Niscia v. Cohen
Niscia v. Cohen
Opinion of the Court
The parties to this action entered into a written contract which, by its terms, required the plaintiff in error to convey and the defendant in error to purchase, a lot of land, “No. twenty-eight (28) on a map of the town of Hudson, made by Clerk & Bacot, city surveyors, and duly filed in the office of the clerk (now register) of the county of Hudson.” When the contract was signed the defendant in error paid $500 on account of the purchase price. It is admitted that the defendant in error tendered, as required by the contract, a deed which described the property as in the contract, and that it was refused by the purchaser upon the sole ground that the vendor “could not convey by reason of encroachment of the real estate upon other real property.”
After such refusal the purchaser brought his suit to recover the amount paid on the purchase price, the cause of action being, as set out in the declaration, that “the said defendant then and there was unable to deliver to said plaintiffs the deed of warranty free from encumbrance of said premises, part of the same on the east and south being occupied and possessed by the adjoining property owners.” At the trial the defendant in error recovered a verdict upon which the judgment now under review was entered.
The plaintiff in error, defendant below, moved, at the close of the plaintiff’s ease, for a nonsuit, and also at the close of the whole case for a direction in his favor, and both motions being refused, exceptions were sealed and error assigned thereon. We think the defendant below was entitled to a favorable ruling on both of these motions, and that- the refusal requires a reversal of the judgment assailed. There is no testimony in the case which justifies the inference that the land described in the deed was “occupied and possessed by the adjoining property owners,” and therefore nothing was shown to sustain the issue raised which could be properly submitted to a jury.
The plaintiff below called but a single witness to support his claim that a part of the lot as described in the deed was in possession of the adjoining landowners, and this witness,
This being refused by the trial court, the judgment must be reversed and a new trial awarded.
For affirmance — FTone.
For reversal — The Chancellor., Chief Justice, Garrison, Swayze, Trenchard, Parker, Bergen, Minturn, Kalisci-i, Bogert, Vredenburgh, Congdon/Treacy, JJ. 13.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- FRANCESCA NISCIA, IN ERROR v. ALEXANDER COHEN, IN ERROR
- Status
- Published