Winne v. Morrissey
Winne v. Morrissey
Opinion of the Court
This is an appeal from a judgment entered in the Essex County Circuit Court in favor of the defendant on an agreed state of facts.
Defendant and another brought suit in attachment in the Supreme Court of New York against one Finch and filed therein a bond with the National Surety Company as surety. In order to procure that bond Morrissey signed the agreement of indemnification hereinafter set forth. On November 12th, 1926, the attachment suit was dismissed for lack of prosecution, and costs were assessed against Morrissey and his co-plaintiff. Suit was brought by the successful defendant in attachment against the National Surety Company in the Municipal Court of the city of New York upon the company’s bond, and judgment was obtained on June 18th, 1927, for $747.50, damages and costs. The surety company appealed and the judgment was afiirmed on December 22d, 1927. On December 23d, 1927, the surety company paid the
The undertaking by Morrissey to the National Surety Company was as follows, the italics being ours to direct attention to provisions which we consider dispositive:
“That the undersigned will at all times indemnify and keep indemnified the company, and hold and save it harmless from and against any and all demands, liabilities, loss, damage or expense of whatsoever kind or nature, including counsel and attorney’s fees, which it shall at any time sustain or incur by reason, or in consequence of having executed the said bond or undertaking; and that whenever any claim or claims shall have been made upon the Company under the said bond or undertaking, if in the judgment of the company it is determined that such claim or claims should he paid, the undersigned covenants, promises and agrees to pay over in cash to the Company upon its demand therefor, the amount or amounts of said claim or claims; and if the company deny liability concerning any claim, or claims and suit or suits be brought against the Company under said bond or undertaking to recover the amount of said claim or claims, or any other proceeding or proceedings to be taken thereon involving the company, whether the suits and proceedings be against the Principal named in the said bond or undertaking, and the Company jointly, or against the Company alone, the Undersigned covenants and agrees to defend said suits and proceedings to a conclusion at the Undersigned’s expense, or to permit the Company, if it so elect, to place the defense of such suits and proceedings in the hands of its own attorneys or counsel, in which latter event the Undersigned covenants, promises and agrees to pay over to the Company upon its demand such sum or sums of money as may be required to retain said attorneys or counsel, and to defray the expenses of
The question is whether plaintiffs were, on October 7th, 1933, barred of their action by the New Jersey statute of limitations. It is conceivable that a factual situation might have developed such as, in conjunction with defendant’s undertaking, to give rise to a cause of action which would
Judgment reversed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- WALTER G. WINNE AND W. DEMAREST CAMPBELL, RECEIVERS OF NATIONAL SURETY COMPANY v. GEORGE E. MORRISSEY, DEFENDANT-RESPONDENT
- Cited By
- 2 cases
- Status
- Published