TOWN PROCEEDINGS ABOUT WHETHER THE TOWN WAS OBLIGATED TO PLOW THE ROAD LEADING TO PETITIONER’S PROPERTY WAS NOT A “QUASI-JUDICIAL” PROCEEDING AND THEREFORE THE STANDARD OF REVIEW WAS NOT “SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE;” THE STANDARD IS WHETHER THE DETERMINATION WAS ARBITRARY AND CAPRICIOUS OR AFFECTED BY AN ERROR OF LAW (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department determined the the town was obligated to plow the road leading to the petitioner’s property. The decision has a discussion of the evidentiary standards for review of an Article 78 proceeding:

With respect to this proceeding, … “the substantial evidence standard of review does not apply to the administrative decision at issue, since it was made after [an] informational public hearing[], as opposed to a quasi-judicial evidentiary hearing” … . “Evidentiary hearings that are constitutionally required and have some of the characteristics of adversary trials, including cross-examination, result in ‘quasi-judicial’ determinations that are subject to article 78 review in the nature of certiorari, where the ‘substantial evidence’ inquiry is applicable” (… see CPLR 7803 [4]). “In a mandamus to review proceeding, however, no quasi-judicial hearing is required; the petitioner need only be given an opportunity ‘to be heard’ and to submit whatever evidence he or she chooses and the agency [or body] may consider whatever evidence is at hand, whether obtained through a hearing or otherwise. The standard of review in such a proceeding is whether the agency [or body] determination was arbitrary and capricious or affected by an error of law” … . Matter of Weikel v Town of W. Turin, 2020 NY Slip Op 06890, Fourth Dept 11-20-20