An action brought in the City Court of Albany must be commenced by the service of a summons or the voluntary appearance of and joinder of issues by the parties.
The summons must be addressed to the defendant by name, or such part of his name as is known and if his name or any part thereof be unknown, by a fictitious designation of such name or part thereof as is unknown, adding a description identifying the person intended, and must summon him to appear before the Court, at the courtroom thereof, and at the time specified therein, to answer the complaint of the plaintiff and must state that the plaintiff will take judgment by default for the relief demanded in the complaint together with the costs of the action, if the defendant fails to appear and answer. It must be issued and subscribed by the Clerk of the Court, except that it may be issued by the plaintiff's attorney if he be an attorney of the Supreme Court, who must, in such case, in addition to subscribing the name of the Clerk, subscribe his own name as the plaintiff's attorney together with his office and post office address.
The summons must be substantially in the following form, the blanks being properly filled out:
CITY COURT OF ALBANY
.............................................................
plaintiff,
against
Summons.
.............................................................
defendant.
To the above-named defendant:
  You are hereby summoned and required to appear in this action in the City Court of Albany, in the courtroom thereof, in the City Hall in the City of Albany, on the ..... day of 19.., at nine o'clock in the forenoon, to answer the complaint of the plaintiff in this action, who, if you then fail to appear and answer, will take judgment against you by default for the relief demanded in the complaint together with the costs of this action.
Witness, ......................... and ...................
  Justices of said City Court.
Dated at Albany, New York, this ......... day of ........, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and ..................... by the Court.
........................Clerk.
The summons must be served as follows:
A. 
If an action be against a corporation, joint-stock company or association, by delivery of a copy of the summons to the president, vice-president, or other head of the corporation, joint-stock company or association, or to the secretary, assistant secretary, cashier, treasurer, assistant treasurer, manager or managing agent thereof, but when no such officer resides or can be found in the City of Albany, or in any town adjoining thereto within the County of Albany, to a director resident therein, or who may be found therein.
B. 
Where the defendant to be served is a railroad corporation, steamboat or other transportation corporation and no officer thereof resides or can be found in the City of Albany or in any town adjoining thereto within the County of Albany, to whom a copy of the summons may be delivered, as prescribed in Subsection A of this section, it may be personally served, by delivering a copy thereof to a local superintendent of repairs, freight agent, agent to sell tickets, or station keeper of the corporation, within the City of Albany, or in any town adjoining thereto within the County of Albany; unless at least thirty (30) days before it was issued, the corporation had filed, in the office of the Clerk of the County of Albany, a written instrument, designating a person residing in the City of Albany or in any town adjoining thereto within the County of Albany, upon whom process to be issued by a Justice of the Peace or the City Court of Albany against it may be served, in which case the summons may be personally served by delivering a copy to the person so designated.
C. 
Where the defendant to be served is a corporation, joint-stock company or association, partnership or person, doing business in the state as an express company, an insurance company, or a telegraph company, and no person resides or can be found in the City of Albany or in any town adjoining thereto within the County of Albany, to whom a copy of the summons may be delivered as provided in any of the subsections of this section, it may be personally served on the express company by delivering a copy thereof to any local or general agent to receive freight or parcels, route agent, or messenger of the defendant within the City of Albany or in any town adjoining thereto within the County of Albany, and on any insurance company by delivering a copy thereof to any local or general agent of the defendant within the City of Albany or in any town adjoining thereto within the County of Albany, and on any telegraph company by delivering a copy thereof to any office manager of the defendant, within the City of Albany or in any town adjoining thereto within the County of Albany; unless at least thirty (30) days before it was issued, the defendant had filed in the office of the Clerk of the County of Albany, a written instrument, designating a person residing in the City of Albany or in any town adjoining thereto within the County of Albany, upon whom process to be issued by a Justice of the Peace or the City Court of Albany, against the defendant may be served, in which case the summons may be personally served by delivering a copy thereof to the person so designated.
D. 
Where a person has been designated as prescribed in either of the last two (2) subsections, and the designation has been revoked, or it appears by affidavit, or the return of the Marshal to whom a summons has been duly delivered for service, that the person designated is dead, or has ceased to reside in the City of Albany or any town adjoining thereto within the County of Albany, or that he cannot, after due diligence be found within the City of Albany or in any town adjoining thereto within the County of Albany, so as to deliver a copy of the summons to him, the summons may be served as if the designation had not been made. Such a designation may be revoked by a writing executed and filed in like manner as required for the purpose of making the designation.
E. 
Where the summons is issued against a foreign insurance corporation, service may be made by a delivery of a copy of the summons to the Superintendent of Insurance of the State of New York; and the certificate of such Superintendent admitting due service thereof filed with this Court shall be deemed sufficient proof of service.
F. 
Where the person to be served is a minor under the age of fourteen (14) years, by delivery of a copy to such minor, and also to his father, mother or guardian, or if they be not within the City of Albany or in any town adjoining thereto within the County of Albany, then to any person having the care or control of said minor, or with whom he resides, or in whose service he is.
G. 
Where the summons is issued against a person judicially declared to be of unsound mind, or incapable of conducting his own affairs in consequence of habitual drunkenness, or for any other cause, and for whom a committee has been appointed by delivery of a copy to such committee and to the defendant personally.
H. 
Personal service of a summons upon a foreign corporation authorized to do business in this state may also be made in the manner provided by § 229 of the Civil Practice Act.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See now §§ 311, 320 and 3021 of the Civil Practice Law and Rules.
I. 
Service of a summons on a nonresident in cases provided for by § 52 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law[2] may also be made in the manner therein provided.
[2]
Editor's Note: Section 52 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law was repealed by L. 1959, c. 775. See now § 253 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law.
J. 
In all other cases the copy of the summons must be delivered to the defendant personally, except as in this Part 2 otherwise specially provided.
An order for the service of a summons upon a defendant residing within the City of Albany or within any town adjoining thereto within the County of Albany may be made by the Court upon satisfactory proof by the affidavit of a person not a party to the action, and the return of a Marshal, that proper and diligent effort has been made to serve the summons upon the defendant, and that the place of his sojourn cannot be found, or if he is within the City of Albany or within any town adjoining thereto within the County of Albany, that he avoids service so that personal service could not be made.
The order must direct that the service of the summons be made, by leaving a copy thereof, and of the order, at the residence of the defendant, with a person of proper age, if upon reasonable application, admittance can be obtained, and such person found who will receive it; or, if admittance can not be obtained, nor such a person found, by affixing the same to the outer or other door of the defendant's residence, and by depositing another copy thereof, properly enclosed in a post-paid wrapper, addressed to him, at his place of residence, in a post office in the City of Albany; or upon proof being made by affidavit that no such residence can be found, service of the summons may be made in such manner as the Court may direct.
The order, and the papers upon which it was granted, must be filed, and the service must be made, not less than six (6) days before the return day of the summons; otherwise the order becomes inoperative. On filing an affidavit showing service according to the order, the summons is deemed served and the same proceedings may be taken thereupon, as if personal service thereof had been made except that no execution against the person shall issue upon a judgment obtained after such service. The summons, when returned to the Clerk's office, shall be indorsed with the residence or post office address of the plaintiff, and also the name and post office address of the attorney, if any.
Where the summons is served, pursuant to an order made as herein prescribed, and the defendant so served does not appear, he or his representative must upon good cause shown and upon just terms be allowed to defend the action at any time within six (6) months after personal service of written notice thereof; or if such notice has not been served, within two (2) years after the entry of the judgment. If the defense is successful, and the judgment, or any part thereof has been collected or otherwise enforced, such restitution may thereupon be compelled as the Court directs, but the title to property sold to a purchaser in good faith by virtue of an execution issued upon the judgment shall not be affected thereby.
The summons, and in a proper case a copy of the complaint, or a precept in summary proceedings, may be served by a Marshal or by any person not a party to the action, who is over the age of eighteen (18) years. Proof of service by such person other than a Marshal must be made by his affidavit, which must state that he is over the age of eighteen (18) years, the particular place, time, and manner of service, and that the affiant knew the person so served to be the person mentioned and described in the summons as defendant therein. A summons shall not be deemed to have been properly served unless the Marshal or other person serving the same shall cause proof thereof to be filed with the Clerk of the Court not less than three (3) days before the return day of the summons.
Except as prescribed in § 46 of the Lien Law, the return day mentioned in the summons must not be more than twelve (12) days from its date and, except in the case provided for in § 46 of the Lien Law or in the case where an order of arrest had been issued, must be served at least six (6) days before the time of appearance.
In an action to recover a penalty or forfeiture given by a statute or ordinance if a copy of the complaint is not delivered to the defendant with a copy of the summons, a general reference to the statute or ordinance must be indorsed upon the copy of the summons so delivered in the following form: "According to the provisions of," et cetera; adding such a description of the statute or ordinance as will identify it with convenient certainty, and also specifying the section if penalties or forfeitures are given, in different sections thereof, for different acts or omissions, and the proof of service of such summons must show that the copy served on the defendant likewise had such indorsement thereon.
In an action where an execution may issue against the person upon a judgment rendered in favor of the plaintiff, unless a verified complaint is served with the summons, a general reference to that fact must be indorsed by the Clerk upon the summons and upon the copy to be served on the defendant in the following form: "Plaintiff claims defendant is liable to arrest and imprisonment in this case." In the event of there being no such indorsement, no execution against the person shall issue, and the proof of service of such summons must show that the copy served on the defendant likewise had such indorsement upon it.
A party to an action or special proceeding in the City Court of Albany, who is of full age, may appear and prosecute or defend the same, in person or by an attorney, at his election, unless he has been judicially declared to be incompetent to manage his affairs; except that a party may appear for the purpose of pleading in or adjourning a cause or proceeding by his agent duly authorized for such purpose. The statement under oath before the Court of such agent as to his authority shall be prima facie evidence thereof.
When a guardian is necessary he must be appointed by the Court as follows:
A. 
If the infant be plaintiff or petitioner, the appointment must be made before the summons or precept is issued, upon the application of the infant, if he be of the age of fourteen (14) years or upwards; if under that age, upon the application of some relative or friend. The consent in writing of the guardian to be appointed and to be responsible for costs, if he fail in the action or proceeding, must be filed with the Clerk of the Court.
B. 
After the service and return of a summons or precept against an infant defendant or respondent no other proceedings shall be taken in the action or proceeding, until a person has been appointed to appear as his guardian for the purpose of the action or proceeding. Upon the nomination of the defendant, the Court must appoint a proper person for that purpose. If the defendant or respondent does not appear upon the return of the summons or precept, or if he neglects or refuses to nominate, the Court may, on the application of the plaintiff or petitioner, appoint any proper person as his guardian. The written consent of the person so appointed must be filed with the Clerk of the Court before his appointment. The guardian so appointed is not responsible for any costs.
Parties plaintiff or defendant may be joined as follows:
A. 
In all actions or proceedings in which the Court has jurisdiction, all persons may be joined in one (1) action as plaintiffs as provided in the Civil Practice Act.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See now the Civil Practice Law and Rules.
B. 
In all actions or proceedings in which the Court has jurisdiction, all persons may be joined in one (1) action as defendants as provided in the Civil Practice Act.