QUESTION OF FACT WHETHER PLAINTIFF TRIPPED OVER A SIDEWALK DEFECT OR A TREE WELL DEFECT, CITY’S SUMMARY JUDGMENT MOTION SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GRANTED.
The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined the city (NYC) did not demonstrate there was no question of fact whether plaintiff tripped over a portion of the sidewalk (for which the city would not be liable) or a tree well (for which the city would be liable):
Administrative Code of the City of New York § 7-210, which became effective September 14, 2003, shifted tort liability for injuries arising from a defective sidewalk from the City to the abutting property owner, absent certain exceptions not relevant to this case … . However, a tree well does not fall within the applicable Administrative Code definition of “sidewalk” and, thus, “section 7-210 does not impose civil liability on property owners for injuries that occur in city-owned tree wells” … . Antonyuk v Brightwater Towers Condo Homeowners’ Assn., Inc., 2017 NY Slip Op 00619, 2nd Dept 2-1-17
NEGLIGENCE (QUESTION OF FACT WHETHER PLAINTIFF TRIPPED OVER A SIDEWALK DEFECT OR A TREE WELL DEFECT, CITY’S SUMMARY JUDGMENT MOTION SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GRANTED)/SIDEWALKS (QUESTION OF FACT WHETHER PLAINTIFF TRIPPED OVER A SIDEWALK DEFECT OR A TREE WELL DEFECT, CITY’S SUMMARY JUDGMENT MOTION SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GRANTED)/TREE WELLS (QUESTION OF FACT WHETHER PLAINTIFF TRIPPED OVER A SIDEWALK DEFECT OR A TREE WELL DEFECT, CITY’S SUMMARY JUDGMENT MOTION SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GRANTED)/SLIP AND FALL (QUESTION OF FACT WHETHER PLAINTIFF TRIPPED OVER A SIDEWALK DEFECT OR A TREE WELL DEFECT, CITY’S SUMMARY JUDGMENT MOTION SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GRANTED)