DEFENDANT DID NOT DEMONSTRATE WHEN THE AREA WHERE PLAINTIFF ALLEGEDLY SLIPPED AND FELL WAS LAST INSPECTED OR CLEANED; DEFENDANT’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GRANTED (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined there was a question of fact whether defendant had constructive notice of the condition which allegedly caused plaintiff’s slip and fall:

“A defendant has constructive notice of a hazardous condition on property when the condition is visible and apparent, and has existed for a sufficient length to afford the defendant a reasonable opportunity to discover and remedy it” … . To meet its burden on the issue of lack of constructive notice, a defendant is required to offer evidence as to when the accident site was last cleaned or inspected before the accident … . “Mere reference to general cleaning practices, with no evidence regarding any specific cleaning or inspection of the area in question, is insufficient to establish a lack of constructive notice”… . Here, the defendant failed to establish, prima facie, that it did not have constructive notice of the alleged hazardous condition. While the affidavit of the building superintendent referenced general inspection and cleaning practices, the defendant failed to submit evidence regarding specific cleaning or inspection of the area in question relative to the time when the plaintiff’s accident occurred … . Griffin v PMV Realty, LLC, 2020 NY Slip Op 02068, Second Dept 3-25-20