New York State Railways v. Monroe Cab Corp.

134 Misc. 664, 236 N.Y.S. 6, 1929 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1167
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 8, 1929
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 134 Misc. 664 (New York State Railways v. Monroe Cab Corp.) 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
New York State Railways v. Monroe Cab Corp., 134 Misc. 664, 236 N.Y.S. 6, 1929 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1167 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1929).

Opinion

Knapp, J.

An action has been commenced by New York State Railways, as plaintiff, against the Monroe Cab Corporation and [665]*665others, defendants, asking for a judgment of this court that all .of the defendants, their officers, agents, servants and employees, and all persons acting in aid of, or in conjunction with them, be permanently and perpetually enjoined from operating taxicabs in the city of Rochester, N. Y., until they have duly complied with all the provisions of law applicable to such operations.

The plaintiff sets forth in its complaint, among other allegations, that it is a railroad corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of New York, and is a common carrier of property and passengers for hire, and that it has obtained the consents and necessary franchises of the local authorities, that it has procured a certificate of public convenience and necessity for the operation of its lines from the Public Service Commission of the State of New York, and that the plaintiff is operating its lines after compliance with all the laws of the State of New York regarding its operations.

It alleges that the defendant Monroe Cab Corporation and the defendant Green Cab & Brokerage Co., Inc., are each domestic corporations and that they are engaged as common carriers of passengers for hire in that they are operating several taxicabs in and about the streets of the city of Rochester, paralleling, in some cases, the lines of the plaintiff and in open competition therewith, and that these defendants are carrying passengers at a rate of fare of fifteen cents for each passenger carried or for a lesser sum, without having procured the consent of the local authorities, and without having obtained from the Public Service Commission a certificate of public convenience and necessity, as provided by section 66 of the Transportation Corporations Law of 1926.

The other defendants in this action are mostly operators of certain taxicabs owned by the Monroe Cab Corporation or the Green Cab & Brokerage Co., Inc.

The complaint makes the usual allegations of irreparable injury, and that it cannot be adequately compensated in an action at law.

Upon the summons and complaint of the plaintiff, together with moving affidavits, the plaintiff has made this application to the court upon an order to show cause asking for a temporary injunction restraining the defendants, their servants and agents, from operating the taxicabs therein referred to or any other taxicabs owned or operated by the defendants, or either of them, upon or along the streets of the city of Rochester, until the defendants havé procured the necessary consents from the city, and also a certificate of public convenience and necessity from the Public Service Commission.

While the moving papers allege that the defendants havq not [666]*666procured the necessary consents of the local authorities for the operation of taxicabs upon the Streets of the city, such statements are denied by each of the defendants.

The real question at issue here is as to whether or not the defendants Monroe Cab Corporation and Green Cab & Brokerage Co., Inc., are charging for the carrying of passengers a rate of fifteen cents or less, and thereby bringing themselves within the provisions of the Transportation Corporations Law, requiring a certificate of public convenience and necessity before such taxicabs can be operated upon the streets of the city, and also as to whether or not these defendants are operating their taxicabs as buses, omnibuses or jitneys over a¡ definite and prescribed route in competition with this plaintiff’s lines.

Plaintiff is not entitled to this injunction unless the right is plain from the undisputed facts. If the right depends upon an issue which can only be decided upon a trial, an injunction should not be granted. The burden of establishing the undisputed right is upon the plaintiff. (Pine Hill-Kingston Bus Corp. v. Davis, 225 App. Div. 182.)

The common council of the city of Rochester is authorized by the city charter to regulate, among other things, the operation and speed of all vehicles upon the public streets, highways and places within the city. (Laws of 1907, chap. 755, as amd. by Laws of 1921, chap. 292.)

This provision of the charter empowers the city to determine the extent to which others may do business in. and upon its streets. (Browne v. City of New York, 241 N. Y. 96; Campbell v. Quigley, 127 Misc. 261.)

I do not think it is open to question now but that the legislative body may properly pass regulations with respect to the operation of motor vehicles offered to the public for hire. (People v. Martin, 203 App. Div. 423.)

In People v. Rosenheimer (209 N. Y. 115) the court in the course of its opinion said, “■ the legislature might prohibit altogether the use of motor vehicles upon the highways or streets of the State.”

The power that the Legislature had has been delegated to the city of Rochester by the statute above referred to. The common council of the city has passed ordinances within the city, and has established rates of fare for motor cabs used as auto livery. Such rates of fare, so far as applicable to this question, are as follows:

For the first third of a mile or fraction thereof, not to exceed Thirty Cents (30r/').

“ For each succeeding third of a mile or fraction thereof, not to exceed Ten Cents (10^)..

[667]*667For each passenger more than one for the entire trip, each not to exceed Twenty Cents (200).

“ For each four (4) minutes waiting time, not to exceed Ten Cents (100).”

The moving papers do not disclose in what respect these defendants have failed to comply with the ordinances of the city of Rochester. The defendants in their replying affidavits go into the question in some detail setting forth what has been done to comply with the ordinances of the city regarding the operation of their taxicabs.

The defendants have the following schedule of rates for service performed by them in the operation of taxicabs over and along the streets of the city, to wdt:

Rates.

“ The rates of the Monroe Cab Corporation. Subject to the Ordinances of the City of Rochester, the following are the rates of fare of the Monroe Cab Corporation of the City of Rochester.

“1. Point to point two mile circle — 350.

2. Point to point three mile circle — 450.

3. Any point to point within the City limits, other than these, but outside of the three mile circle is 450 plus 250 per mile.

4. By the hour, $1.50 within the City limits.

“ In no event shall any of the above rates of fare exceed the maximum rate passed by the Ordinances of the City of Rochester, which are as follows:

300 for first third of a mile.

“ 100 for each third of a mile thereafter.

200 for each additional passenger over one for entire trip.

Each four minutes waiting not to exceed 100.

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Bluebook (online)
134 Misc. 664, 236 N.Y.S. 6, 1929 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1167, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/new-york-state-railways-v-monroe-cab-corp-nysupct-1929.