Summary Judgment for Out of Possession Landlord in Slip and Fall Case

In a slip and fall case, the Fourth Department determined the defendant out-of-possession landlord (McDonald’s) had met its burden demonstrating it was not responsible for snow and ice removal:

McDonald’s met its initial burden of establishing its entitlement to judgment as a matter of law, and plaintiff failed to raise a triable issue of fact … .  McDonald’s submitted evidence demonstrating that it, as a franchisor, lacked day-to-day control over the franchisee …, and that it was an out-of-possession landlord who did not retain control over the premises and was not contractually obligated to repair or maintain the premises… . Maisano v McDonald’s …, 994, 4th Dept 10-4-13