Mercantile Finance Co. v. Welsh

Appellate Terms of the Supreme Court of New York

Mercantile Finance Co. v. Welsh

91 N.Y.S. 723

CourtAppellate Terms of the Supreme Court of New York

DecidedJanuary 17, 1905

StatusPublished

This text of 91 N.Y.S. 723 (Mercantile Finance Co. v. Welsh) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Terms of the Supreme Court of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Mercantile Finance Co. v. Welsh, 91 N.Y.S. 723 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1905).

Pincite

Opinion

MacLEAN, J.

Not to "put it rudely, this action for conversion may be called a novel variation of an old variety of effort to recover upon an agreement legally immoral as against public policy. Welsh, a fireman in the public service of the city of New York, on February 1, 1904, made and delivered to the plaintiff his agreement assigning and selling, upon receipt of about 88 per cent, thereof, his anticipated salary for the month thus begun, and promising to collect said salary when due, and to turn over the whole amount collected to the plaintiff immediately. It may be that the like is done in this town every day in the week; more likely still about the 1st of every month; yet where, as here, the public functionary refuses to live up to his promise he cannot be constrained to do so in an action at law. It is ingeniously and strenuously argued that the present plan of circumvention, in that it first sets, out a sale and then constitutes the official the buyer’s agent, differs from predecessors, and is new. It is only novel. Its chief feature was ex[724]*724hibited and condemned years ago, after able argument in its favor by lawyers of signal ability, in the elaborate opinion in the leading case in this state. Bliss v. Lawrence, 58 N. Y. 443, 14 Am. Rep. 273.

Judgment affirmed, with costs. All concur.

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MacLEAN, J.

Not to "put it rudely, this action for conversion may be called a novel variation of an old variety of effort to recover upon an agreement legally immoral as against public policy. Welsh, a fireman in the public service of the city of New York, on February 1, 1904, made and delivered to the plaintiff his agreement assigning and selling, upon receipt of about 88 per cent, thereof, his anticipated salary for the month thus begun, and promising to collect said salary when due, and to turn over the whole amount collected to the plaintiff immediately. It may be that the like is done in this town every day in the week; more likely still about the 1st of every month; yet where, as here, the public functionary refuses to live up to his promise he cannot be constrained to do so in an action at law. It is ingeniously and strenuously argued that the present plan of circumvention, in that it first sets, out a sale and then constitutes the official the buyer’s agent, differs from predecessors, and is new. It is only novel. Its chief feature was ex[724]*724hibited and condemned years ago, after able argument in its favor by lawyers of signal ability, in the elaborate opinion in the leading case in this state. Bliss v. Lawrence, 58 N. Y. 443, 14 Am. Rep. 273.

Judgment affirmed, with costs. All concur.

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Bluebook (online)

91 N.Y.S. 723, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mercantile-finance-co-v-welsh-nyappterm-1905.