Barry v. Calder — 1 N.Y.S. 586

Majority

p. 586

Barry v. Calder et al.

(Supreme Court, General Term, Third Department.

May 17, 1888.)

Headnote

Arrest in Civil Cases—Wrongful Detainer of Property—Pleading.

A complaint alleging that the owner of certain stock delivered the certificate to O. & Co., who have since wrongfully detained, and still wrongfully detain it; that afterwards the owner assigned the claim to plaintiff, who demanded the certificate of O. & Co. who refused to deliver it,—states a cause of action sufficient to justify an order of arrest against O. & Co. under Code Civil Proc. § 549, which provides that a defendant may be arrested for “ an injury to property, including the wrongful taking, detention, or conversion of personal property; ” and it is not affected by subsequent allegations that the certificate came into the hands of W. & Co., who converted it to their own use before the owner assigned her right to plaintiff, as the question whether the conversion by W. & Co. will excuse their refusal to return the stock depends on the evidence.

Appeal'from special term, Bensselaer county; Ingalls, Justice.

Action brought by John S. Barry against G. Parish Ogden, J. Prank Calder, and Gduverneur Ogden, doing business as Ogden, Calder & Co., and the firm of Work, Strong & Co., for the conversion of personal property. J. Frank Calder and Gouverneur Ogden were arrested on an order granted to accompany the summons. They afterwards moved to set aside the order of arrest on the ground that the complaint did not state a cause of action as prescribed by Code Civil Proc. § 549, which says that a defendant may be arrested for “an injury to property, including the wrongful taking, detention, or conversion of personal property. ” The court at special term overruled defendants’ motion, and from the order so entered defendants appeal. The complaint alleged that the defendants making the motion are members of the firm of Ogden, Calder & Co.; that the other defendants, who are not represented on this motion, and who were not arrested, compose the firm of Work, Strong & Co.;, that on the 8th of December, 1886, Helen B Markham, being' then tile owner of 50 shares of Lake Shore stock, of the par value of $100 each, and having in her possession the certificate for the same, delivered it to the defendants Ogden, Calder & Co., who have since wrongfully detained and still wrongfully detain the same; that on the 14th of December, 1886, the said certificate came into the possession of the defendants Work, Strong & Co., and that Work, Strong & Co., on or about the 8th day of October, 1887, unlawfully converted the same to their own use; that before this action, and on or about the 10th of October,-1887, Helen B. Markham duly demanded the certificate of stock of the defendants Work, Strong & Co., and they refused to deliver the same; that thereafter Helen B. Markham assigned to this plaintiff, John S. Barry, her title to the stock and all claims against the above-named defendants for damages for the conversion thereof; that afterwards plaintiff demanded the certificate of stock of defendants Ogden, Calder & Co., and they refused to deliver the same.

p. 587

Argued before Learned, P. J., and Landon, J.

&. B. Wellington, for appellants. O. 8. MeOhesney, for respondent.

This is an appeal from an order denying a motion to vacate an order of arrest against Calder, Ogden, and Ogden, three of the defendants. The motion was made, and the appeal is argued, on one ground only, viz., that the complaint does not set forth a sufficient cause of action. See Code, § 558, as now amended, and section 549, subd. 2, as now amended. The action is to recover damages for the wrongful detention or conversion of personal property. Section 1721 is cited to show what must be stated in the complaint. But it is to be noticed that that section is contained in article 1, tit. 2, c. 14, which treats of “an action to recover a chattel.” That is the old action of replevin; and the complaint referred to is a complaint in such an action. How the present action is not one of replevin. It is, to use the familiar word, an action of trover. Replevin could not be had because defendants have been arrested. Section 1714. Section 1721, therefore, is not important in considering the present question. We have now simply the question, does the complaint set forth a sufficient cause of action against these three defendants ? The complaint alleges that Helen B. Markham, owner of 50 shares of Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad Company, and, having the certificate for the same in her possession, delivered the same to Ogden, Calder & Co., (these three defendants,) who have since wrongfully detained, and still wrongfully detain, the same; that afterwards she assigned her right in said stock, and all claims for damages, to plaintiff; that thereafter plaintiff demanded said certificate of Ogden, Calder'& Co., and they refused to deliver it. These statements make out a sufficient statement of a cause of action for detention of personal property. There are, however, other allegations in the complaint, which it is claimed destroy the effect of those above stated. It is averred that, after the delivery of the certificate to these defendants, that certificate came into the possession of other defendants, viz., Work, Strong, Wood, and Sturgis, (Work, Strong & Co.;) that they converted it to their use before Helen B Markham assigned her rights to plaintiff. Therefore these defendants say that they could not comply with the demand for the certificate made on them by plaintiff, and hence their refusal gave no cause of action. Bowman v. Eaton, 24 Barb. 532 ; Hawkins v. Hoffman, 6 Hill, 586 . How, it must be noticed that we are not discussing the matter of proof or of evidence on the trial. We are only looking at the pleadings. Whether the conversion of the certificate by Work, Strong & Co. will be an excuse to these three defendants for their not returning the certificate, when demanded, may depend upon matters to be proved on the trial. If these three defendants wrongfully put themselves in such a condition that they could not deliver the-certificate on demand, then their wrongful act will be no excuse for their refusal to deliver. If they rightfully put the certificate out of their possession,, so that they are not to blame for the alleged act of Work, Strong & Co., then they will probably succeed on the trial. These are results which will depend on the proof. Let us suppose that the allegations in regard to the possession by Work, Strong & Co., and the conversion by them had not been contained in the complaint, but set up in the answer, what defense would these facts have been-? Helen B. Markham puts her property into the hands of these three defendants; her assignee demands it; and they reply: “Some one else has it.” That is what every embezzler might say when called on to return property intrusted to him. We think the complaint states a cause of action. Order affirmed, with $10 costs and printing disbursements.