# Why third party? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 5, 2022, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-third-party/972759 "2022-10-05T13:31:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-third-party/972759/1 "2022-10-05T13:31:44Z")
There’s a company that uses another company to verify employment.This company isn’t associated in any other way with the first company. Why is this company called a third party rather than a second party? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-third-party/972759/2 "2022-10-05T13:33:19Z")
The applicant is the first party, the potential employer is the second and they’re farming this out to the verification company which is the third party. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-third-party/972759/3 "2022-10-05T13:34:18Z")
Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-third-party/972759/4 "2022-10-05T13:36:23Z")
Well, my uncle worked for a company called, “Decision 1”, and it was known as a “3rd party maintenance corporation”. The reason he gave for that is that the company hiring them was considered “the first party”, the people who received the goods/services from that company were considered “the 2nd party”, and “Decision One” was considered the outside “3rd party”. ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-third-party/972759/5 "2022-10-05T16:33:40Z")
This is general legal terminology. When you talk about a transaction, then an outsider to that transaction will be called a third party, even if, numerically speaking, another number would be more appropriate in the case at hand. Goes back to Roman law. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-third-party/972759/6 "2022-10-05T20:52:52Z")
If a contract makes reference to 1st, 2nd, 3rd and “Donner” parties, then back away with all haste ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-third-party/972759/7 "2022-10-05T23:48:18Z")
But I’m sooooo hungry. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-third-party/972759/8 "2022-10-05T23:59:55Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/9X85Ji-t4ls/hqdefault.jpg "Marx Brothers - A Night At The Opera - The Party Of The First Part") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9X85Ji-t4ls&t=1m25s) > [@Andy\_L](#): > > If a contract makes reference to 1st, 2nd, 3rd and “Donner” parties, then back away with all haste > [@Joey\_P](#): > > But I’m sooooo hungry. ‘Donner? Party of 87… 86… 85…’