Case Name: Edward L'Estrange Phipps, Respondent, v. John Oprandy, Appellant
Court: New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1902
Citations: 69 A.D. 497
Docket Number: 
Parties: Edward L’Estrange Phipps, Respondent, v. John Oprandy, Appellant.
Judges: 
Reporter: Appellate Division Reports
Volume: 69
Pages: 497–499

Head Matter:
Edward L’Estrange Phipps, Respondent, v. John Oprandy, Appellant.
Bes adjudicata—a, judgment by default for-rent — it is conclusive in an action for rent subsequently accruing — a complaint not served is proof of the.jurisdictional facts—authentication of a judgment roll in the City Court of Mt. Vernon.
In an action against the surety on a lease for a term of twenty-nine months commencing December 1, 1898, at a yearly rental, payable monthly in advance, to recover rent due under the lease for the months of September, October, November and December, 1899, in which it appears that in an action theretofore brought the plaintiff had previously obtained a judgment against the defendant by default for the rent becoming.due July and August, 1899, the judgment rendered in the former action is res adjudicata as to any defense which the defendant might have interposed therein, e.g., a defense based upon an alleged constructive eviction and abandonment occurring in May, 1899.
A copy of the judgment roll in an action in the City Court of Mt. Vernon is properly authenticated by the certificate of the clerk of the court under sec-" tioh 933 of the Code of Civil Procedure and sections 106 and 107 of the charter of the city of Mt. Vernon (Laws of 1892, chap. 182).
Resort may be had to the verified complaint in the action in the City Court of Mt. Vernon for the purpose of ascertaining the existence of the jurisdictional facts, notwithstanding that no copy of such complaint was served upon the defendant.
Appeal by the defendant, John Oprandy, from a judgment of the County Court of the county of Westchester in favor of the plaintiff, entered in the office of the clerk of the county of Westchester on the 21st day of March, 1901* upon the decision -of the court rendered after, a trial before the court without a jury.
Roger M. Sherman, for the appellant.
Arthur M. Johnson, for the respondent.

Opinion:
Goodrich, P. J.:
The plaintiff sued the defendant as surety upon a lease to one Canino of premises at Mount Vernon for a term of twenty-nine months, commencing December 1, 1898, at the yearly rental of $276, payable $23 monthly in advance. The complaint alleges that Canino failed to pay rent for September, October, November and December, 1899. It is alleged in the answer in substance that thé plaintiff agreed to give Canino the full enjoyment and occupancy of the premises with the use and enjoyment of " water privileges, and the supply thereof upon said premises," but that he " violated the agreement upon his part, and ejected said Canino from said premises, depriving him of the use and enjoyment of water privileges- and the supply thereof upon said premises, during all that time, so that said Canino surrendered said premises and elected, as was his right thereunder, to terminate the contract for use and occupation aforesaid."
. At the trial the plaintiff offered in evidence the judgment roll in an action in the City Court of Mount Vernon, wherein the present plaintiff was plaintiff and the present defendant was defendant. That action was brought on the guaranty for the rent for July and August, 1899, and the plaintiff recovered a judgment by default. The defendant objected to the introduction of the copy of the judgment roll on the grounds that it was not properly certified, that no complaint was served with the summons, and that the summons contained no facts which conferred jurisdiction.
The copy was properly authenticated by the certificate of the clerk of the court, under section 933 of the Code of Civil Procedure, and sections 106 and 107 of the charter of the city of Mount Vernon (Laws of 1892, chap. 182).
It makes-no difference that a copy of the complaint was not served with the summons. In Beaudrias v. Hogan (23 App. Div. 83) we held that the jurisdictional facts necessary to support the judg^ ment of a court of limited jurisdiction (in that case the City Court, of Yonkers), where such judgment is assailed, may be shown by parol, where the record fails to recite such facts. Although no-copy of the complaint was served upon Oprandy, we may resort to the complaint as evidence upon the question .of jurisdiction. It alleges that the plaintiff and defendant at the time of the commencement. of the action were residents of the city. It was verified August tenth; the judgment was rendered August twelfth, and the clerk certifies that the complaint is a part of the judgment roll.
The judgment roll was not essential to prove the default of Caninoin the payment of rent for September, October, ¡November and December, as there was other and direct evidence upon that point. But the defendant contends that it was not res adjudicata as to con structive eviction. The defendant proved that Canino left the premises before the last of May, 1899, and he offered evidence to prove that on May sixth the plaintiff shut off the water supply; that the premises were thereby rendered untenantable, and that subsequently Canino abandoned and left the premises on that account. To this the plaintiff objected on the ground that the judgment in the former action was res adjudicate/,.
In such former action the judgment was rendered by default, but the judgment is res adjudicata upon any defense which the defendant might have interposed. The defendant might have set up the defense of constructive eviction. But in the present action he alleges an actual eviction, a surrender of the premises by Canino, his right to terminate the lease and his occupation of the premises. " He proved that Canino abandoned the premises in May, that is, before the commencement'of the former action. That eviction and abandonment, if it constituted a defense, might have been set up in the former action, and as the defendant did not avail himself of it he is concluded by the former judgment.
The judgment should be affirmed.
All concurred.
Judgment of the County Court of Westchester county affirmed, with costs.