Case Name: Abbie S. Nash et al., App'lts, v. Hall Signal Company et al., Resp'ts
Court: New York Supreme Court, General Term
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1895-11-15
Citations: 70 N.Y. St. Rep. 655
Docket Number: 
Parties: Abbie S. Nash et al., App’lts, v. Hall Signal Company et al., Resp’ts.
Judges: 
Reporter: New York State Reporter
Volume: 70
Pages: 655–659

Head Matter:
Abbie S. Nash et al., App’lts, v. Hall Signal Company et al., Resp’ts.
(Supreme Court, General Term, First Department,
Filed November 15, 1895.)
Pleading—Complaint—Different defendants.
Where two directors in a corporation waste its funds during one year and one of said directors in connection with another director, by some act not connected with the first, waste the funds in another year, the three cannot be joined in an equitable action brought by or in behalf of the corporation to compel them to account for and pay the damages sustained by these independent, wrongful acts, and the complaint, setting up such acts, is demurrable.
Appeal from an interlocutory judgment, sustaining a demurrer to the complaint.
Austin Abbott, for app’lts; Charles M Earle, for resp’ts.

Opinion:
Follett, J.
In case A. and B., directors in a corporation, waste its funds during one year, and B. and C. directors, by some act not connected with the first, devastavit in another year, the three cannot be joined in an equitable action brought by or in behalf of the corporation to compel them to account for and pay the damages sustained by these independent, wrongful acts. Wasting the property of a corporation by its directors is a tort. A. is not liable for the acts of B. and G, and C. is not liable for the acts of A. and B., and these independent, tortious acts constitute distinct causes of action, which cannot be united in one complaint. The interlocutory judgment should be affirmed, with costs, on the opinion of Lawrence, J., at special term.
Van Brunt, P. J., concurs.