Case Name: William Harrigan, Respondent, v. The City of Brooklyn, Appellant
Court: New York Supreme Court, General Term
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1889-05-13
Citations: 1 Silv. Sup. 330
Docket Number: 
Parties: William Harrigan, Respondent, v. The City of Brooklyn, Appellant.
Judges: 
Reporter: Silvernail's Supreme Court Reports
Volume: 1
Pages: 330–335

Head Matter:
William Harrigan, Respondent, v. The City of Brooklyn, Appellant.
N. Y. Supreme Court, Second Department, General Term,
May, 13, 1889.
Pity of Brooklyn. Presentation of claims.—Section 30 of title 22 of chap. 583, Laws of 1888, applies to cases where the claim arises out of contract, and not to claims arising out of torts.
Action to recover damages for personal injuries alleged to have been caused by defendant’s negligence. The defendant ■demurred to the complaint on the ground that the complaint contained no allegation that plaintiff had before bringing suit, presented his claim to the city comptroller, as required by chapter 583, Laws of 1888. The court overruled the demurrer, and from the interlocutory judgment entered thereon the defendant appeals.
Albert F. Jenks and William T. Gilbert, for appellant.
James C. Church, for respondent.

Opinion:
Pratt, J.
—This contention involves the construction of section 30, title 22, chapter 583, of the Laws of 1888. There has been a similar provision in the charter of Brooklyn for many years, and it has been invariably held that the word " claim " referred to some account, or money demand, or contract, and not to claims arising out of torts, for the reason that the comptroller had no power to compromise or pay such claims, and, hence, an idle ceremony to present such claims to that officer.
The words of the statute are sufficiently broad to cover the case here presented, but seem to be qualified by the latter part of said section, where the words " account ór claim " against the city are used synonymously, and this, together with the context, seems to imply that the statute was intended for a case where claim arises out of contract, and one where some useful purpose could be served, by serving the same upon the comptroller.
The case of Quinlan v. City of Utica (11 Hun, 217; affirmed by court of appeals, 74 N. Y. 603), is directly in point upon this question.
The case of Reining v. Buffalo (102 N. Y. 308; 2 N.Y. State Rep. 10), is not conclusive the other way upon this point, as it is upon a widely different statute, to wit, the charter of the city of Buffalo. It is plain that the case of Gage v. Village of Hornellsville (106 N. Y. 667) ; 8 N. Y. State Rep. 885), upon a careful reading, is not in conflict with the Reining Case, as in the former case, it was held that section 3245 of the Code is construed as a re-enactment of section 2, chapter 262, of Laws of 1859, etc. See, also, McClure v. Supervisors of Niagara (3 Abb. Ct. App. Dec., 83; Howell City of Buffalo, 15 N. Y. 512; McGaffin v. City of Cohoes, 74 id. 387.
This word " claims or account," as used in charter of Brooklyn, has always been held by the local judges not to include a claim arising out of torts. It was recently so held by Mr. Justice Cullen, also by city court opinion by Chief Justice Clemen, in case of Corbin v. City of Brooklyn, where all the authorities are examined with great care.
I am aware there are authorities that seen to hold a different doctrine, such as Duryea v. Mayor (26 Hun, 134), and Reed v. Mayor (31 Hun, 312). In the latter case, the word " claim " was held to mean all kinds of claims, including one for personal injuries; but both of these cases arose under the consolidation act of the city of New York, and under that act the comptroller has certain discretionary powers in such matters not conferred on the comptroller of Brooklyn. A reason for such a rule exists in New York city which does not exist in Brooklyn.
This construction has been uniformly held for a number of years, and the last part of the section (30) seems to imply that such is a proper construction.
Judgment affirmed with costs.
Dykman, J., concurs.