THE DENIAL OF THE FOIL REQUEST DID NOT ADVISE PETITIONER OF THE AVAILABILITY OF AN ADMINSTRATIVE APPEAL; THEREFORE SUPREME COURT SHOULD NOT HAVE DISMISSED THE ARTICLE 78 PETITION FOR FAILURE TO EXHAUST ADMINISTRATIVE REMEDIES (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined the Article 78 petition seeking the production of documents should not have been dismissed on the ground petitioner failed to exhaust administrative remedies. When the FOIL request was denied the denial did not advise petitioner of the availability of an administrative appeal:

Public Officers Law § 89(3)(a) and (4)(a) requires that FOIL requests be granted or denied by an agency within five business days, and that any administrative appeal of a denial, as required for exhausting administrative remedies, be undertaken within 30 days of the denial. 21 NYCRR 1401.7(b) further requires, however, that “[d]enial of access shall be in writing stating the reason therefor and advising the person denied access of his or her right to appeal to the person or body designated to determine appeals, and that person or body shall be identified by name, title, business address and business telephone number. The records access officer shall not be the appeals officer.” Since there is no dispute that the subject denial of the petitioner’s FOIL request failed to advise the petitioner of the availability of an administrative appeal and the person to whom the appeal should be directed as required by 21 NYCRR 1401.7(b), the Supreme Court erred in dismissing the petition for failure to exhaust administrative remedies … . Matter of Snyder v Nassau County, 2021 NY Slip Op 06359, Second Dept 11-17-21