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BASEMENT OFFICE DID NOT DEPRIVE DEFENDANT HOMEOWNERS OF RESIDENTIAL EXEMPTION FROM LIABILITY FOR A DEFECTIVE SIDEWALK.

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determine a basement business office did not deprive defendants of the residential exemption (for one, two and three family residences) from liability for a defective sidewalk:

In 2003, the New York City Council enacted section 7-210 of the Administrative Code of the City of New York to shift tort liability for injuries resulting from defective sidewalks from the City to abutting property owners … . This liability shifting provision does not, however, apply to “one-, two- or three-family residential real property that is (i) in whole or in part, owner occupied, and (ii) used exclusively for residential purposes” … . “The purpose of the exception in the Code is to recognize the inappropriateness of exposing small-property owners in residence, who have limited resources, to exclusive liability with respect to sidewalk maintenance and repair” … .

Here, the defendants established, prima facie, that they were exempt from liability pursuant to the subject code exception. Contrary to the plaintiff’s contention, the defendants’ partial use of the basement as an office space was merely incidental to their residential use of the property … . [Defendant] Alexander Dembitzer was the director of a summer camp located in upstate New York, and during the off-season, he used the basement to conduct the camp’s business. The defendants did not claim the home office as a tax deduction, their home address was only used to receive the camp’s mail during the off-season, and they did not use the office space with any regularity. Koronkevich v Dembitzer, 2017 NY Slip Op 01187, 2nd Dept 2-15-17

 

NEGLIGENCE (BASEMENT OFFICE DID NOT DEPRIVE DEFENDANT HOMEOWNERS OF RESIDENTIAL EXEMPTION FROM LIABILITY FOR A DEFECTIVE SIDEWALK)/NEGLIGENCE (BASEMENT OFFICE DID NOT DEPRIVE DEFENDANT HOMEOWNERS OF RESIDENTIAL EXEMPTION FROM LIABILITY FOR A DEFECTIVE SIDEWALK)/MUNICIPAL LAW (NYC) (SIDEWALKS, BASEMENT OFFICE DID NOT DEPRIVE DEFENDANT HOMEOWNERS OF RESIDENTIAL EXEMPTION FROM LIABILITY FOR A DEFECTIVE SIDEWALK)/SIDEWALKS (MUNICIPAL LAW (NYC), BASEMENT OFFICE DID NOT DEPRIVE DEFENDANT HOMEOWNERS OF RESIDENTIAL EXEMPTION FROM LIABILITY FOR A DEFECTIVE SIDEWALK)/SLIP AND FALL (SIDEWALKS, MUNICIPAL LAW (NYC), BASEMENT OFFICE DID NOT DEPRIVE DEFENDANT HOMEOWNERS OF RESIDENTIAL EXEMPTION FROM LIABILITY FOR A DEFECTIVE SIDEWALK)

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