Greater New York Coal & Oil Corp. v. Philadelphia & Reading Coal & Iron Co.

Majority

p. 270

Greater New York Coal and Oil Corporation, Respondent, v. Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company, Defendant, and Greater New York Coal Distribution Co., Inc., Appellant.

Argued May 16, 1938;

decided May 31, 1938.

p. 271

Benjamin Lewis and Alfred B. Nathan for appellant.

Fairly construed, section 480 of the Civil Practice Act requires that an award of interest for the period antedating the verdict be made by the trier of the facts. (Simon v.

p. 272

Etgen, 213 N. Y. 589 ; Isbell-Porter Co. v. Broker, 120 App. Div. 384 ; Faber v. City of New York, 222 N. Y. 255 ; Klausner v. Queens Fur Dressing Co., 130 Misc. Rep. 579 ; Preston Co. v. Funkhouser, 261 N. Y. 140 ; 290 U. S. 163 ; Shea v. National Surety Co., 144 Misc. Rep. 613 ; Ketcham v. Wilbur, 256 N. Y. 525 ; Porret v. City of New York, 252 N. Y. 208 ; Duerr v. Consolidated Gas Co., 104 App. Div. 465 ; Herpe v. Herpe, 225 N. Y. 323 .)

Norman Winer for respondent.

Where plaintiff is entitled to interest as a matter of law the court may add that interest to the verdict of the jury. (Preston Co. v. Funkhouser, 261 N. Y. 140 ; Funkhouser v. Preston Co., 290 U. S. 163 ; Prager v. New Jersey Fidelity & Plate Glass Ins. Co., 245 N. Y. 1 ; Hodgkins v. Mead, 119 N. Y. 166 ; Urband v. Lubell, 245 N. Y. 156 ; Lowenstein v. Lombard, Ayres & Co., 2 App. Div. 610 ; M’Afee v. Dix. 101 App. Div. 69 ; Mayaguez Drug Co. v. Globe & Rutgers Fire Ins. Co., 260 N. Y. 356 ; McLaughlin v. Brinckerhoff, 222 App. Div. 458 ; Joannes Bros. Co. v. Lamborn, 226 App. Div. 777 ; Newburgh Dress Co. v. Nadler & Nadler, Inc., 251 App. Div. 330 ; Distillator & Son, Inc., v. Smith, 140 Misc. Rep. 34 ; Eff-Ess, Inc., v. New York Edison Co., 144 Misc. Rep. 724 ; Demms v. Blanchard, 150 Misc. Rep. 867 ; United States v. Stephanidis, 41 Fed. Rep. [2d] 960; Hollwedel v. Duffy-Mott Co., 263 N. Y. 95 ; Hart v. United Artists Corp., 252 App. Div. 133 ; Miller v. Foltis-Fischer, Inc., 152 Misc. Rep. 24 .)

In a case covered by section 480 of the Civil Practice Act where there is no question of fact as to the amount, it is the duty of the court to add to the verdict of the jury interest from the date of the breach of the contract.

The order should be affirmed, with costs, and the question certified answered in the affirmative.

Lehman, O’Brien, Hubbs, Loughran, Finch and Bippey, JJ., concur; Crane, Ch. J., taking no part.

Order affirmed, etc.

Cases cited

Simon v. Etgen 213 N. Y. 589 N.Y. 1915-01-19 p. 272
Faber v. City of New York 222 N. Y. 255 N.Y. 1918-01-08 p. 272
J. B. Preston Co. v. Funkhouser 261 N. Y. 140 N.Y. 1933-02-28 p. 272
Funkhouser v. J. B. Preston Co. 290 U. S. 163 SCOTUS 1933-12-04 p. 272
Ketcham v. Wilbur 256 N. Y. 525 N.Y. 1931-03-24 p. 272
Porret v. City of New York 252 N. Y. 208 N.Y. 1929-11-19 p. 272
Herpe v. Herpe 225 N. Y. 323 N.Y. 1919-01-14 p. 272
Prager v. New Jersey Fidelity & Plate Glass Insurance Co. of Newark 245 N. Y. 1 N.Y. 1927-03-29 p. 272
Hodgkins v. Mead 119 N. Y. 166 N.Y. 1890-01-28 p. 272
Urband v. Lubell 245 N. Y. 156 N.Y. 1927-05-03 p. 272
Lowenstein v. Lombard 2 App. Div. 610 N.Y. App. Div. 1896-03-20 p. 272
Mayaguez Drug Co. v. Globe & Rutgers Fire Insurance 260 N. Y. 356 N.Y. 1932-11-29 p. 272
Hollwedel v. Duffy-Mott Co. 263 N. Y. 95 N.Y. 1933-11-21 p. 272