Public-domain · open source
OpenJurist

1 Wend. 277

Williams v. Wright

New York Supreme Court

Decided October 15, 1828

New York Supreme Court · decided 1828-10-15

This was a motion to set off the defendant’s against the plaintiff’s costs. The action was replevin. The declaration contained three counts, alleging the taking of the same property in three several places. To the first count the defendant put in two avowries, and to the second and third counts plead cepit in alio loco, with an avowry for a return of the property, and non cepit to the whole declaration.

Cited by 2 later decisions — most recently January 1905

1 state decisions

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1828-10-15

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

¶1By the Court,

Savage, Ch. J.

¶2It is a sufficient answer to this application, that it is not shewn that the defendant has had a bill of costs taxed, which he can claim to be set off. But had he obtained his bill to be taxed, he would not have been entitled to set it off against the plaintiff’s costs in this case. The application is made on the supposition, that the defendant having prevailed on one of the issues of law, is entitled to the costs of that issue. This is not so. The party prevailing on the whole record, is alone entitled to costs. Here the plaintiff has prevailed: he obtained a verdict on the second and third counts of his declaration, which were for the same property claimed in the first count, and has entered his judgment accordingly. The rule is, if there be two counts, and an issue of law be joined on one, and an issue of fact on the other, if the defendant succeed upon the demurrer, and the plaintiff upon the issue in fact, the plaintiff shall have his costs on the issue in fact, but the defendant shall not have his costs on the issue in law. (2 Burr. 1232. 5 East, 264. 2 Archb. Pr. 286.)

¶3Motion denied.

/1/wend/277 · .json · Public domain