Hotchkiss v. Artisans' Bank
Hotchkiss v. Artisans' Bank
Opinion of the Court
This is an action to recover the sum of fifteen hundred dollars, claimed to have been sent by the plaintiffs to .the defendants, and delivered to them at their banking house, in the city of Hew York, and which has never been repaid to the plaintiffs. The plaintiffs were
The case of Sweet v. Barney, 23 N. Y., 335, is decisive of the defendants’ liability. The delivery of the money package in that case was made to the porter of the People’s Bank, at the express office, and not at the bank, with which he was connected, and to which the package was addressed. The package was addressed “People’s Bank, 173 Canal street, Hew York.” It was proved that the porter had for many years been in the service of the bank, that he was accustomed to receive money brought by the express company, at the bank, at the clearing house, and at the express office. He was also accustomed to act for the bank, in making exchanges and collections, and acted as its representative at the clearing house, at a desk labeled “People’s Bank,” and had often received packages of money from the defendants, addressed to the People’s Bank and given
In the present case, the package was delivered to one invested with the apparent authority to receive it. He stood behind the defendants’ counter, acting as their agent, and in the very business of receiving such money as its dealers should desire to pay to or deposit with them. The superscription of the package informed its bearer that it was for and to be delivered to the Artisans’ Bank. ‘The name of the cashier involved no more necessity to deliver it to that officer, than if it had been directed, as in the case of Barney v. Sweet, supra, to the bank simply. The bearer delivered it to the acting receiving teller of the bank, to whom he had a few days previously delivered a similar valuable package, and which was duly credited to the plaintiffs. The delivery to the defendants was complete, and as they do not claim to have repaid the money, they are liable for the amount, with interest.
Judgment should be affirmed.
Judgment affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.