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Failure to Strictly Comply With Notice Requirement in the Civil Service Law Rendered the Involuntary Leave Imposed Upon the Petitioner-Firefighter a Nullity—Petitioner Entitled to Back Pay for Leave Period—Petitioner Properly Deemed Unfit for Active Duty Due to His Inability to Manage Diabetic Symptoms

The Fourth Department determined a firefighter was properly deemed unfit for active duty as a firefighter because of his inability to manage diabetic symptoms. During the course of the decision, the Fourth Department held that the city’s failure to strictly comply with the notice requirements of the Civil Service Law rendered the involuntary leave imposed on petitioner a nullity (entitling him to back pay for the leave period):

We conclude that the procedural protections contained in Civil Service Law § 72 (1) apply to proceedings brought pursuant Civil Service Law § 72 (5) based on the language in subdivision (1) that the provisions of notice and hearing therein apply to employees “placed on leave of absence pursuant to this section” (emphasis added), “which includes Civil Service Law § 72 (5)” … . These procedures are necessary “to afford tenured civil servant employees . . . procedural protections prior to involuntary separation from service” … . “Because of the significant due process implications of the statute, strict compliance with its procedures is required” … . Here, it is undisputed that respondents did not strictly comply with the procedures pursuant to section 72 for placing petitioner on immediate involuntary leave inasmuch as it was not until April 2012 that petitioner was provided with “[w]ritten notice of the facts providing the basis for the judgment of the appointing authority that [petitioner was] not fit to perform the duties of” his position (§ 72 [1]). Although the parties had engaged in negotiations during the period before respondents provided petitioner with written notice, respondents concede that at no time did petitioner waive his rights under section 72 … . Additionally, petitioner did not receive the final notice of determination within 75 days from the receipt of his request for review (see § 72 [1]). The absence of strict compliance with these procedural requirements renders petitioner’s alleged leave a nullity prior to September 30, 2013, when Linnertz issued his final determination after reviewing the Hearing Officer’s decision … , and petitioner is entitled to back pay and the restoration of benefits from August 26, 2011 until September 30, 2013. Matter of Williams v Troiano, 2015 NY Slip Op 05318, 4th Dept 6-19-15

 

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Pilot Assumed the Risk of a Take-Off from a Wet, Grass Field

The Fourth Department determined plaintiff-pilot’s complaint should have been dismissed because the pilot, injured attempting to take off from a grass field, assumed the risk associated with a take-off from a wet field.  The airport is a designated venue for the recreational activity of private aviation.  Therefore the recreational use of the airport was a qualifying activity under the doctrine of primary assumption of the risk. The pilot was aware of the wet conditions prior to his attempt to take off:

We agree with defendant that its airport is a designated venue for the recreational activity of private aviation and that plaintiff’s use thereof was in furtherance of his pursuit of that activity … . We thus conclude, as defendant contends, that plaintiff’s recreational use of defendant’s airport was a qualifying activity under the doctrine of primary assumption of the risk … . Primary assumption of the risk applies when a consenting participant in a qualified activity “is aware of the risks; has an appreciation of the nature of the risks; and voluntarily assumes the risks” … . “If the risks of the activity are fully comprehended or perfectly obvious, plaintiff has consented to them and defendant has performed its duty” …  . “[A]wareness of risk is not to be determined in a vacuum. It is, rather, to be assessed against the background of the skill and experience of the particular plaintiff” … . The primary assumption of the risk doctrine also encompasses risks involving less than optimal conditions… . “It is not necessary to the application of assumption of [the] risk that the injured plaintiff have foreseen the exact manner in which his or her injury occurred, so long as he or she is aware of the potential for injury of the mechanism from which the injury results” … .

Here, the undisputed facts establish that plaintiff, an experienced pilot, was well aware of the risk inherent in taking off from a soft, wet grass runway with the type of landing gear with which his aircraft was equipped. Plaintiff’s awareness of the risk was amply established by his admitted preflight concern about the condition of the grass runway, and by his personal inspection thereof generated in part by his encounter with wet and muddy conditions while towing his aircraft to the runway by motor vehicle. Bouck v Skaneateles Aerodrome, LLC, 2015 NY Slip Op 05300, 4th Dept 6-19-15

 

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Construction at County Airport Was a Governmental Function—County is Therefore “Immune” from a Suit Alleging the Construction Caused a Highway White-Out Condition Which Resulted in Plaintiff’s-Decedent’s Death in a Collision

Plaintiffs alleged that construction by the defendant-county caused snow to blow across the highway leading to the “white-out” which resulted in plaintiff’s decedent’s death in a collision. The Fourth Department determined the county was immune from suit because the relevant construction was a governmental, not proprietary function, and the county did not owe a special duty to the plaintiffs:

… “[I]f the [municipal defendant] acted in a proprietary role, i.e., when its activities essentially substitute for or supplement traditionally private enterprises . . . , ordinary rules of negligence apply. If, however, the [defendant] acted in a governmental capacity, i.e., when its acts are undertaken for the protection and safety of the public pursuant to general police powers . . . , the court must undertake a separate inquiry to determine whether the [defendant] owes a special duty to the injured party. In the event that the plaintiff fails to prove such a duty, the [defendant] is insulated from liability” … . A municipal defendant can therefore establish entitlement to judgment as a matter of law by showing that its allegedly negligent acts were undertaken in a governmental rather than a proprietary capacity, and that it did not owe the plaintiff a special duty.

We conclude that defendants established on their motion that the construction of the tunnels and retaining wall was undertaken in a governmental capacity … , inasmuch as the construction was the result of defendants’ discretionary decision-making after defendants consulted with experts to determine how to make improvements to the Airport property in compliance with, inter alia, safety regulations of the Federal Aviation Administration … . We further conclude that plaintiffs failed to raise a triable issue of fact whether defendants owed a special duty to plaintiffs or were acting in a proprietary capacity … . Klepanchuk v County of Monroe, 2015 NY Slip Op 05323, 4th Dept 6-19-15

 

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Only an “Unexcused” Violation of a Provision of the Vehicle and Traffic Law Constitutes Negligence Per Se—Damages May Include Cost of Demolition of a Building Which Has Been Deemed a Safety Hazard

In the course of a decision finding questions of fact precluded summary judgment, the Fourth Department explained the doctrine of negligence per se as it relates to a violation of the Vehicle and Traffic Law, and the recoverable damages when property damage requires demolition of a building which was rendered a safety hazard.  The defendant-driver here struck plaintiff’s building which was then destroyed by fire.  The cost of demolition, which the town had ordered because the building was a safety hazard, exceeded the fair market value of the building prior to the accident. The court noted that the demolition costs could be recoverable damages. The court further noted that only the “unexcused” violation of the Vehicle and Traffic Law constitutes negligence per se.  Therefore the defendant’s guilty plea to a Vehicle and Traffic Law violation could be excused by the jury if the jury determined the driver acted to avoid an object in the road. In that situation, the violation would only constitute “some evidence” of negligence:

It is well settled that “the fact that [the] driver entered a plea of guilty to a Vehicle and Traffic Law offense is only some evidence of negligence and does not establish his negligence per se” … . Rather, it is the “unexcused violation of the Vehicle and Traffic Law [that] constitutes negligence per se” … . If a trier of fact accepts as true the position that the driver swerved to avoid an object in the road, the jury may excuse the driver’s alleged negligence, in which case defendant would not have any vicarious liability for the accident … . * * *

It is well settled that the standard for assessing damages to property is the lesser of replacement cost or diminution in market value … . Here, it is undisputed that the cost of the required demolition exceeds the fair market value of the property before the accident. Defendant contends that plaintiffs’ damages are limited to the market value of the property before the accident, with no consideration of demolition costs, inasmuch as the full market value of the property before the accident is less than the repair or replacement cost. We agree with plaintiffs, however, that demolition costs are recoverable where the property to be demolished constitutes a “safety hazard beyond repair” … . There are also situations in which a property may be deemed to have a negative market value, i.e., where the cost to remediate the property exceeds the market value of the property … . Shaw v Rosha Enters., Inc., 2015 NY Slip Op 05305, 4th Dept 6-19-15

 

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Ordinance Imposing a Duty Upon Abutting Property Owners to Keep Sidewalks in Good Repair Raised a Question of Fact whether a Defect Caused by a Tree Root Should Have Been Repaired by the Defendant—The Defect Was Not So Significant As to Allow a Determination of Defendant’s Liability as a Matter of Law

The Fourth Department determined the existence of an ordinance imposing upon abutting property owners the duty to maintain the sidewalk created a question of fact whether defendant breached that duty. Apparently the defect was caused by a root from a tree on village property which defendant alleged he had no authority to disturb. The ordinance, however did not include any exceptions to the duty to repair.  The defect was not of such significance that summary judgment on liability as a matter of law was warranted:

… “[I]t is well established that, as an abutting landowner, [defendant] is not liable for injuries sustained as the result of a defect in the sidewalk unless[, inter alia,] . . . there is a local ordinance charging [defendant] with the duty to maintain and repair the sidewalk and imposing liability for injuries resulting from [defendant’s] failure to do so” … . Here, in opposition to the motion, plaintiff submitted relevant portions of the General Code of the Village of Hamburg (Village), which charges landowners such as defendant with the duty to “repair, keep safe and maintain any sidewalk abutting [the landowner’s] premises,” and imposes liability on the landowner “for any injury or damage by reason of omission or failure to repair, keep safe, and maintain such sidewalk” (Village of Hamburg General Code § 203-26 [B]; see § 203-28 [A] [2]).

We conclude that, by submitting that local ordinance, plaintiff raised an issue of fact whether defendant breached the duty imposed on it to maintain the sidewalk abutting its property. Although defendant contends that the alleged defect in the sidewalk was created by a tree root that it had no authority to disturb because it originated from a tree on property owned and maintained by the Village, we note that the local ordinance contains no exceptions to the duty imposed on abutting landowners to maintain the sidewalk, even if the allegedly dangerous condition was created by a root extending from Village property. In any event, it cannot be said as a matter of law that defendant could not have repaired the alleged defect in the sidewalk without cutting the tree root that purportedly created it … .

We agree with defendant, however, that the court erred in granting that part of plaintiff’s cross motion for partial summary judgment on the issue of negligence against defendant, and we therefore modify the order accordingly. “Generally, a sidewalk defect presents an issue of fact for a jury . . . , unless . . . the defect is so trivial as to warrant disposition [in defendant’s favor] on summary judgment” … . Here, we cannot conclude that the alleged defect, as depicted in photographs included in the record, is of such significance that defendant may be held liable as a matter of law … . Shatzel v 152 Buffalo St., Ltd., 2015 NY Slip Op 05333, 4th Dept 6-19-15

 

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Town Board’s Terminating, Without Notice, Plaintiff’s Construction Project Violated Plaintiff’s Right to Substantive Due Process/Town Was Not Entitled to Qualified Immunity

The plaintiff had cleared the way for building on land which included wetlands by obtaining the necessary permits and waivers from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) when, without notice, the town board passed a resolution rescinding a previously issued sewer tap-in waiver and terminating the construction project. Among other theories, plaintiff sued under 42 USC 1983 (deprivation of property without due process of law) and won. On appeal the due process violation verdict was upheld. The Fourth Department explained the criteria for the due process cause of action and noted that the defendant town was not entitled to qualified immunity because the town board’s actions violated plaintiff’s constitutional rights:

… [W]e note that the Court of Appeals has set forth a two-part test for substantive due process violations: “[f]irst, [a plaintiff] must establish a cognizable property interest, meaning a vested property interest, or more than a mere expectation or hope to retain the permit and continue their improvements; they must show that pursuant to State or local law, they had a legitimate claim of entitlement to continue construction’ . . . Second, [a plaintiff] must show that the governmental action was wholly without legal justification” … . Under the first prong, “a legitimate claim of entitlement to a permit can exist only where there is either a certainty or a very strong likelihood’ that an application for approval would have been granted” … . “Where an issuing authority has discretion in approving or denying a permit, a clear entitlement can exist only when that discretion is so narrowly circumscribed that approval of a proper application is virtually assured’ “… . * * *

We reject defendant’s contention that the state constitutional claims should be dismissed because defendant is entitled to qualified immunity. ” A government official is entitled to qualified immunity provided his or her conduct does not violate clearly established statutory or constitutional rights of which a reasonable person would have known’ ” … . Defendant failed to establish that it was objectively reasonable for the Town Board to believe that its conduct in withdrawing the sewer tap-in waiver request on … was appropriate … . Instead, the evidence established that the Town Board members acted without knowing the history of the project and acted knowing that only the Planning Board had to take action, i.e., to give site plan approval for the property. Despite the existence of plaintiff’s constitutionally protected property interest in the … tap-in waiver request, the Town Board acted … to withdraw that waiver request, which was a violation of plaintiff’s constitutional rights. As such, defendant is not entitled to qualified immunity. Acquest Wehrle, LLC v Town of Amherst, 2015 NY Slip Op 05346, 4th Dept 6-19-15

 

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Parties’ Agreement to “Litigate” Their Entitlement to Interest on a judgment Did Not Constitute a Waiver of the Relevant Insurance Policy’s Arbitration Clause—The Arbitrability of the Claims Must Be Determined by the Arbitrator Not the Courts

The Fourth Department determined an agreement to litigate the parties’ entitlement to interest on a judgment did not constitute a waiver of the relevant insurance policy’s arbitration clause. The issue whether the parties’ claims are arbitrable, therefore, must be determined by the arbitrator, not the courts:

“Once the parties to a broad arbitration clause have made a valid choice of forum, as here, all questions with respect to the validity and effect of subsequent documents purporting to work a modification or termination of the substantive provisions of their original agreement are to be resolved by the arbitrator” … . This is not a situation in which the parties engaged in litigation to such an extent that they “manifested a preference clearly inconsistent with [a] later claim that the parties were obligated to settle their differences by arbitration’ ” … . Nor is this a situation in which the entire contract containing the arbitration provision has been cancelled or terminated, such that “the designation of the arbitration forum for the resolution of disputes is no longer binding upon the parties” … . We thus conclude that the determination of the arbitrability of the parties’ claims under the Policy should be made by an arbitrator. Town of Amherst v Granite State Ins. Co., Inc., 2015 NY Slip Op 05352, 4th Dept 6-19-15

 

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No Survivorship Language in Joint Bank Account Documents/Evidence the Joint Account Was Created as a Matter of Convenience/Summary Judgment Should Not Have Been Granted Awarding Plaintiff Half the Funds in the Account Upon the Death of the Other Person Named on the Account

The Fourth Department noted that Supreme Court erred in concluding a joint bank account was a joint tenancy with right of survivorship and granting the aspect of plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment seeking half the funds in the account upon the death of the other party named on the account. There was no survivorship language in the account documents, and there was evidence tending to rebut any statutory presumption of a joint tenancy (i.e., evidence the account was created as a matter of convenience):

Contrary to the court’s determination, we conclude that the statutory presumption of joint tenancy set forth in Banking Law § 675 does not apply to the joint account inasmuch as “the account documents do not contain the necessary survivorship language” … .

We note in any event that the statutory presumption may be rebutted “by providing direct proof that no joint tenancy was intended or substantial circumstantial proof that the joint account[s] had been opened for convenience only” … . Even assuming, arguendo, that the statutory presumption of joint tenancy applies to the joint accounts, we conclude that defendant submitted evidence tending to rebut the statutory presumption that is sufficient to raise a triable issue of fact whether, “at the time the accounts were created, the accounts were opened as a matter of convenience” … . In particular, defendant submitted evidence establishing, inter alia, that decedent was the sole depositor of the joint accounts, and that plaintiff never withdrew funds from the joint accounts during decedent’s lifetime … . In addition, defendant submitted evidence establishing that decedent’s creation of a joint tenancy with the right of survivorship in the joint accounts “would represent a substantial deviation from [her] previously expressed testamentary plan” … , Harrington v Brunson, 2015 NY Slip Op 05309, 4th Dept 6-19-15

 

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Court Properly Ordered Further Deposition of County Employee and the Deposition of the Commissioner of Public Works Based Upon Plaintiff’s Showing the Witness Previously Provided Did Not Have Sufficient Knowledge

The Fourth Department noted that the court did not abuse its discretion in ordering the further deposition of a county employee and the deposition of the Commissioner of Public Works concerning the maintenance of a section of the road where plaintiff’s-decedent’s car left the road and struck a pole.  The employee’s prior testimony was incomplete because he could not recall relevant information. And, although the county can determine who should be deposed on its behalf, the court can order the deposition of a specific witness where the plaintiff shows the witness previously produced did not have sufficient knowledge:

“A trial court has broad discretion in supervising the discovery process, and its determinations will not be disturbed absent an abuse of that discretion” … . We note with respect to the employee that he admitted at his initial deposition that he could not recall specific details relevant to plaintiffs’ theory of the County’s liability without reviewing the documents that subsequently were produced by the County. We thus conclude that the court did not abuse its discretion in directing the further deposition of the employee concerning those documents.

We likewise conclude that the court did not abuse its discretion in directing the County to produce the Commissioner for a deposition. “Although a municipality, in the first instance, has the right to determine which of its officers or employees with knowledge of the facts may appear for a deposition, a plaintiff may demand production of additional witnesses when (1) the officers or employees already deposed had insufficient knowledge or were otherwise inadequate, and (2) there is a substantial likelihood that the person sought for deposition possesses information which is material and necessary to the prosecution of the case” … . Here, the record establishes that the two employees previously produced by the County have at most a general understanding of the reconstruction project contemplated by the County with respect to the section of road where the accident occurred and the reasons that the reconstruction project was abandoned, while the Commissioner has peculiar and specific knowledge about that project and the decision-making process pursuant to which it was abandoned. We therefore conclude that plaintiffs met their burden of demonstrating that the employees previously produced by the County “did not possess sufficient knowledge of the relevant facts or [were] otherwise inadequate” … . Black v Athale, 2015 NY Slip Op 05355, 4th Dept 6-19-15

 

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Evidence of Prior Uncharged Offenses Involving the Same Behavior and Against the Same Victim as Alleged in the Charged Offense Deemed Admissible to Prove Motive, Intent and to Provide Necessary Background Information About the Nature of the Relationship Between the Victim and Defendant

The Fourth Department determined evidence of prior uncharged sexual abuse of the victim, which included actions attributed to the defendant in the charged offense (abuse when the victim was unconscious from alcohol intoxication), was properly admitted. The court found the uncharged crime evidence was admissible to prove intent and motive, and to provide background information about the nature of the relationship between the victim and defendant:

We reject defendant’s contention … that the court erred in admitting evidence of defendant’s prior uncharged sexual abuse of the victim which, according to the victim’s testimony, also occurred while she was unconscious from alcohol intoxication. “The general rule is that evidence of . . . uncharged crimes may not be offered to show defendant’s bad character or his propensity towards crime but may be admitted only if the acts help establish some element of the crime under consideration or are relevant because of some recognized exception to the general rule” … . Here, we conclude that the evidence of uncharged crimes was admissible to establish intent and motive under the first two exceptions specifically identified in Molineux’s illustrative and nonexhaustive list … . Specifically, the disputed evidence was relevant to the issue whether defendant intended to commit the instant crime for the purpose of sexual gratification (see Penal Law §§ 130.00 [3]; 130.65 [2]), and to establish defendant’s motive in providing a large quantity of alcohol to the victim. Consequently, “the evidence in this case was not propensity evidence, but was probative of [defendant’s] motive and intent to [sexually] assault his victim” … . Moreover, the evidence was also admissible under a more recently recognized Molineux exception, i.e., to “provide[] necessary background information on the nature of the relationship” between defendant and the victim … and thus, we conclude that the court did not abuse its discretion in allowing the People to present the evidence at issue … . People v Leonard, 2015 NY Slip Op 05314. 4th Dept 6-19-15

 

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