Case Name: ADLER et al. v. SCHAUMBERGER
Court: New York Supreme Court, Appellate Term
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1903-06-22
Citations: 84 N.Y.S. 235
Docket Number: 
Parties: ADLER et al. v. SCHAUMBERGER.
Judges: 
Reporter: West's New York Supplement
Volume: 84
Pages: 235–236

Head Matter:
ADLER et al. v. SCHAUMBERGER.
(Supreme Court, Appellate Term.
June 22, 1903.)
1. Brokers—Right to Commission—Illegal Act.
A broker may not recover commissions, his services rendered being in violation 'of Pen. Code, § 640d, because he had no written authority to offer the property for sale.
2. Appeal—Affirmance.
A judgment for plaintiff for a nominal sum will he affirmed, he alone appealing, • though it was for services illegally rendered, so that it would have been reversed had defendant appealed.
MacLean, J., dissenting in part.
¶ 1. See Brokers, vol. 8, Cent. Dig. §§ 44, 79.
Appeal from Municipal Court, Borough of Manhattan, Ninth District. .
Action by Arnold Adler and another against Charles Schaumberger. From a. judgment for plaintiffs for a nominal sum, they appeal. Affirmed.
Argued before FREEDMAN,. P. J., and GILDERSLEEVE and MacLEAN, JJ.
J. D. Connolly, for appellants.
M. H. Curran, for respondent.

Opinion:
GILDERSLEEVE, J.
The action is for broker's commissions. The justice found on sufficient evidence that the services were illegally rendered, for the reason that plaintiffs had no written authority to offer the property for sale. See Pen. Code, § 64od; Whiteley v. Terry (Sup.) 82 N. Y. Supp. 89. Plaintiffs were not entitled to recover anything for such services, which were in themselves a violation of the law. See Griffith v. Wells, 3 Denio, 226. Nevertheless the justice gave judgment for plaintiffs in six cents damages and costs. Had the defendant appealed, the judgment would have been reversed. The plaintiffs have no cause for complaint, as they have obtained a more favorable judgment than, under the facts as found by the justice, they were entitled to have.
The judgment must be affirmed, with costs.
FREEDMAN, P. J., concurs.