in weight and received a baggage check which, upon the face thereof, contained the following: “A passenger is entitled to the free carriage of baggage not exceeding 150 lbs. in weight or $100 in value, except that in the State of New York the value is limited to $150. Excess in weight or declared value will be charged for at published tariff rates.”

Plaintiff’s attention was not called to said provisions on the ticket or the check. She did not read them and was not aware of them. The trunk and its contents, consisting of personal baggage, were of the value of $1,300, and their nature and amount were proper and reasonable with reference to plaintiff’s station in life and the purpose of her journey. She did not declare and stipulate at the time her baggage was checked that it exceeded $100 in value, nor did she pay any charges for valuation in excess of $100; nor did the Boston and Maine Bailroad Company, or any one in its behalf, make any inquiry as to the value of plaintiff’s baggage, nor inform her that it was material or necessary to state such value.

The defendant received the plaintiff and her baggage at Springfield, Mass., as a connecting carrier in interstate commerce and on the ticket aforesaid transported her and her baggage to the Grand Central Terminal in New York city. Upon the day after her arrival she. presented said check to the defendant and demanded her trunk, “but the defendant failed to deliver said baggage to her, and has never delivered it to her, nor accounted to her for such failure to deliver it, nor [667]*667given any excuse for such failure to deliver it. From these facts it is inferable that the failure to deliver the trunk was due to defendant’s negligence.”

At the time plaintiff purchased her ticket there existed an order of the Interstate Commerce Commission dated the 2d day of June, 1908, requiring carriers to keep on file in their stations rates and schedules of fares. The Boston and Main Railroad Company had fully complied with the requirements of said order and had printed, published, posted, kept open for public inspection, and had filed with the Interstate Commerce Commission, in compliance with the provisions of the act of Congress relating to interstate commerce and the amendments thereof, and the orders and regulations of the Interstate Commerce Commission, all the rates, fares and charges for transportation between different points and also all the rules and regulations which in anywise change, affect or determine'any part of the aggregate of such rates, fares and charges or the value of the services rendered to the passenger, including the rates, fares and charges and the aforesaid rules and regulations between Gardner, Mass., and New York City, N. Y., via the defendant company, which rates were operative and in full force during September, 1911; and it had placed in the custody of its agent at Gardner, Mass., all the rate and fare schedules applying from said station, and said agent was instructed and required to give, and, whenever inquired of, gave information contained in said schedules and lent assistance to seekers for information therefrom, and gave and accorded any and all inquirers opportunity to examine any of said schedules. There was posted in two conspicuous places in the station near the ticket office a printed placard in large black-faced type, “Boston & Maine R. R. Complete public files of this Company’s freight and passenger tariffs are located at the offices of the General Freight Agent and General Passenger Agent, North Station, in the City of Boston, Mass., and at the station freight and Union Station ticket offices respectively, in the cities of Worcester, Mass., and Portland, Me. The rate and fare schedules applying from or at this station and indices of this Company’s tariffs are on file in this office and may be inspected by any person upon application, and without the assignment [668]*668of any reason for such desire. The agent or other employee on duty in the office will lend any assistance desired in securing information from or in interpreting such schedules.”

In the said tariff schedules so filed with the Interstate Commerce Commission and on file in the station is the following: “Baggage Rules. One hundred and fifty pounds of personal baggage, not exceeding $100 in value, will be checked free for each passenger on presentation of a full ticket, and Seventy-five Pounds for a half ticket. Baggage Liability is limited to personal baggage not to exceed one hundred (100) dollars in value for a passenger presenting a full ticket, and fifty (50) dollars in value for a half ticket, unless a greater value is declared and stipulated by the ownér and excess charges thereon paid at time of checking the baggage. Excess Valuation.— For excess value the rate will be one-half of the current excess baggage rate per 100 lbs. for each one hundred (100) dollars or fraction thereof of increased value declared. The minimum charge for excess value will be 25 cents. ” And there was posted in a conspicuous place in the baggage room of the station where the baggage was checked a notice: “ Boston & Maine R. R.” In large black-faced type: “Excess Baggage Rates in effect July 1, 1908¡” containing the provisions just quoted from the tariff as to excess weight and excess valuation, and also the rate upon excess baggage per 100 pounds to be calculated upon the various rates of ticket fare. The excess rate for the valuation of $1,300 was $4.80. The plaintiff’s attention was not called to the schedules or notices and she did not know that the defendant’s charges were based on the value of the baggage or in any way affected by the value of the baggage.

Upon the foregoing facts the plaintiff demands judgment for $1,300 with interest from September 16, 1911, with costs, and the defendant demands judgment dismissing the plaintiff’s action, with costs, except as to $100, with interest from the same date.

The original Interstate Commerce Act of February 4, 1887, was amended by the act of June 29, 1906, which took effect sixty days thereafter. (24 U. S. Stat. at Large, 379, chap. 104, as amd. by 34 id. 584, chap. 3591; 34 id. 838, Res. No. 47.) The [669]

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Tannenbaum v. National Airlines, Inc.
13 Misc. 2d 450 (Appellate Terms of the Supreme Court of New York, 1958)
Minturn v. New York Central Railroad
220 A.D. 222 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1927)
Robidoux v. Chicago & Northwestern Railway Co.
204 N.W. 870 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1925)
Levett v. Draper
194 A.D. 632 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1921)
Granbery v. Taylor
95 Misc. 585 (Appellate Terms of the Supreme Court of New York, 1916)
Lackaye v. Pennsylvania Railroad
95 Misc. 257 (Appellate Terms of the Supreme Court of New York, 1916)
Barnet v. New York Central & Hudson River Railroad
167 A.D. 738 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1915)
Wallen Co. v. Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad
89 Misc. 252 (New York Supreme Court, 1915)
Willcox v. Erie Railroad
162 A.D. 94 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1914)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
158 A.D. 665, 143 N.Y.S. 983, 1913 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 7450, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/barstow-v-new-york-new-haven-hartford-railroad-nyappdiv-1913.