Waterman v. Ball

64 How. Pr. 368
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 15, 1880
StatusPublished

This text of 64 How. Pr. 368 (Waterman v. Ball) 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
Waterman v. Ball, 64 How. Pr. 368 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1880).

Opinion

Noxon, J.

—The plaintiff, to maintain his action in this case, was bound to prove that a final decision had been made upon the appeal from the order of the surrogate, by which the order of the surrogate in respect to the amount allowed for costs to Daniel Ball had been reversed or modified. This was the condition of the receipt upon which payment was predicated. The only evidence offered to show the final decision was a record made up and filed in Oneida county, containing no decision or order of the general term of the supreme court. The record1 offered purports to give the order, judgment and decree of the- general term, but it nowhere appears in the record, or in any- evidence offered or produced, or in any admission in the pleadings, or- elsewhere, that the general term reversed or modified the- order-of the surrogate’s court in respect to the amount allowed! for-costs. The authority to enter judgment can only appear from- a- certified copy of the order of the general term directed upon- the decision of the court, to be entered by the clerk of the court. This copy order should be obtained and annexed to- the- roll; it is the authority and only authority which authorizes; the- clerk to enter judgment. This order is not shown, nor is there any evidence that it was ever filed in the county clerk’s office. On the contrary, the clerk certifies that he has made diligent- search in the records of his office, and finds no order authorizing an entry of judgment in the action appealed from, and no record that said order was entered in his office in the said1 action during the period from January 1 to December 31, 1871. There can be no doubt that the decision of the general term- upon the affirmance or reversal of order of the surrogate brought into that court upon appeal, should be entered in the office of the clerk of the county in which the surrogate is officer. The appeal brings into the supreme court the pleadings, proofs and proceedings had before the surrogate, and the decision of the court results in a judgment of that court entered with the clerk of the county, and thereafter a certified copy of the judgment is delivered to the surrogate, and said judgment [373]*373controls tlie surrogate in the further disposition of the proceedings had therein by him. If an appeal is taken to the court of appeals, such appeal is from the judgment entered in the county clerk’s office.

After the appeal in this case was brought, and the proceedings transferred to the supreme court, the appellant, in pursuance of the rule of the supreme court, made, filed and served his petition of appeal, in which he specified the parts of the order of the surrogate which he complains is erroneous, and those parts are in relation to certain notes described in the order. Ho complaint is made in said petition of any error by the surrogate in respect to costs. The opinion of justice Johnson, given upon the decision of the appeal at general term, does not consider any question in the decision of the matter before the court, except so far as it relates to the question whether said notes should be included in the inventory, or whether the amount of the notes should be included in the inventory as assets upon a claim of the deceased or his heirs against his widow, or the parties who had paid the notes to the widow. The decision ends as follows: “On the whole testimony before the surrogate, we can have no doubt that a valid gift causa mortis was fully proved; and that upon that ground alone the order of the surrogate should be reversed. Order reversed, with costs of appeal to be paid by the respondent personally.”

In the absence of any order or direction of the court other or different than what is contained in their opinion, I am of the opinion that no part of the order was reversed or intended to be reversed, except so much of the order as the appellant in his petition of appeal claimed to be erroneous, and that the question relating to costs was not considered by the court; and I am the more inclined to this opinion from the fact that said order contained a provision that the administrator include in his inventory an item of twelve dollars and fifty cents, against which no error was assigned, and the justice in his opinion said, after reviewing the case upon the question as to [374]*374whether the notes should be included in the inventory, In this he (the surrogate) was most clearly mistaken, in view of all the facts before him, and his order in that respect should be reversed.” If, however, as the court may have done, this question was considered and the order directed to be entered by them covering other questions not specifically claimed as error in the order, I have concluded to nonsuit the plaintiff, and leave him in a situation to make such other or further proof in another action as he may deem best.

The plaintiff appealed to the general term from a judgment entered pursuant to the foregoing opinion of justice Noxox, and such judgment was reversed by the general term. No opinion.

' Thereupon the defendants moved, at a special term, to correct the judgment-roll in said case of Bentley against Waterman, and the motion was denied, and the defendants appealed from the order denying this motion to the general term and to the court of appeals. This order having been affirmed, this action was again tried before Mr. justice Mebwnr. without a jury, at the February circuit, in Oneida county, 1880. In deciding the case, justice Mebwin delivered the following opinion:

Mebwih, J.— On the 19th October, 1865, Charles Waterman was appointed administrator of the estate of Joseph Waterman, deceased. In January, 1866, Amanda M. Bentley, one of the next of kin of the deceased, petitioned the surrogate for an order compelling a further inventory $ and bn this application a trial was had before the surrogate, Mr. Ball, the defendant’s testator,' appearing as counsel for the petitioner, and Mr. Williams as counsel for the administrator.

On the 21st day of January, 1867, a decree was made by the surrogate requiring a further inventory, which should contain cash, twelve dollars and fifty cents, and three certain notes, amounting in the aggregate to $1,100, besides interest.

At the close of the decree was the following clause : “And [375]*375it is further ordered and decreed that the costs of these proceedings be paid by the administrator out of the estate of the said Joseph Waterman, deceased, as follows:

To the surrogate, for his costs and disbursements, the sum of.................................... -$40 30 To the petitioner, for her disbursements.......... 57 50 To the administrator, for his disbursements....... 65 00 To D. Ball, attorney for the petitioner, an allowance of.....................!.................. 150 00 To O. S. Williams, attorney for the administrator, an allowance of............................. 150 00

On the 20th February, 1867, the administrator appealed to the supreme court. The notice of appeal is general, specifying no particular part, but appealing generally from the decree, describing it by its date and title.

On the 4th March, 1867, the appellant served his petition of appeal under the rule, specifying as erroneous that part of the decree relating to the three notes, and saying nothing about the sums awarded for costs. It prayed that Amanda M. Bentley answer the petition; that the decree be reversed or modified and rectified, and for such other relief as might be just. This petition was signed by Mr. Waterman and by Mr. Williams as attorney. An answer was put in by Mrs. Bentley, which was signed by her and by Mr.

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Bluebook (online)
64 How. Pr. 368, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/waterman-v-ball-nysupct-1880.