Case Name: The People of the State of New York ex rel. Robert Fairchild, App'lts, v. The Commissioners of the Department of Fire and Buildings in the City of Brooklyn, Resp'ts
Court: New York Court of Appeals
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1887-05-10
Citations: 8 N.Y. St. Rep. 179
Docket Number: 
Parties: The People of the State of New York ex rel. Robert Fairchild, App’lts, v. The Commissioners of the Department of Fire and Buildings in the City of Brooklyn, Resp’ts.
Judges: 
Reporter: New York State Reporter
Volume: 8
Pages: 179–179

Head Matter:
The People of the State of New York ex rel. Robert Fairchild, App’lts, v. The Commissioners of the Department of Fire and Buildings in the City of Brooklyn, Resp’ts.
(Court of Appeals,
Filed May 10, 1887.)
Parties—Substitution of administratrix—When proper.
Relator claims that her husband was improperly dismissed from the Are department and seeks, as his administratrix, to be substituted as plaintiff that she may reverse the orders affirming the proceedings of the Are commissioners. Held, that as in case the decisions below are reversed, she would be entitled to the salary or damages and the estate relieved from costs, the court has power to substitute her as plaintiff.
Appeal from supreme court, general term, second department.
Certiorari to annul improper dismissal of employee of fire department. Motion to substitute administratrix of relator, deceased.
Edward F. O'Dwyer, for motion; Almet F. Jenks, opposed.

Opinion:
Per Curiam.
At the special term, the proceedings of the commissioners in removing the relator from his office were affirmed, and the writ of certiorari was quashed, with ten dollars costs. At the- general term the order of the special term was affirmed, with ten dollars costs and disbursements. By virtue of these two orders the relator became liable to pay upwards of twenty dollars, and payment of that sum can now be enforced against his estate. If the decisions below were wrong, and the relator was improperly removed from office, and the orders below should be reversed, then upon their reversal the administratrix of the relator would be entitled to recover his salary during the time he was excluded from his office, or damages for such exclusion. Hence, both on account of such costs and the salary, she is interested in the appeal pending in this court. Until the decisions below have been reversed, she cannot enforce payment of any salary, or resist the payment of the costs which have been adjudged against her husband. People v. Hall, 80 N. Y., 117, 127; Nichols v. MacLean, 101 id., 526. In such a case we have no doubt of the power of the court to substitute the administratrix of the deceased relator. People v. Robinson, 29 Barb., 77; Hastinys v. McKinley, 8 How. Pr., 175.
The motion should be granted.
All concur.