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IN THIS “CHILD VICTIMS ACT” ACTION ALLEGING SEXUAL ABUSE IN THE 1950’S BY EMPLOYEES OF THE NOW DISSOLVED YMCA NIAGARA FALLS, THERE ARE QUESTIONS OF FACT WHETHER THE DE FACTO MERGER DOCTRINE APPLIES RENDERING YMCA BUFFALO LIABLE FOR THE TORTS OF YMCA NIAGARA FALLS (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined this “Child Victims Act” action against YMCA Buffalo, alleging sexual abuse in the 1950’s by employees at the now dissolved YMCA Niagara Falls, should not have been dismissed. The decision is comprehensive and cannot be fairly summarized here. There exist triable issues of fact whether the de facto merger doctrine applies rendering YMCA Buffalo liable for the torts of YMCA Niagara Falls:

… [A]s a general rule, “a corporation which acquires the assets of another is not liable for the torts of its predecessor” ,,, . There are exceptions, however, and thus “[a] corporation may be held liable for the torts of its predecessor if (1) it expressly or impliedly assumed the predecessor’s tort liability, (2) there was a consolidation or merger of seller and purchaser, (3) the purchasing corporation was a mere continuation of the selling corporation, or (4) the transaction is entered into fraudulently to escape such obligations” … . Plaintiff relies exclusively on the second exception, which implicates the de facto merger doctrine … . The de facto merger doctrine is “based on the concept that a successor that effectively takes over a [corporation] in its entirety should carry the predecessor’s liabilities as a concomitant to the benefits it derives from the good will purchased,” which “is consistent with the desire to ensure that a source remains to pay for the victim’s injuries” … . Dutton v Young Men’s Christian Assn. of Buffalo Niagara, 2022 NY Slip Op 04238, Fourth Dept 7-1-22

Practice Point: In this Child Victims Act action alleging sexual abuse in the 1950’s by employees of the now dissolved YMCA Niagara Falls, there are questions of fact about whether the de facto merger doctrine makes defendant YMCA Buffalo liable for the torts of YMCA Niagara Falls. The decision is comprehensive and discusses every conceivable aspect of the de facto merger doctrine as it applies to not-for-profit corporations.

 

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