Case Name: McCOBB v. CHRISTIANSON
Court: New York City Court
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1899-03-29
Citations: 59 N.Y.S. 187
Docket Number: 
Parties: McCOBB v. CHRISTIANSON.
Judges: 
Reporter: West's New York Supplement
Volume: 59
Pages: 187–187

Head Matter:
McCOBB v. CHRISTIANSON.
(City Court of New York,
General Term.
March 29, 1899.)
Replevin—Demand for Return—Answer.
Code Civ. Proc. § 1725, providing that, in replevin, defendant shall serve on plaintiff’s1 attorney a notice of a demand for judgment for the return of the chattel, and on the trial a copy of the notice shall he furnished the court, is permissive, and not mandatory; and, where the answer contains a demand, it is sufficient.
Appeal from special term, New York county.
Action by Ada McCobb against Simon Christianson. Judgment for defendant, and plaintiff appeals.
Affirmed.
Argued before-McCAKTHY and SOHUCHMAN, JJ.
Franldin Bien, for appellant.
Harris & GolcLfarb, for respondent.
Affirmed on appeal. See 59 N. Y. Supp. 303.

Opinion:
McCABTHY, J.
After a careful examination, I am of the opinion that section 1725 of the Code of Civil Procedure is clearly permissive, and not mandatory, and that where, as claimed and conceded in this-case, the answer contained a demand for the return of the chattel taken by the plaintiff' under a writ of replevin, it was not necessary to serve notice, mentioned in section 1725, in order to obtain a return of the chattel. This was intended for one who had failed to-demand the return of the chattel in his answer. There can be no reason for a demand for the return of the chattel in the answer, which is part of the pleading, and again in a separate notice. All the court requires to know is that a return of the chattel is demanded. Besides, the plaintiff is clearly guilty of loches, in that it appears that judgment by default was rendered on June 9,- 1894, and the motion to-vacate and set aside the judgment taken by default was not made until June 4, 1896. I fully concur with VAN WYCK, C. J.
Order affirmed, with costs.
SOHUCHMAN, J., concurs.