Case Name: Edwin Collins, Appellant, v. St. Lawrence Club, Respondent
Court: New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1908-01-08
Citations: 123 A.D. 207
Docket Number: 
Parties: Edwin Collins, Appellant, v. St. Lawrence Club, Respondent.
Judges: 
Reporter: Appellate Division Reports
Volume: 123
Pages: 207–208

Head Matter:
Edwin Collins, Appellant, v. St. Lawrence Club, Respondent.
Fourth Department,
January 8, 1908.
Trial — amendment to set up counterclaim.
A referee is without power to allow an amendment of the answer at trial to set up a counterclaim to the plaintiff’s cause of action.
Appeal by the plaintiff, Edwin Collins, from a judgment of the Supreme Court in favor of -the defendant, entered in the office of the clerk of the county of Onondaga on the 8th day of December, 1902, upon the report of a referee. ' '
William L. Barnum, for the appellant.
William F. Hodge, for the respondent.

Opinion:
Hobson, J.:
During the progress of the -trial and after considerable -testimony bad been taken for plaintiff, the referee on- defendant's, application.' permitted it to amend its answer by setting tip a counterclaim to the caiise of action which plaintiff had pleaded. Plaintiff duly objected to -the amendment, and excepted, to its -allowance- by the referee. The referee has found for ' defendant- and against the . plaintiff the- full, amount of -the counterclaim, and.the result of the action was materially changed thereby.
The referee had no power to grant this amendment and plaintiff's, exception thereto .presents reversible error. (Mitchell v. Bunn, 2 T. & C. 486.)
All concurred.
Judgment reversed, and -new trial 'ordered before another referee, with costs to appellant to abide event.