Appeal Rendered Academic by Failure to Move for a Preliminary Injunction Pending Appeal

The Second Department determined the appeal had been rendered academic because the appellant did not move for a preliminary injunction pending appeal and the related development project had been completed:

In order to preserve the status quo pending the determination of this appeal, the petitioner/plaintiff was required to move in this Court pursuant to CPLR 5518 for a preliminary injunction pending appeal, prohibiting the development of the subject real property. Since the petitioner/plaintiff failed to do so, it failed to preserve its rights pending appellate review. In the absence of a preliminary injunction issued pursuant to CPLR 5518, nonparty 405 Hotel, LLC, purchased and redeveloped the subject property, and a hotel is now operated thereon. By virtue of this change in the underlying circumstances, this Court has been prevented “from rendering a decision that would effectively determine an actual controversy” … .  Matter of Yeshiva Gedolah Academy of Beth Aaron Synogogue v City of Long Beach, 2014 NY Slip Op 04502, 2nd Dept 6-18-14