2013 New York Consolidated Laws
CVP - Civil Practice Law & Rules
Article 10 - (1001 - 1026) PARTIES GENERALLY
1002 - Permissive joinder of parties.

 
    §  1002.  Permissive  joinder of parties.  (a) Plaintiffs. Persons who
  assert any right to relief jointly, severally,  or  in  the  alternative
  arising   out   of  the  same  transaction,  occurrence,  or  series  of
  transactions or occurrences, may join in one action as plaintiffs if any
  common question of law or fact would arise.
    (b) Defendants. Persons against whom there is asserted  any  right  to
  relief  jointly,  severally,  or  in the alternative, arising out of the
  same transaction, occurrence, or series of transactions or  occurrences,
  may  be joined in one action as defendants if any common question of law
  or fact would arise.
    (c) Separate relief; separate trials. It shall not be  necessary  that
  each  plaintiff  be  interested  in  obtaining,  or  each  defendant  be
  interested in defending against, all the relief demanded or as to  every
  claim  included in an action; but the court may make such orders as will
  prevent a party from being embarrassed, delayed, or put  to  expense  by
  the  inclusion  of  a  party  against  whom he asserts no claim and, who
  asserts no claim against him, and may  order  separate  trials  or  make
  other orders to prevent prejudice.