Saul v. United States Fidelity & Guaranty Co.

71 A.D. 77, 75 N.Y.S. 615
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedApril 15, 1902
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 71 A.D. 77 (Saul v. United States Fidelity & Guaranty Co.) 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.

Bluebook
Saul v. United States Fidelity & Guaranty Co., 71 A.D. 77, 75 N.Y.S. 615 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1902).

Opinion

Ingraham, J.:

The action is brought to recover upon a bond given by one Solomon 1VI. Grouse as principal, and the defendant as surety, upon an application by Grouse for a license as auctioneer in the city of New York. The condition of the bond, which is annexed, to the complaint, is that if the said Solomon M. Grouse and his copartners, and his and their clerks, agents and servants, shall well and truly, carry on his said business of auctioneer, and in all things obey and conform to all laws of the State of New York, and all ordinances and resolutions of the Municipal Assembly of the' said The City of New York, now in force, or hereafter to be adopted,, relating, especially to the business of auctioneer in the said The City of New York, then this obligation to be void; otherwise to remain in full force and effect.” The complaint alleges that Grouse made-application to the city clerk of the city of New York for. a license to carry on the business and occupation of an auctioneer in the city of New York pursuant to the statutes of this State, and presented his bond, duly executed by himself as principal and the defendant as surety, in the penal sum of $2,000,. in accordance with the statutes of this State, and that upon the filing of the aforesaid bond a. license was issued by him on the 5th day of June, 1899, to the said Grouse, permitting him to engage in and carry on the business- and occupation of an auctioneer for a period of. one year from the said [79]*79date ; that upon the expiration of the said license, and on or about the 19th of June, 1900, the said Grouse made application to the said city clerk for the continuation of the said license or a new license permitting him to carry on the said business and occupation of an auctioneer, and duly presented his bond, duly executed by himself as principal and the defendant as surety, in the penal sum of $2,000; that pursuant to the said licenses and each of them, the said Grouse entered into and carried on said business and occupation of auctioneer in the city of New York, and that on or about the 10th day of March, 1900, the plaintiff dealt with the said Grouse as such auctioneer and consigned to him for sale at auction a large quantity of goods and merchandise of the value of $10,500 ; that between the months of March and September, 1900, the defendant sold at auction the said goods and merchandise so consigned for sale by the plaintiff, but that during said times and ever since he has refused and neglected to turn over to this plaintiff or to account to him for a part of the money arising from the said sales, to the amount of about $2,000, and converted the same to his own use» that by reason of such neglect and refusal and conversion, the said Grouse cheated and defrauded the plaintiff and did not well and truly carry on his said business or occupation of auctioneer, and did not in all things obey and conform to all the laws of the State of New York, and all ordinances and resolutions of the municipal assembly of said city now in force or hereafter to be adopted, relating especially to the business of auctioneer in the said city of New York, according to the conditions of the said bonds; that prior to the 6th day of December, 1900, the plaintiff, pursuant to the statutes of this State, complained in writing of the fraud practiced upon him by the said Grouse to the president of the municipal council of the city of New York, and that on said day the said president, due notice and opportunity of defense having been given, took the testimony of both parties, the plaintiff and the said Grouse, under oath, relating to the charge of fraud contained in the said complaint ; that after such hearing, pursuant to the authority vested in him by section 34 of the Greater New York charter (Laws of 1897, chap. 378), the said president found and determined that the said charges were in his opinion sustained, and revoked the license granted to the defendant auctioneer; and that the plaintiff has [80]*80demanded of the said Grouse that he account for said, moneys and pay the same to. the plaintiff, but that the said Grouse has wholly neglected and refused to do so ; that due notice thereof was given to the defendant and thereupon payment was demanded of the defendant of" the said sum of $2,000, but that the defendant has wholly refused and neglected so to pay.

By chapter 682 of the Laws of 1897 (§§ 1, 2) it is provided that no person shall carry on the business of auctioneer in cities of 1,000,000 inhabitants and over without first having obtained from the mayor of said city a license authorizing such person to carry on the business of auctioneer, and that a license fee of $250 per annum shall be paid to the city. Section 4 provides that all. auctioneers, before the license to them issued shall become operative, shall file with the comptroller, or city treasurer of the city in which they shall be licensed a bond in the penal sum of $2,000. Section 5 provides that “ the sureties upon a bond as provided in section one hereof shall be liable for breach of contract or of duty towards the person or persons consigning goods for sale, as well as for the other acts, omissions and matters now provided by law.”

By section 34 of the charter of the city of New York (Laws of 1897, chap. 378) it is provided that “ the city clerk shall have authority to grant licenses to any pérson engaged in and carrying on the business and occupation of auctioneer, or desiring to be so engaged, on such person filing a bond approved by him with two good sureties in the penal sum of two thousand dollars. The president of the council, on complaint of any person having been defrauded by any auctioneer, Or by the clerk, agent or assignee of such auctioneer, doing business in said city, is authorized and directed to take testimony under oath relating thereto ; and if the charge shall in his opinion be sustained, he shall revoke the license granted to him and direct the bonds to be forfeited.”

If these provisions were in force at the time of the giving of these bonds and of the default of the auctioneer in accounting to the plaintiff for the proceeds of the sale of goods consigned to the auctioneer for sale hy the plaintiff, it would seem that the surety upon the. bond is liable for the breach of the auctioneer’s duty to account to the plaintiff for the proceeds of the goods consigned to and sold by the auctioneer. The act of 1897 became a law on May [81]*81twenty-second of that year. The charter of the new city of New York became a law on May 4, 1897. Section 1610 of the charter provides that “ all the provisions of all acts of the Legislature of the State of New York * * * of a general and permanent character relating to the corporation heretofore known as the Mayor, Aldermen and Commonalty of the City of New York, in force at the time this act goes into effect, which are consistent with this act and its purposes, and which are not revised and included in or the subject matter thereof covered by this act, are hereby extended to the City of New York as herein constituted, so far as they are consistent with this act and are not in their nature locally inapplicable to other portions of the city than the corporation heretofore known as the Mayor, Aldermen and Commonalty of the City of New York.” Section 1611 of the charter provides that, “ this act shall take effect on the first day of January, eighteen hundred and ninety-eight.”

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Related

Moser v. Bankers' Surety Co.
109 A.D. 172 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1905)
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40 Misc. 228 (Appellate Terms of the Supreme Court of New York, 1903)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
71 A.D. 77, 75 N.Y.S. 615, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/saul-v-united-states-fidelity-guaranty-co-nyappdiv-1902.