Boehm v. C. M. Gridley & Sons

187 Misc. 113, 63 N.Y.S.2d 587, 1946 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2466
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedAugust 8, 1946
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 187 Misc. 113 (Boehm v. C. M. Gridley & Sons) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Boehm v. C. M. Gridley & Sons, 187 Misc. 113, 63 N.Y.S.2d 587, 1946 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2466 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1946).

Opinion

Bookstein, J.

Plaintiff brings this action to recover damages for personal injuries sustained as the result of á collision, which occurred on or about August 31, 1945,. between a motor vehicle owned by defendant, C. M. Gridley & Sons, and operated by defendant Henry J. Júrele and a motor vehicle owned by Michael Boehm and operated by the defendant William Boehm.

Defendant William Boehm moves for judgment dismissing the complaint, upon the complaint and affidavits, pursuant to rule 107 of the Buies of Civil Practice, which authorizes such procedure, among other situations, when the complaint and supporting affidavit or affidavits, tend to show: “ ’9, That the cause of action did not accrue against the defendant because of his ■infancy or other disability.”

It is the law of this State that an action for personal-injuries may not be maintained" against a parent by an unemancipated minor. (Sorrentino v. Sorrentino, 248 N. Y. 626; Cannon v. Cannon, 287 N. Y. 425.)

The converse of this rule,has not yet been declared as the law of this State, so far as a search of the reported decisions discloses.

A dictum to that effect, however, is found in Lo Galbo v. Lo Galbo (138 Misc. 485, 487).

[115]*115In Crosby v. Crosby (230 App. Div. 651) we find a situation most nearly analogous to the case at bar.

There, as here, the mother sued her infant son.

There, as here, there was nothing in the complaint, to show the relationship of the parties, such facts being revealed by the affidavits in support of the motion for dismissal.

In this case, the affidavits reveal that one Michael Boehm, husband of the plaintiff, and father of the infant defendant, William Boehm, was the owner of the motor vehicle in which plaintiff was injured; that at the direction of the father, the infant defendant, William Boehm was driving his mother, the 'plaintiff, to visit some friends, and while so engaged, the collision occurred in which plaintiff, the wife of the owner and the mother of the infant defendant driver of her husband’s motor vehicle, was injured.

In the Crosby case (230 App. Div. 651, 653, supra) a motion, similar to the one made here, was made on behalf of the infant defendant. In that case, the motion was denied, on the grounds, that “ The issue of emancipation may be litigated upon the trial for ‘ whether there has been an emancipation is a question of fact but what is emancipation is a question of law.’ ”

Of course, a minor child may be emancipated by the parents’ consent, express or implied. (Stanley v. National Union Bank, 115 N. Y. 122.) ‘

In the Crosby case (230 App. Div. 651, supra) the court said, at page 652: “ Plaintiff’s affidavit in opposition states facts from which it might be found that defendant was emancipated; that he earned from twenty-five to twenty-eight dollars per week, paid his own living expenses, used the surplus of his wages as he saw fit, had a deposit in a bank in his own name, and purchased the automobile in which they were riding at the time of the accident.”

Under those circumstances, the court, in effect, held that it could not declare, as a matter of law, that the infant defendant was not emancipated, but that it should be left to a jury to determine, as a question of fact, whether the infant defendant was or was not emancipated.

In the instant case, the father of the infant defendant says, under oath, “ That my son, William Boehm, is a school boy, subject to my parential [sic] control, lives with me at the above address and I provide for all his necessities.”

In this case the infant defendant, says, under oath: That on August 31.st, 1945,1 was a school boy, and I was living with my parents at 2178 Beverly Street, Schenectady. That I am [116]*116supported by my father who provides for all my necessities.” TJncontradicted, these statements would inevitably lead to a conclusion, as a matter of law, that the infant defendant, at the time of the collision, which gave rise to this cause of action, was' an unemancipated infant.

How are these assertions of the father and son, met by their wife and mother, the plaintiff?

In her answering affidavit, sworn to January 16, 1946, she says: “ That William Boehm is the son of the plaintiff; that he is 17 years of age and is in Draper High School in the senior class; that said William Boehm is employed during vacation periods and also after school, and William Boehm earns sufficient moneys to support himself; that said William Boehm has been working in his spare time and during vacations since he was fifteen years of age.”

Can these assertions be said to raise a triable issue of fact, on the question of the emancipation of the infant defendant? • There is no denial, direct or indirect, of " the assertions of the father and son. There is not .stated the name of a single employer of the infant defendant, the nature of the employment, the duration thereof or the compensation therefor, from which a conclusion or inference can be drawn that the infant defendant .“.earns sufficient moneys to support himself ”.

There is merely the bald conclusion stated by plaintiff that the infant “ earns, sufficient * * * to support himself ”.

• Boys who do some work after school or dúring vacation are ■legion, but it can hardly be said that, for that reason, they are emancipated.

• There .áre no factual statements, either in contradiction of .the statements of the infant defendant and of his father showing nonemancipation or in support of the mother’s attempted claim of emancipation.

In support of her claim of emancipation, the mother has filed a certified copy of a “ Standard Employment Certificáte, for a minor 16 to 18 years of age,” dated November 1, 1944.

■ An examination of this certificate shows the date of birth of the infant defendant to be October 25, 1928, so that at the .date of the accident the infant defendant was sixteen years of age and the certificate in question was issued about one week after he had attained his sixteenth birthday.

The certificate has an appropriate place in which to indicate .whether such .certificate is the first certificate ever issued or a subsequent one, and- if a subsequent one, what its number is, of -the total number issued to the applicant. In that portion [117]*117thereof, it is indicated that the certificate in question was the first one issued to the infant defendant. It may be presumed also that it was the only one ever issued, as it is safe-to say, if there had been other or later ones, they would have been produced in opposition to this motion.

The certificate in question authorized the employment of the infant defendant as a grocery clerk by Super Markets, Inc., 2526 Broadway, Schenectady, New York.

However, defendant, Boehm, has produced proof from Super Markets, Inc., to the effect that the infant defendant worked for the concern for a short period only, and on November 4, 1944, received $9.40 and on November 11, 1944, $9.80, or a total of $19.20, in earnings.

So far as employment certificates are concerned, therefore, there is no evidence that the infant defendant was ever employed, except for the short period of employment by Super Markets, Inc.

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

Related

Rivera Nieves v. Registrar of Property of Ponce
93 P.R. 893 (Supreme Court of Puerto Rico, 1967)
Vda. de Ruiz v. Registrador de la Propiedad
93 P.R. Dec. 914 (Supreme Court of Puerto Rico, 1967)
Gelbman v. Gelbman
52 Misc. 2d 412 (New York Supreme Court, 1966)
Becker v. Rieck
19 Misc. 2d 104 (New York Supreme Court, 1959)
Perkins v. Robertson
295 P.2d 972 (California Court of Appeal, 1956)
Siembab v. Siembab
202 Misc. 1053 (New York Supreme Court, 1952)
Terwilliger v. Terwilliger
201 Misc. 453 (New York Supreme Court, 1951)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
187 Misc. 113, 63 N.Y.S.2d 587, 1946 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2466, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/boehm-v-c-m-gridley-sons-nysupct-1946.