MacAffer v. Boston & Maine Railroad — 268 N.Y. 408

Majority

p. 408

Kenneth S. MacAffer, as Receiver of The Mechanicville and Fort Edward Railroad Company, et al., Respondents, v. Boston and Maine Railroad, Appellant.

(Argued May 27, 1936;

decided July 11, 1935.)

p. 409

Robert E. Whalen for appellant.

Headnote

The Mechanicville and Fort Edward Railroad Company has no capacity to sue because there is no such corporation. (Rudd v. Cornell, 171 N. Y. 114 ; Matter of Kings, Queens & Suffolk R. R. Co., 6 App. Div. 241 ; City of New York v. Bryan, 196 N. Y. 158 ; Sturges v. Vanderbilt, 73 N. Y. 384 ; Steinbach v. Prudential Ins. Co., 172 N. Y. 471 ; Matter of L. I. R. R. Co., 143 N. Y. 67 ; Day v. 0. & L. C. R. R. Co., 107 N. Y. 129 ; Matter of N. Y. & L. I. Bridge Co., 148 N. Y. 540 ; Matter of B., W. & N. Ry. Co., 72 N. Y. 245 ; 75 N. Y. 335 ; Brooklyn St. T. Co. v. City of Brooklyn, 78 N. Y. 524 ; Farnham v. Benedict, 107 N. Y. 159 ; Matter of B., Q. C. & S. R. R. Co., 185 N. Y. 171 .) The amendment made by chapter 552 of the Laws of 1932 to section 29 of the General Corporation Law (Cons. Laws, ch. 23) gives the

p. 410

Mechanicville and Fort Edward Railroad Company no standing to sue. (Heath v. Barmore, 50 N. Y. 302 ; Central City Sav. Bank v. Walker, 66 N. Y. 424 ; People v. O’Brien, 111 N. Y. 1 ; Matter of Friedman, 177 App. Div. 755 ; Central U. T. Co. v. Amer. By. T. Go., 198 App. Div. 303 ; 233 N. Y. 531 ; v. Colgate, 217 N. Y. 235 ; N. Y. & O. M. B. B. Co. v. Van Horn, 57 N. Y. 473 ; v. Bosenfeld, 265 N. Y. 76 ; Feiber Bealty Corp. v. Abel, 265 N. Y. 94 ; O’Beilly v. U., N. & C. Stage Co., 87 Hun, 406 ; Isola v. Weber, 147 N. Y. 329 ; Morrison v. B. & O. B. B. Co., 177 App. Div. 613 ; Cunningham v. Glauber, 133 App. Div. 10 ; Security Trust Co. v. Pritchard, 201 App. Div. 142 ; Knickerbocker v. Grotton Bridge & Mfg. Co., Ill App. Div. 145; Matter of B., W. & N.B.B. Co., 75 N. Y. 335 ; Matter of B., Q. C. & S. B. B., 106 App. Div. 240 ; 185 N. Y. 171 .)

Frank L. Wiswall for The Mechanicville and Fort Edward Railroad Company, respondent.

The plaintiff, the Mechanicville and Fort Edward Railroad Company, in the instant action sues under a statutory right. (Ward v. Petrie, 157 N. Y. 301 ; General Corporation Law, § 29.)

The adjudication that Mechanicville and Fort Edward Railroad Company had not legal capacity to sue made in the ejectment action of 1916 is binding and conclusive. Section 29 of the General Corporation Law (Cons. Laws, ch. 23; Laws of 1932, ch. 552) does not apply to a railroad corporation whose “ corporate powers had ceased ” even before dissolution.

The order of the Appellate Division and that of the Special Term should be reversed, with costs in this court and in the Appellate Division, and the motion to dismiss granted.

The first certified question should be answered in the affirmative and the other question not answered.

Crane, Ch. J., Lehman, O’Brien, Hubbs, Crouch, Loughran and Finch, JJ., concur.

Ordered accordingly.

Cases cited

Rudd v. Cornell 171 N. Y. 114 N.Y. 1902-05-13 p. 409
City of New York v. Bryan 196 N. Y. 158 N.Y. 1909-10-19 p. 409
Sturges v. Vanderbilt 73 N. Y. 384 N.Y. 1878-04-23 p. 409
Steinbach v. Prudential Insurance Co. of America 172 N. Y. 471 N.Y. 1902-11-18 p. 409
In re the Proceedings of the Long Island Railroad 143 N. Y. 67 N.Y. 1894-06-12 p. 409
Day v. Ogdensburgh & Lake Champlain Railroad 107 N. Y. 129 N.Y. 1887-10-11 p. 409
New York & Long Island Bridge Co. v. Smith 148 N. Y. 540 N.Y. 1896-02-25 p. 409
In re Brooklyn, Winfield & Newtown Railway Co. 72 N. Y. 245 N.Y. 1878-01-29 p. 409
In re the Brooklyn, Winfield & Newtown Railroad 75 N. Y. 335 N.Y. 1878-12-03 p. 409, p. 410
Brooklyn Steam Transit Co. v. City of Brooklyn 78 N. Y. 524 N.Y. 1879-11-11 p. 409
Farnham v. Benedict 107 N. Y. 159 N.Y. 1887-10-18 p. 409
Brooklyn, Queens County & Suburban Railroad v. Littleton 185 N. Y. 171 N.Y. 1906-05-08 p. 409, p. 410
Heath v. Barmore 50 N. Y. 302 N.Y. 1872-11-26 p. 410
Central City Savings Bank v. Walker 66 N. Y. 424 N.Y. 1876-06-21 p. 410
People v. O'Brien 111 N. Y. 1 N.Y. 1888-11-27 p. 410
Jacobus v. Colgate 217 N. Y. 235 N.Y. 1916-02-22 p. 410
New York & Oswego Midland Railroad v. Van Horn 57 N. Y. 473 N.Y. Comm'n App. p. 410
Dalziel v. Rosenfeld 265 N. Y. 76 N.Y. 1934-07-03 p. 410
Feiber Realty Corp. v. Abel 265 N. Y. 94 N.Y. 1934-07-03 p. 410
Isola v. Weber 147 N. Y. 329 N.Y. 1895-10-29 p. 410
Ward v. Petrie 157 N. Y. 301 N.Y. 1898-11-22 p. 410