You are here: / / ALTHOUGH THE GUARANTEES REQUIRED THAT THE TENANT SURRENDER THE PREMISES...
, ,

ALTHOUGH THE GUARANTEES REQUIRED THAT THE TENANT SURRENDER THE PREMISES IN THE CONDITION DESCRIBED BY THE LEASE, THE GUARANTEES DID NOT INCORPORATE THE LEASE OR EXPRESSLY REQUIRE COMPLIANCE WITH THE SURRENDER TERMS OF THE LEASE; THEREFORE THE TENANT’S FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THE SURRENDER TERMS OF THE LEASE DID NOT TRIGGER THE GUARANTORS’ OBLIGATIONS (FIRST DEPT). ​

The First Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined the language of the guarantees controlled and the guarantors were relieved of responsibility for the tenant’s rent payments when the tenant surrendered the property in compliance with the terms of the guarantees. Although the guarantees referred to surrendering the premises in the condition required by the lease, the guarantees did not incorporate the lease or expressly require compliance with the surrender terms of the lease. Therefore the tenant’s failure to comply with the surrender terms of the lease did not trigger any obligation on the part of the guarantors:

… [T]he guarantees expressly limit defendants’ liability to the terms contained therein, which, as relevant here, only require that tenant surrender the premises in compliance with the surrender provisions set forth in the guarantees. While the guarantees mandated tenant surrender the premises in the condition required by the terms of the lease, they do not incorporate the terms of the underlying lease by reference … or expressly require that tenant’s surrender of the premises be performed pursuant to the terms of the lease … .

Therefore, while tenant was required to obtain written consent of the surrender from plaintiff under the lease, the motion court improperly determined that tenant’s failure to do so precluded the guarantors’ avoidance of liability for unpaid rent after tenant’s surrender … . ROC-Lafayette Assoc., LLC v Sturm, 2024 NY Slip Op 06016, Frist Dept 12-3-24

Practice Point: The language of a guarantee is strictly construed. Here the guarantees required surrender of the premises in the condition described by the lease but did not incorporate the lease or expressly require compliance with the surrender terms of the lease. Therefore the tenant’s failure to comply with the surrender terms of the lease did not trigger the guarantors’ responsibility for the tenant’s rent payments. The tenant had fully complied with the surrender terms in the guarantees.

 

You might also like
WHETHER PLAINTIFF INHALED ENOUGH ASBESTOS TO CAUSE HIS CANCER WAS THE SUBJECT OF COMPETING SIMULATION STUDIES; PLAINTIFF’S EXPERT EVIDENCE WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TO DEFEAT DEFENDANT’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT (FIRST DEPT).
QUESTION OF FACT WHETHER FORFEITURE OF DEFENDANT’S VEHICLE WOULD BE A CONSTITUTIONALLY IMPERMISSIBLE EXCESSIVE FINE (FIRST DEPT).
COMMON INTEREST PRIVILEGE MAY APPLY TO SUBPOENAED DOCUMENTS.
PLAINTIFF TESTIFIED IT HAD RAINED FOR ONLY FIVE MINUTES BEFORE SHE SLIPPED AND FELL ON WATER ON THE FLOOR; THEREFORE HER TESTIMONY ESTABLISHED DEFENDANTS DID NOT HAVE CONSTRUCTIVE NOTICE OF THE CONDITION (FIRST DEPT).
THE COMPLAINT STATED A CAUSE OF ACTION FOR FRAUD BASED UPON DEFENDANTS’ ALLEGED INFLATION OF THE VALUE OF THE BUSINESS PURCHASED BY PLAINTIFF; AND THE COMPLAINT STATED A CAUSE OF ACTION FOR BREACH OF CONTRACTUAL WARRANTIES WHICH DID NOT DUPLICATE THE FRAUD CAUSE OF ACTION (FIRST DEPT).
ALTHOUGH IT WAS ERROR TO ALLOW THE PROSECUTION TO CROSS-EXAMINE A DEFENSE WITNESS ABOUT PRIOR UNCHARGED OFFENSES ALLEGEDLY INVOLVING THE DEFENDANT, THE ERROR WAS HARMLESS; THE DISSENTERS ARGUED THE ERROR WAS REVERSIBLE (FIRST DEPT).
FIREFIGHTER’S RULE DID NOT PRECLUDE NEGLIGENCE SUIT BY A POLICE OFFICER INJURED WHEN HE STEPPED OUT OF HIS VAN INTO A DEPRESSED AREA AROUND A SEWER GRATE, CITY DID NOT DEMONSTRATE IT DID NOT HAVE CONSTRUCTIVE NOTICE OF THE CONDITION (FIRST DEPT). ​
QUESTION OF FACT WHETHER A LADDER WAS INTENDED FOR USE AS A STAGE PROP BY ACTORS AS OPPOSED TO AN OSHA COMPLIANT LADDER; EVEN WHERE A LABOR LAW 200 ACTION WILL NOT LIE, A COMMON-LAW NEGLIGENCE CAUSE OF ACTION MAY BE VIABLE; HERE IT WAS ALLEGED DEFENDANT LAUNCHED AN INSTRUMENT OF HARM BY ALTERING THE LADDER (FIRST DEPT).

Categories

Sign Up for the Mailing List to Be Notified When the Site Is Updated.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Copyright © 2026 New York Appellate Digest, Inc.
Site by CurlyHost | Privacy Policy

THERE IS NO NOTICE OF CLAIM REQUIREMENT FOR A TORT ACTION AGAINST A CHARTER... THE COURT SHOULD NOT HAVE DELEGATED TO MOTHER ITS AUTHORITY TO SET A VISITATION...