Powers of referees to report
§ 4201. Powers of referees to report. A referee to inquire and report shall have the power to issue subpoenas, to administer oaths and to direct the parties to engage in and permit such disclosure proceedings as will expedite the disposition of the issues.
A referee to inquire and report (a person the court appoints to hold a hearing and report back, not to decide) has power to:
Key distinction: a referee to report only recommends; a referee to determine (§ 4317) actually decides.
Marked in the text: penalties, time limits, sums of money. Editorial emphasis added by this edition; it does not appear in the statute as enacted.
This provision appears in Volume 2 — The JG-22 CPLR and in Volume 1 — The JG-22 in Plain English.