Walsh v. Johnson

5 Misc. 2d 744, 163 N.Y.S.2d 821, 1957 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2857
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedJune 17, 1957
StatusPublished

This text of 5 Misc. 2d 744 (Walsh v. Johnson) 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
Walsh v. Johnson, 5 Misc. 2d 744, 163 N.Y.S.2d 821, 1957 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2857 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1957).

Opinion

Herbert D. Hamm, J.

This is an article 78 proceeding in the nature of mandamus to compel ‘ ‘ the performance by said Respondent of a duty to reinstate the Petitioner to his position as Assistant Superintendent of Operation and Maintenance ”.

The petitioner, an honorably discharged veteran of World War II, was appointed on July 14, 1947, effective July 1, 1947, “ as Assistant Superintendent of Operation and Maintenance in the Division of Operation and Maintenance in the Department of Public Works ” of the State of New York. By letter dated September 28, 1955, the petitioner was notified that Ms appointment and employment were terminated effective as of September 30, 1955. No hearing was ever afforded to the petitioner and no charges of misconduct or incompetency were made.

The petitioner invokes the protection of subdivision 1 of section 22 of the Civil Service Law, which reads in part as follows: “1. * * * No person holding a position by appointment or employment in the state of New York * * * who is an honorably discharged soldier, sailor, marine * * * having served as such in the army or navy of the United States during * * * world war II * * * shall be removed from such position except for incompetency or misconduct shown after a hearing upon due notice upon stated charges * # #. Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to apply to the position of private secretary, cashier or deputy of any official or department.”

As to organization of the Department of Public Works, section 7 of the Public Works Law provides:

< ‘ There shall be in the department the following divisions: (a) administration, (b) construction, and (c) operation and maintenance.

“ The power and duties of such divisions and of any bureaus therein shall be exercised and performed under the supervision, direction and control of the superintendent of public works.

“ The superintendent may (a) with the approval of the governor, establish, consolidate or abolish additional divisions, (b) establish, consolidate or abolish any bureau or bureaus now existing or hereafter created in any such division, and (c) main[746]*746tain district offices at convenient places within each engineering district and assign an engineer to take charge of each such districts, subject to his direction, supervision and control. The superintendent may appoint a deputy superintendent, a chief engineer and a superintendent of operation and maintenance, to serve during his pleasure and assign to each the work which shall be under his supervision. Bach deputy superintendent, chief engineer and superintendent of operation and maintenance shall be a person qualified by training and experience for the performance of the duties assigned to him. Subject to the provisions of the civil service law and rules, the superintendent may appoint such other employees of the department as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter. He may transfer officers or employees from their positions to other positions in the department, may consolidate such positions, or may abolish such office or position. Each officer and employee of the department shall receive an annual compensation to be fixed by the superintendent within the amount provided by appropriation.”

The petitioner was appointed “ Assistant Superintendent of Operation and Maintenance in the Division of Operation and Maintenance ” by Official Order No. 167, which provided:

“ Article 1. Pursuant to section 7 of the Public Works Law, it is

“ Ordered: That Chas. E. Walsh, Jr., be and he hereby is appointed as Assistant Superintendent of Operation and Maintenance in the Division of Operation and Maintenance in the Department of Public Works, effective as of July 1, 1947. at such salary as shall be provided for such position.

Article 2. Pursuant to section 11 of the Public Works Law, it is

“ Ordered: That subject to my supervision, and under direction of the Superintendent of Operation and Maintenance of the Department of Public Works, the said Chas. E. Walsh, Jr. as such Assistant Superintendent of Operation and Maintenance, be and he hereby is delegated and directed (I) to operate and maintain the public buildings and grounds including the care and control thereof under the Public Buildings Law in accordance with subdivision (3) of paragraph (c) of section 8 of the Public Works Law; (II) in co-operation with the Commissioner of Standards and Purchase in the Executive Department of the State of New York, to co-ordinate the power and authority of the undersigned Superintendent of Public Works with the policy of the said Commissioner of Standards and Purchase in relation to the leasing of buildings, rooms or premises [747]*747in the City of Albany and elsewhere in the State for providing space for Departments, Commissions, Boards and officers of the State government as provided in section 3 of the Public Buildings Law, and (III) to perform such other duties and functions that shall be assigned to him from time to time; except power to appoint or remove officers or employees or to fix their compensation. ’ ’

The petitioner does not come within the exception of Matter of Erikson v. Helfand (1 A D 2d 59, affd. 1 N Y 2d 775) as the petitioner concededly has not been given the title of “ deputy ” by the Legislature.

Nor is the petitioner an independent officer (Matter of O’Day v. Yeager, 308 N. Y. 580). His powers and duties are not prescribed by statute.

The respondent, however, contends that an appointee may in some circumstances be a deputy within the meaning of the exclusionary provisions of section 22 of the Civil Service Law although the word “ deputy ” is not included in his title. This may be conceded. In Matter of Byrnes v. Windels (265 N. Y.. 403, 408) an assistant corporation counsel of New York City was held to be a deputy within the meaning of section 22 of the Civil Service Law excepting deputies from the protection afforded war veterans from removal from office. But the charter of the City of New York provided that any assistant corporation counsel should “ possess every power and perform all and every duty belonging to the office of the corporation counsel, or so much of such duties as the corporation counsel shall deem it necessary to delegate ”.

The requirements to make the petitioner a deputy within the exception of section 22 have been stated by Mr. Justice Halpern (Heath v. Creagh, 197 Misc. 537, 547, affd. 276 App. Div. 948):

“ It is clear from the cases cited that in order to bring the petitioner’s position within the statutory concept of a deputy, the respondents must show that there was some statute making the petitioner a deputy with authority to take over and perform the duties vested in the principal officer or that there was a statute authorizing the principal officer to delegate his duties and thus to create a deputy ship.

“ In People ex rel. Hoefle v. Cahill (188 N. Y. 489, 497-498) it was stated: ‘ We think that when the statute excepted from the limitations upon the power to remove certain persons like relator the office of deputy, cashier or private secretary, it contemplates only positions brought within these excepted classes by the terms of the laws which created or authorized [748]

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Related

People Ex Rel. Hoefle v. . Cahill
81 N.E. 453 (New York Court of Appeals, 1907)
Heath v. Creagh
197 Misc. 537 (New York Supreme Court, 1949)
O'Day v. Yeager
127 N.E.2d 585 (New York Court of Appeals, 1955)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
5 Misc. 2d 744, 163 N.Y.S.2d 821, 1957 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2857, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/walsh-v-johnson-nysupct-1957.