Deuel v. Rust

24 Barb. 438, 1857 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 37
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedApril 14, 1857
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 24 Barb. 438 (Deuel v. Rust) 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
Deuel v. Rust, 24 Barb. 438, 1857 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 37 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1857).

Opinion

By the Court, Birdseye, J.

A more remarkable succession of errors than is exhibited in this case, it would be difficult to imagine. The affidavit of the plaintiff altogether fails to show, except by a mere implication, any of the facts authorizing the removal of the defendant from the premises. It [439]*439cannot be gathered from the affidavit, whether the defendant was a tenant or lessee, at will or at sufferance, or for any part of a year, or for one or more years. And yet, unless he came within one or another of these descriptions, he could not be proceeded against under this statute. It does not appear that the relation of landlord and tenant existed between the parties at all. If it be sufficiently averred that the defendant ever did rent the premises, it does not appear that he rented them of the plaintiff, or went into possession as his tenant. If he did rent of the plaintiff, he may have rented for his own life, or for that of another person. Upon the affidavit it may be that the defendant rented the premises of some person other than Deuel, perhaps his tenant, who may have consented to his holding over, and may have had full right to give such a covenant, though Deuel would not and did not give it.

It has been properly held that in such proceedings the preliminary affidavit must make out a plain case, and show the relation between the parties to be that of landlord and tenant. (Hill v. Stocking, 6 Hill, 314. And see Cunningham v. Goelet, 4 Denio, 71; Benjamin v. Benjamin, 1 Selden, 388.)

The summons in the case is not such as is required by the statute. (2 R. S. 513, § 30, as amended by chap. 460 of the Laws of 1851.) It merely requires the defendant to “show cause why he should not leave the premises now occupied by him, belonging to Jay Deuel.” The premises are not described. Non constat, but that the defendant may have occupied other “premises belonging to Jay Deuel,” than the house and lot mentioned in the affidavit. The summons, besides “ describing the premises,” should have required the defendant “ forthwith to remove from the same,” or show cause “ why possession of said premises should not be delivered to said applicant.” The summons should also have been directed to the tenant by name, instead of being directed to any of the constables of the county. (6 Hill, 316.) If the defendant’s tenancy was at will, or at sufferance, it does not appear to have been terminated “by giving notice in the manner prescribed by law.” (lb. § 31.)

The service of the summons was also irregular. Instead [440]*440of delivering to the alleged tenant a true copy of the summons, and at the same time showing him the original, the original does not seem to have been shown at all. It may be justly inferrible that a copy was shown to and read by the defendant, and not delivered to or left with him.

The proceedings at the return of the summons were also wholly irregular. Instead of waiting the one hour required by statute, (2 R. S. 233, §§ 44, 46,) the justice went away, and remained certainly more than an hour. It may have been only just less than two hours. Whether the defendant appeared at the hour fixed for the return of the summons, is not stated, though the justice says “ the defendant was not present to his (the justice’s) knowledge.” Neither is there any certainty that the defendant did not appear within the hour after the time fixed for the return of the summons, and depart again, believing, from the absence of the justice, that the proceedings were abandoned. It would seem, therefore, that the whole proceeding before the justice was coram nonjudice, and void.

The justice, however, proceeded to render judgment, “ that said defendant be turned from said premises,” and for costs; and a warrant was issued to remove him. At this stage of the case the defendant sought to remove the proceedings by appeal to the county court. A notice of appeal was served, but no undertaking, bond or security was given; and no affidavit of the appellant, or any one in his behalf, was served. The defendant contends that no security was required-. Upon an examination of all the provisions of section 5 of chap. 193, p. 292, of the laws of 1849, (see 2 R. S. 757, 760, §§ 51-53, 4th ed.) I entertain no doubt that security must in all cases be given to perfect an appeal from the decision of a justice of the peace in such summary proceedings. It is true the statute provides that such proceedings “may be removed by appeal to the county court of the county, in the same manner, and with the like effect, and upon like security as appeals from judgments of justices of the peace in civil actions.” It is true, also, that when this act was passed, on the 3d of April, 1849, the manner .of appealing, as prescribed by sections 303, 304, of [441]*441the code of 1848, was to prepare an affidavit on the part of the appellant, stating the substance of the testimony and proceedings before the court below, and the grounds upon which the appeal was founded; to serve a copy of the affidavit, with a notice of the appeal and of argument, on the respondent or the justice. And no security was required to be given, unless the appellant desired a stay of proceedings on the judgment. The provision as to security on appeals to the county court from judgments of justices’ courts in civil actions is still the same; the giving of security being optional with the appellant, and being required only when a stay of execution is desired.

The alterations made in the method of appealing from the justice’s court to the county court, by subsequent statutes, clearly apply to the manner of appealing in the summary proceedings under the act of 1849. The statute which then required appeals to be taken by the making and service of an affidavit, and the service of a notice of appeal and of argument, has been repealed. It is gone entirely. It cannot be retained for one purpose and abrogated for all others. Since its repeal, and the substitution in its place of other provisions of law, it has, except as to rights vested before its repeal, no more vitality than if it had never been enacted. There was, therefore, in this ease, no need of the affidavit stating the testimony and proceedings before the court below, and the grounds of the appeal. And were there no other provisions on the subject, there would have been no necessity for giving security on the appeal, unless a stay of execution had been desired. But sub. 3 of § 5, of the act of 1849, (Laws of 1849, p. 293, and 2 R. S. 760, § 53. 4th ed.) expressly provides that “ no appeal shall, under this act, be allowed, unless such security for said judgment shall be given and approved by the judge at the time of allowing such appeal, and served on the justice with the affidavit for appeal.” The words, “ such security for said judgment,” here, obviously refer to the “ security” mentioned in the first sentence of the preceding subdivision, 2d of the same section, and which is also mentioned in the first clause of the second sentence of the same subdivision. “ Such security” is different from the further- [442]*442“ security” for the subsequently accruing rent, which in ease of an appeal by the tenant, is required by the last sentence of the subdivision, to be given, “ in addition to the security for such judgment.”

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Bluebook (online)
24 Barb. 438, 1857 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 37, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/deuel-v-rust-nysupct-1857.