Red Cheek, Inc. v. Crown Confections, Inc.
This text of 129 A.D.2d 787 (Red Cheek, Inc. v. Crown Confections, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.
Opinion
In an action to recover the principal sum of $51,004.80 for goods sold and delivered, the plaintiff ap[788]*788peals, as limited by its brief, from so much of an order of the Supreme Court, Nassau County (Becker, J.), entered October 4, 1985, as directed that the Sheriffs poundage be paid by the plaintiff.
Ordered that the order is reversed insofar as appealed from, with costs, and it is directed that the Sheriffs poundage is to be paid by the defendant.
The plaintiff obtained a default judgment against the defendant when the defendant failed to timely serve its answer. The plaintiff then apparently issued execution to the Sheriff. After levy, the default judgment and all executions were vacated upon Special Term’s finding that the failure to answer was in part due to the defense counsel’s vacation schedule and that it appeared that the defendant might have a partial defense to the action. The court directed that the Sheriffs poundage be paid by the plaintiff.
"Poundage is a fee awarded to the Sheriff in the nature of a percentage commission upon moneys recovered pursuant to a levy or execution of attachment” (Southern Indus. v Jeremias, 66 AD2d 178, 186; Famous Pizza v Metss Kosher Pizza, 119 AD2d 721). The right of the Sheriff to receive poundage is wholly statutory (CPLR 8012 [b]; Famous Pizza v Metss Kosher Pizza, supra). CPLR 8012 (b) (2) provides, in part, that "[wjhere an execution is vacated or set aside, the sheriff is entitled to poundage * * * and the court may order the party liable therefore to pay the same to the sheriff” (emphasis added).
In the instant case the "party liable” is the defendant. The sole cause of the default judgment being entered was the defendant’s failure to timely serve its answer. Since the defendant was at fault, it, rather than the plaintiff, should be responsible for paying the Sheriffs poundage. Thompson, J. P., Lawrence, Rubin, Kunzeman and Sullivan, JJ., concur.
Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI
Related
Cite This Page — Counsel Stack
129 A.D.2d 787, 514 N.Y.S.2d 777, 1987 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 45477, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/red-cheek-inc-v-crown-confections-inc-nyappdiv-1987.