Case Name: Peter Banner, Appellant, v. Louis J. D'Auby, Respondent
Court: New York Supreme Court, Appellate Term
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1901-04
Citations: 34 Misc. 525
Docket Number: 
Parties: Peter Banner, Appellant, v. Louis J. D’Auby, Respondent.
Judges: 
Reporter: New York Miscellaneous Reports
Volume: 34
Pages: 525–525

Head Matter:
Peter Banner, Appellant, v. Louis J. D’Auby, Respondent.
(Supreme Court, Appellate Term,
April, 1901.)
Demand — A condition precedent to any action to recover money received lawfully — Attorney.
Where an attorney-at-law has received money of a client lawfully, neither conversion nor an action for money had and received will lie against him for retaining it unless it has been, demanded of Jiim before action brought.
Appeal from a judgment rendered by the justice of the Municipal Court of the city of New York for the tenth district, dismissing the complaint at the close of the plaintiff’s case for failure of proof.
Wales F. Severance, for appellant.
Linus A. Gould, for respondent.

Opinion:
Bischoff, P. J.
The action is to recover money in the hands of the defendant, received by him as attorney-at-law when engaged in collecting certain claims for the plaintiff's assignor, and which money he had failed to pay over after demand. Apparently the complaint is framed in assumpsit and does not proceed for tort, but, whether the action is to be treated as for conversion or for money had and received, proof of a demand was an essential of the plaintiff's case, and the making of the demand was placed in issue by the answer. Admittedly the original receipt of the money by the defendant was lawful; therefore, without a demand, there could be no conversion, and a demand must be made before an action may be maintained to recover moneys of the client alleged to be in the hands of the attorney. Grinnell v. Sherman, 38 N. Y. St. Repr. 587-580. In the absence of the slightest proof that any demand was made, the plaintiff was properly non-suited, and the judgment must be affirmed, with costs.
Leveetritt and Clarke, JJ., concur.
Judgment affirmed, with costs.