Case Name: KAMBER v. BEN FRANKLIN TRANSP. CO.
Court: New York Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1907-02-18
Citations: 102 N.Y.S. 804
Docket Number: 
Parties: KAMBER v. BEN FRANKLIN TRANSP. CO.
Judges: 
Reporter: West's New York Supplement
Volume: 102
Pages: 804–805

Head Matter:
(52 Misc. Rep. 640)
KAMBER v. BEN FRANKLIN TRANSP. CO.
(Supreme Court, Special Term, New York Oounty.
February 18, 1907.)
Discovery—Right to Inspect Writings.
Where, in an action for the value of goods intrusted to defendant for transportation, which it failed to deliver, defendant answered that it delivered the goods to an expressman, who presented an order therefor signed by plaintiff, and plaintiff denied -signing or authorizing the order, he was entitled to inspect, copy, and photograph such order that he might he prepared, with the testimony of experts in handwriting and otherwise, to meet such evidence upon trial, and to inspect and copy the defendant’s forms and books so far as they contained entries relative to the transaction.
[Ed. Note.—Eor cases in point, see Cent. Dig. vol. 16, Discovery, §§ 113-115.]
Action by Bernard Kamber against the Ben Franklin Transportation Company. Motion by plaintiff for an inspection of books and papers. Granted.
Tobias H. Keppler, for the motion.
Maurice J. Katz, opposed.

Opinion:
GIEGERICH, J.
The action is brought to recover the value of goods intrusted by the plaintiff to the defendant for transportation, but which the defendant failed to deliver. Among other things, the answer alleges that the defendant delivered the goods to an expressman who presented an order therefor signed by plaintiff. Such an order the plaintiff asserts he never signed nor authorized, and he makes this motion to be permitted to inspect, copy, and photograph such order, to the end that he may be prepared, with the testimony of experts in handwriting and otherwise, to meet such evidence upon the trial. He also asks to inspect and copy the defendant's forms and books, so far as the same contain entries relative to the receipt and transportation of the goods in question.
In resisting the motion the defendant cites a large number of cases, most of which relate to motions for examination before trial. Others, like Phillips v. Curtis, 70 App. Div. 551, 75 N. Y. Supp. 581, show attempts to rove through a defendant's private papers in the hope of discovering something to the plaintiff's advantage. But in this case the plaintiff seeks only to see the records of the defendant's transactions with him, and concerning the single matter in dispute, and to see and photograph a paper claimed to have been signed by him. The plaintiff's right to what he asks is manifest as a matter of fairness, and is abundantly established by the authorities. Umfreville v. Man. Ry., 46 App. Div. 594, 62 N. Y. Supp. 20; Bamberger v. U. S. Fidelity & Guaranty Co., 37 Misc. Rep. 512, 75 N. Y. Supp. 1005; Moore v. Encyclopaedia Britannica Co., 43 Misc. Rep. 618, 88 N. Y. Supp. 133; Rhoades v. Schwartz, 52 App. Div. 379, 65 N. Y. Supp. 111. '
The defendant also raises the point that, although the order substituting the plaintiff's present attorney in place of his prior one was served, there was no notice nor service of the earlier order substituting such prior attorney in place of the original attorney who commenced the action. I cannot see that this fact affects the defendant. The order served sufficiently shows the authority of the present attorney, as between the plaintiff and the defendant.
Motion granted, with $10 costs.