Section 119. Official referees of the city court of the city of New York

Every official referee of the city court of the city of New York in  the
  first  or  second judicial department who, pursuant to former provisions
  of this section, is acting and in the discharge of his  duties  as  such
  official  referee  at  the  time  this  section  as hereby amended takes
  effect, may continue to act as referee, without any compensation  to  be
  paid  by  the parties, to hear and report upon or to hear and determine:
  (1) any action, claim, matter, motion or special proceeding  pending  in
  the  city  court  of  the  city of New York, referable by statute or the
  rules and practice of said court, in which the justice making the  order
  of  reference  shall  deem  that  for  any  reason  the expenses of such
  reference shall not be borne by  the  parties  to  such  action,  claim,
  matter,  motion  or proceeding; (2) any action, claim, matter or special
  proceeding in such court referred upon consent of the parties thereto.
    Any such official referee of the city court may sit and discharge  the
  duties in any county within the city of New York.
    Such  referee or referees shall not charge or receive from the parties
  to an action, claim, matter, motion or proceeding referred, any  fee  or
  compensation  for  any  service  as  such  referee. If the services of a
  stenographer should be required in the action, claim, matter, motion  or
  proceeding, such stenographer shall be selected by said referee from the
  official  stenographers  of  the city court and the parties shall not be
  required to pay any of the fees of  such  stenographer  for  taking  the
  testimony  or  furnishing one copy thereof to the referee if the referee
  shall order such copy.
    The justices of the appellate division in each department  shall  have
  power  to  fix  the  times  and  places for the hearing of references by
  official referees of the city court of  the  city  of  New  York  hereby
  continued  in  office,  and  to  assign  such official referees for such
  service to any court of record within such  department,  and  to  adopt,
  amend or rescind rules therefor.