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15 E.H. Smith 120

55 N.E 395

Bini v. . Smith

New York Court of Appeals

Decided November 28, 1899

New York Court of Appeals · decided 1899-11-28

Motion to dismiss an appeal from an order of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court in the second judicial department, entered January 31, 1899, reversing a judgment in favor of defendant entered upon a dismissal of the complaint in an action tried by the court without a jury, and granting a new trial. The nature of the action and the facts, so far as material, are stated in the opinion. There is no question that the Court of Appeals can review upon this appeal.

Cited by 2 later decisions — most recently April 1916

2 state decisions

Relies on Hirshfeld v. . Fitzgerald · Otten v. Manhattan Railway Co. · Health Department v. . Dassori

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1899-11-28

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Haight, J.

¶1 This action was brought upon a policy of insurance. The defense was based chiefly upon the ground that the policy was issued without the authority of the defendant and without consideration. The trial court found as a fact *122 that the policy was procured and delivered to the plaintiff by one Alden, an insurance broker; that he was the agent of the plaintiff and not of the defendant, and that the premium paid to him was never turned over to the manager of the defendant. The Appellate Division reversed the judgment, both upon the law and upon the facts, and granted a new trial.

¶2 This court has repeatedly held that, where the Appellate Division reverses upon the facts and grants a new trial, it has no jurisdiction to review the order. It is true that the Appellate Division cannot create a question of fact by declaring that there is one, nor, by assuming to reverse on the facts, reverse a determination that does not involve a question of fact, and it, therefore, becomes our duty to look into the record for the purpose of determining whether there was a question of fact involved in the case. (Otten v. Manh. Ry. Co., 150 N. Y. 395, 401 ; Hirshfeld v. Fitzgerald, 157 N. Y. 166, 176 ; Health Dept. v. Dassori, 159 N. Y. 245, 249.) Upon looking into the record of this case, we find the chief issue to be the question as to whether Alden, the insurance broker who procured the policy, was the agent of the plaintiff or of the defendant. This was clearly a question of fact which this court, under the Constitution, is prohibited from reviewing. It, therefore, follows that the appeal must be dismissed, with costs.

¶3 All concur.

¶4 Appeal dismissed.

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