Majority
Headnote
Costs—Appeaj>—Costs to Abide Event.The appeal is from an order of the city judge of Yonkers retaxing costs on a judgment by striking out certain items taxed by the clerk, and reducing the judgment accordingly. The plaintiff recovered a judgment upon a verdict. Upon defendant’s appeal therefrom, and from an order denying defendant’s motion for a new trial' on the minutes, we reversed the judgment and the order, and ordered a new trial, “costs to abide event.” 105 App. Div. 96 , 93 N. Y. Supp. 844 . On the second trial the plaintiff again recovered a judgment, and thereupon the costs now objected to were taxed. The appellant does not challenge the propriety of the items, but contends that the plaintiff, being unsuccessful on the appeal, is not entitled to tax the costs thereof as the prevailing party upon the new trial. The costs were “to abide the event,” and the event is favorable to the plaintiff; that is, he has succeeded in the trial, for there is in the eye of the law but one trial of this action, namely, that which has terminated in favor of the plaintiff. Benjamin v. Ver Nooy, 168 N. Y. 578 , at page 583, 61 N. E. 971 .
We are of opinion that the taxation by the clerk was correct. Koon v. Thurman, 2 Hill, 357 ; First N. Bank of Meadville v. Fourth N. Bank of New York, 84 N. Y. 469 ; Franey v. Smith, 126 N. Y. 658 -660, 27 N. E. 559 . There is, of course, a distinction between an award of costs in the terms pf the judgment in this case and awards of “costs to the appellant or to the plaintiff or the defendant to abide the event.”
The order is reversed, with $10 costs and disbursements. All concur.
Cases cited
- Benjamin v. Ver Nooy 168 N. Y. 578 p. 172
- First National Bank of Meadville v. Fourth National Bank 84 N. Y. 469 p. 172
- Franey v. Smith 126 N. Y. 658 p. 172