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51 N.Y. St. Rep. 199

Hoffman v. Wight

New York Court of Appeals

Decided March 21, 1893

New York Court of Appeals · decided 1893-03-21

<p>1. Pleading — Striking out irrelevant matter — Code, § 545.</p> <p>Plaintiff commenced an action against defendant Wight, alleging the recovery of two judgments against Wight and Newell, as copartners, in New Jersey, upon service upon Newell only, and by an amended complaint aliened the original indebtedness and the recovery of judgments thereon. Wight demurred, on the ground that the judgments had been procured without service upon him, but judgment for plaintiff being ordered on the demurrer, on the ground that the allegations as to the judgments were surplusage,a motion by Wight to strike them from the complaint as surplusage was granted. Held, error, as not the proper form in which to raise the question.</p> <p>3. Same.</p> <p>The question as to whether the complaint contains a cause of action, taking in all the allegations, ought to be raised either by a demurrer, or else upon a trial of the cause, when evidence is offered, or at the close of the case, by a motion for a nonsuit, or in some other proper way.</p>

Decided 1893-03-21

Peckham, J.

¶1This order, as it now stands, strikes out entirely from the complaint certain allegations which, if the action be re*200garded as upon the judgments obtained in New Jersey, are, in any event, material, so far as the defendant is concerned who is impleaded with the defendant Wight.

¶2Whether the allegations are relevant and material as against Wight depends upon what force is to be given to the judgments obtained in New Jersey as against him.

¶3It may be that the defendant is right in his contention that the judgments are of no validity for any purpose whatever as against him.

¶4The result of the order here made is to strike out what is, at all events, a material allegation against the other defendant, and to leave the plaintiff with no cause of action whatever against such defendant, assuming that his cause of action, as alleged, was one upon the judgments. We think the case is not within the proper scope of the section of the Code § 545, which allows irrelevant and redundant matter to be stricken out.

¶5The question whether the complaint contains a cause of action, taking in all the allegations, ought to be raised either by a demurrer, or else upon a trial of the case, when evidence is offered, or at the close of the case, by a motion for a nonsuit, or in some other proper way.

¶6Without further discussing the question, and without deciding the point as to the effect of the New Jersey judgments against defendant Wight, we are clear this is not the proper form to raise the question.

¶7The orders should be reversed, with costs to appellant in all courts, and the motion to strike out should be denied, with ten dollars costs.

¶8All concur.

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