Outerbridge v. Phelps

58 How. Pr. 77, 13 Abb. N. Cas. 117, 13 Jones & S. 555
CourtThe Superior Court of New York City
DecidedDecember 15, 1879
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 58 How. Pr. 77 (Outerbridge v. Phelps) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering The Superior Court of New York City primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Outerbridge v. Phelps, 58 How. Pr. 77, 13 Abb. N. Cas. 117, 13 Jones & S. 555 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1879).

Opinion

Freedman, J.

The case, as made by the papers submitted on both sides, involves no controversy as to the material facts. They are as follows, viz.:

The building fronting on Broadway, known as Mo. 29 Broadway and now owned by the defendant, was built first as a separate building. The next, immediately in the rear of the first, which, in the motion papers, is sometimes styled the “ rear building ” and sometimes the extension building,” was erected afterwards fronting, upon Morris street and filling up the [79]*79whole space in the rear of the original building lying between the latter and the side walls of two dwellings adjoining on the west, and fronting and opening upon Morris street as their only outlet. More than twenty-five years ago all four of these buildings were used together as a boarding-house. While they were so used the front building had staircases of its own in the rear of the hallway, over and through which the plaintiffs claim a right of way. There was an opening in the west end of the hallway into the so-called rear or extension building; and the main and customary entrance to all parts of the four buildings, while occupied and used together as stated, was through the door and hallway of the building fronting on Broadway. But there were also staircases in said rear or extension building connecting the upper floors with the ground floor, from which, through doors still in existence, access could be, and I have no doubt, as occasion required was had to Morris street; and there were other independent entrances from Morris street which also still exist, and by which access could be, and was, had into the two most westerly buildings, and through them to all parts of the four connected buildings. The staircases by which access was thus had to and from Morris street, through the two most westerly buildings, are still standing, but are included in and covered by lettings to tenants of the present owner.

From the intersection of Broadway and Morris street the grade of Morris street, towards the west, is descending, so that the first or ground floor of the building fronting on Broadway was, and is, on a level with the second floors of the extension building and the two most westerly buildings fronting on Morris street; and the ground or first floors of the buildings last referred to were, and are, on a a level with the basement of the Broadway building. The premises with these four buildings thereon were next leased and occupied by the firm of Spofford & Tileston, who kept open the communication which existed between the front and rear building, and used the rooms in the front building for [80]*80their general office, and rooms in the rear parts for a record room, porters’ room, water closets, coal bins, &c.

In 1863, while the premises were thus used and occupied by said firm, Paul hi. Spofford became the owner of them, subject to two mortgages upon the whole, amounting in the aggregate to the sum of $50,000. These mortgages have been assigned to, and are now held by, the Mutual Life Insurance Company. From the time Spofford became the owner,he rented out offices in the buildings to tenants for business purposes.

A short time before May, 1865, Spofford made extensive alterations in the premises, for the purpose of rendering the whole of the premises suitable and available for business purposes, and put them in the condition in which they still are. Among other things, not necessary to be specially mentioned, he widened the front hall on the first floor of the front building, and continued the passageway thus widened straight to the extreme westerly end of the four buildings ; and he also removed the staircase in the front building, and constructed one in the east end of the so-called rear or extension building, by which access was provided to each floor of the four buildings. From that time forward the entrances on and from Morris street ceased to be used, and the tenants of the offices in the so-called rear building were obliged, and of necessity permitted, to pass in and through the door and hallway of the building fronting and facing upon Broadway, and the tenants of the upper parts of the Broadway building were obliged, and of necessity permitted, to pass up and down the staircases erected in the rear or extension building, and all tenants, no matter in what part of the connected buildings their offices were situated, were permitted to display, and keep upon the front of the Broadway building, signs indicating their names and the character of their business. On the ground floor of the rear or extension building, situate between the building fronting on Broadway and the two most westerly buildings, there are four small shops, which face and open on Morris street, and they were [81]*81deprived of the communication that formerly existed between the ground floor and the upper part of said building.

In January, 1873, the Mutual Life Insurance Company, in consideration of $25,000 paid on its mortgages, released the entire front or Broadway building to Spofford, by an instrument containing no reservations, and about the same time Spofford mortgaged the premises so released to William Albert and Charles Hickman, as executors of the estate of Richard Adams, deceased, to secure a loan of $50,000. This mortgage contained no reservations, and was recorded February 6, 1873.

After the mortgage last referred to had been made and recorded, the plaintiffs hired from Spofford, and went into the occupation of, two rooms on the second floor of the so-called rear or extension building, and since 1874, their said occupation has been continued under successive annual leases. Their present holding is under a verbal letting for one year from May 1, 1879, upon the terms expressed in a previous written lease, which, however, as is admitted, contained no allusion to either a right of way through the hallway in question, or to a right to affix signs upon the Broadway front.

Spofford remained in possession of the four buildings connected as aforesaid, until December, 1878, when the premises fronting on Broadway were sold under a judgment for the foreclosure of the Albert and Hickman mortgage, and purchased by the defendant in good faith, and without knowledge of plaintiffs’ claims, for the sum of $58,000. The remaining three buildings, lying and fronting upon Morris street, west of the defendant’s building, Spofford retained, and they are still owned by him.

Upon ascertaining, after his bid had been accepted, the condition and use of the premises, and fearing that some right of way might be claimed by Spofford or his tenants, the defendant applied to the supreme court, which had given the judgment of foreclosure, to be relieved from his purchase. At the same time the plaintiff in the action applied to the [82]*82same court for an order directing the defendant to complete his purchase. The plaintiff gave notice of his application to all the parties who had appeared in the suit, but did not serve the papers on Spofford, who had not appeared. Spofford, however, seems to have had actual notice of both applications. They were heard together, and both decided against the defendant, and the latter thereupon completed his purchase as he was directed to do, and paid the price bid, and received his deed.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
58 How. Pr. 77, 13 Abb. N. Cas. 117, 13 Jones & S. 555, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/outerbridge-v-phelps-nysuperctnyc-1879.