Purchase at an auction at your risk.  That is one of the lessons in Markov v Barrows  2022 NY Slip Op 04780 [208 AD3d 401]  August 2, 2022  Appellate Division, First Department.  Of course, what is true in the underlying case is true in a legal malpractice case which follows the purchase of a medal which did not live up to its description.

“This legal malpractice action stems from defendant’s representation of plaintiff in a prior action in which plaintiff sought to recover damages he allegedly sustained after purchasing at auction a particular medal that he asserted was worth far less than his winning bid. Plaintiff alleges that defendant failed to timely sue the proper parties—namely, Stack’s LLC and its auctioneers—leading to the dismissal of the prior action and precluding any recovery by plaintiff for alleged misrepresentations by Stack’s and the auctioneers regarding the materials comprising the medal.

Supreme Court properly dismissed plaintiff’s legal malpractice cause of action in the original complaint because he failed to allege that “but for” defendant’s negligent conduct, he would have prevailed in the underlying action (Weil, Gotshal & Manges, LLP v Fashion Boutique of Short Hills, Inc., 10 AD3d 267, 272 [1st Dept 2004]; see Rudolf v Shayne, Dachs, Stanisci, Corker & Sauer, 8 NY3d 438, 442 [2007]). Plaintiff’s citation to a ruling in the underlying action denying dismissal of his fraud claim, among others, did not, without more, show that he would have prevailed in the underlying action had defendant timely commenced it by naming the proper parties in the original complaint (see Sonnenschine v Giacomo, 295 AD2d 287, 287 [1st Dept 2002]).”

“By placing a bid in the auction, plaintiff, a numismatic dealer who buys, sells, and collects Russian coins and medals, acknowledged receipt of the auction catalog and agreed to adhere to the terms of sale (see Terms of Sale ¶¶ 5, 40). Bidders were “encouraged to carefully examine all lots prior to sale,” because the lots would not be shown at the sale (Terms of Sale ¶ 15; see Terms of Sale ¶ 26). Stack’s assumed no liability for the facts stated concerning the items in the auction, except as specified in the terms of sale (Terms of Sale ¶¶ 15, 18 [k]; see Terms of Sale ¶ 31 [“Stack’s hereby disclaims all liability for damages, incidental, consequential or otherwise, arising out of or in connection with the sale of any property by Stack’s to purchaser”]). While offering a limited warranty “that any numismatic item sold is authentic (i.e., not counterfeit, that its date or mintmark has not been altered, and that the coin has not been repaired as those terms are used in the trade),” Stack’s made clear that “all other warranties of authenticity of authorship, whether express or implied, [were] disclaimed” (Terms of Sale ¶ 16). Elsewhere in the terms of sale, Stack’s warned bidders (in bold text) that, “[e]xcept as otherwise expressly stated in the Terms of Sale, Stack’s and its agents and employees make no warranties or guaranties or representations, and expressly disclaim all warranties and guaranties and representations, including, without limitation, a warranty of merchantability, in connection with any numismatic properties sold by Stack’s” (Terms of Sale ¶ 18 [h]; see Terms of Sale ¶ 18 [i] [“All oral and written statements made by Stack’s are statements of opinion only and are not warranties or representations of any kind, unless stated as a specific written warranty, and no employee or agent of Stack’s has authority to vary or alter these Terms of Sale”]).

In light of the constellation of disclaimers and conditions in the terms of sale, plaintiff cannot demonstrate that, but for defendant’s alleged legal malpractice, plaintiff would have prevailed in the underlying action against Stack’s and the auctioneers.”