Guffey v. Grand Trunk Railway Co.

67 Misc. 553, 122 N.Y.S. 947
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedMay 15, 1910
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 67 Misc. 553 (Guffey v. Grand Trunk Railway Co.) 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
Guffey v. Grand Trunk Railway Co., 67 Misc. 553, 122 N.Y.S. 947 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1910).

Opinion

Wheeler, J.

This action is brought to recover for personal injuries alleged to have been suffered by the plaintiff in the State of Michigan while riding as a passenger on the railway of the defendant Grand Trunk Western Railway Company between Chicago and Detroit.

This defendant is a foreign corporation, organized under the laws of the State of Michigan. The summons in the action was issued about the lJth of January, 1910. On the same day, upon the complaint and an affidavit showing the defendant Grand Trunk Western Railway Company is a foreign corporation, and that the plaintiff would be unable to make personal service of the summons upon the defendant within the State, the county judge of Erie county [554]*554made an order directing service of the summons by the publication thereof in two newspapers published in the city of Detroit, or at the option of the plaintiff, by personal service of such process without the State. The summons was, in fact, never published, but in lieu thereof was personally served on one F. W. Egan, the division superintendent of the defendant at Detroit.

The defendant in question, upon an affidavit showing these facts, and the further fact that- the Grand' Trunk Western Railway Company has no property within the State of ¡New York subject to attachment, or which has been attached, and upon all the papers on file in the action, now moves to set aside the order for service by publication and also the service of said summons, and appears specially on the motion for that purpose.

¡No warrant for the attachment of the defendant’s property appears to have been ever granted or issued.

The question presented is whether the county judge possessed power to make any order for the service of the summons by publication in the absence of an attachment levied, or in the absence of any property of the defendant within the State.

Plaintiff’s counsel contends that, by virtue of sections 638 and 644 of the Code of Civil Procedure, the plaintiff had a right to an order for the publication of the summons before the issue of a warrant of attachment, and that an attachment may follow at any time thereafter.

It is conceded in this case no warrant of attachment has, in fact, ever been granted, and that the time -of the defendant in which to appear and answer has now expired, if the court should hold the order and service good in law.

Plaintiff’s counsel stands upon the provisions of sections 638 and 644 of the Code, and upon the case of Parke v. Gay, 28 Misc. Rep. 329, in which Mr. Justice Beekman, at Special Term, construing the sections in question, held substantially as contended for ' by plaintiff’s counsel in this case. In the case of Parke v. Gay, it appeared that an attachment had been issued against the property of a defendant who was a non-resident j and the sheriff had levied on [555]*555property pursuant to the warrant. The plaintiff failed to secure -a personal service of the summons on the defendant within the State, and more than thirty days after the levy obtained an order for service of the summons by publication. Thereupon the defendant moved to vacate the first attachment because of a failure to comply with section 638 of the Code of Civil Procedure, requiring either personal service or the commencement of publication within thirty days after the granting of the warrant. The first attachment was accordingly vacated, but the plaintiff immediately procured a second attachment which was again levied on defendant’s property. Thereupon the defendant moved to vacate the order for the publication of the summons, on the ground that when granted there existed no valid attachment against the defendant’s property. The court, however, held that the second attachment was sufficient, and that an order for service by publication could be made, even though no attachment preceded or accompanied it. In the course of his opinion, Mr. Justice Beekman discussed sections 638 and 644 of the Code, and ably argued that they contemplated the making of an order for the publication of the summons at any time, and that it is not dependent upon a levy prior to its granting.

It cannot be disputed that this decision supports the plaintiff’s contention in this case. The only distinguishing fact is that, in the ease of Parke v. Gay, there was in fact, within the State and within the jurisdiction of the court, property of the non-resident defendant; whereas, in this case, there is no property whatever of the Grand Trunk Western Railway Company within this State attached or subject to attachment. We infer, too, that in that action the cause of action itself arose within the State, whereas in this case the cause of action arose in the State of Michigan.

Plaintiff’s counsel, however, contends that sometime in the future property of the defendant may come within this State, and then a warrant may issue and the property be seized to satisfy the plaintiff’s claim.

If the plaintiff’s contention be right, then it follows that, although the defendant is a non-resident foreign corpora[556]*556tion, owing no allegiance to the law of Hew York, although it has no property within this jurisdiction entitled to the protection of the laws of the State, although the cause of action sued arose in the State of Michigan and not in Hew York, nevertheless, the courts of this State have the right to summon this corporation to appear and defend the claim of the plaintiff; and, in the event of its failure to appear and answer, the courts of this State may render judgment against it whenever any property of the defendant can he found within its jurisdiction, even though such property may not come into the State until years after the service by publication is complete.

It is conceded that, under section 707 of the Code, no judgment can be taken until property has been attached. Parke v. Gay, 28 Misc. Rep. 329. The default may be established at any time, and the levy made at any time after default, if the plaintiff’s position is sound. If such is the law, then a non-resident may be sued at any time for any cause of action in this State, a service by publication made, and the claim satisfied out of any property of his which may .at any time thereafter be found or brought into the State. This is -the penalty he would be forced to pay for not recognizing the right of a State to compel him to litigate a claim in its courts, although he owed the State no duty or allegiance.

We think the statement of the case carries with it its own condemnation, and we are not disposed to follow the rule as laid down by Mr. Justice Beekman in Parke v. Gay, in so far as it relates to this case.

In our opinion, to sustain an order for service of process by publication and any judgment which might be predicated thereon would amount to the taking of property without due process of law.”

The questions involved go deeper than the mere construction of the provisions of certain sections of the Code of Civil Procedure. It involves the right of the Legislature to pass laws authorizing a judgment obtained under the circumstances presented in this case. The question is whether such a proceeding does not violate the provisions of the United [557]*557States Constitution containing a guaranty against depriving a person of life, liberty or property without due process of law. It is well-recognized law that, in actions where personal service of process within the State is not had and the defendant does not voluntarily appear, no judgment in personam

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
67 Misc. 553, 122 N.Y.S. 947, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/guffey-v-grand-trunk-railway-co-nysupct-1910.