You are here: / Bruce Freeman

Entries by Bruce Freeman

,

​IN A FORECLOSURE PROCEEDING, A REFEREE’S REPORT BASED UPON UNPRODUCED BUSINESS RECORDS SHOULD NOT BE CONFIRMED BY THE COURT (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing (modifying) Supreme Court, determined the referee’s report in this foreclosure action should not have been confirmed because the referenced business records were not attached to the report: “The report of a referee should be confirmed whenever the findings are substantially supported by the record, and the referee has clearly defined the […]

, ,

THE PARTY SEEKING A CONTEMPT FINDING DID NOT DEMONSTRATE PREJUDICE FROM THE FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH ONE COURT ORDER AND THE OTHER COURT ORDER DID NOT EXPRESS AN UNEQUIVOCAL MANDATE; CONTEMPT FINDING REVERSED (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing (modifying) Supreme Court, determined the evidence did not support a contempt finding against the trustee of a special needs trust (Wiltshire). The guardian of the incapacitated person (Daniels) demonstrated that Wiltshire failed to provide an accounting and failed to promptly pay certain expenses, but the proof of Wiltshire’s alleged failure to comply […]

,

THE CHILDREN’S HEARSAY EVIDENCE AND KNOWLEDGE FATHER LEGALLY POSSESSED A FIREARM DID NOT SUPPORT THE NEGLECT FINDING; THE EVIDENTIARY CRITERIA FOR NEGLECT ARE EXPLAINED IN DETAIL (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Family Court, determined the hearsay statements of the children and the children’s knowledge father legally possessed a firearm were not sufficient to support the neglect finding against father. The proof requirements for neglect and the proper role of hearsay is discussed in some depth: … [T]he hearsay evidence presented by the […]

, ,

THE DEFENDANT’S ACCOMPLICE TO MURDER CONVICTION RESTED ENTIRELY ON THE TESTIMONY OF A JAILHOUSE INFORMANT WHICH WAS AT ODDS WITH THE SURVEILLANCE VIDEO; THE TESTIMONY OF THE INFORMANT WAS REJECTED, RENDERING DEFENDANT’S CONVICTION AGAINST THE WEIGHT OF THE EVIDENCE (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department, reversing defendant’s accomplice-to-murder conviction, determined the conviction was against the weight of the evidence. There was evidence the shooter came to and left the area where the shooting took place in a white sedan. Defendant owned a white sedan but it was not possible to tell whether the white sedan in the […]

,

IN THIS TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS PROCEEDING, PETITIONER DID NOT MEET ITS BURDEN TO PROVE IT MADE DILIGENT EFFORTS TO ASSIST RESPONDENT MOTHER IN ADDRESSING HER MENTAL HEALTH; MOTHER’S PARENTAL RIGHTS SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN TERMINANTED (THIRD DEPT).

The Third Department, reversing Family Court, determined the petitioner did not prove it made diligent efforts toward reunification of mother and child, given mother’s mental health and the incomplete measures to address her mental health needs. Therefore mother’s parental rights should not have been terminated. The facts are far too complex to summarize here: The […]

, , ,

THE JUDGE SHOULD HAVE ALLOWED TIME FOR OBJECTIONS TO PETITIONER’S APPLICATION TO WITHDRAW THE NEGLECT PETITION AND CANCEL THE FACT-FINDING HEARING (THIRD DEPT).

The Third Department, reversing Family Court, determined Family Court should not have granted petitioner’s request to withdraw the neglect petition and cancel the fact-finding hearing without allowing time for objections to be raised: We agree with the AFC that Family Court erred in granting petitioner’s application to dismiss the neglect petition without allowing any time […]

, ,

A ROCKY LEDGE UNDER FOUR INCHES OF WATER IN A NATURAL SWIMMING HOLE SURROUNDED BY IRREGULAR ROCK WAS OPEN AND OBVIOUS AND PLAINTIFF ASSUMED THE RISK OF STRIKING HER FOOT ON THE ROCK LEDGE (THIRD DEPT).

The Third Department, reversing (modifying) the Court of Claims, determined defendant (a state-owned park with a natural swimming area surrounded by irregular rock) was not liable for plaintiff’s injury caused by striking a rock ledge covered by four inches of water. Defendant demonstrated the water was clear and the rock ledge was open and obvious. […]

,

THE SPEEDY TRIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR A JUVENILE DELINQUENCY PROCEEDING WERE VIOLATED (THIRD DEPT).

The Third Department, reversing the juvenile delinquency adjudication and dismissing the petition, determined the speedy trial requirements were violated: “Where [a] juvenile is not detained, an adjudication on the merits of the petition’s charges, known as the ‘fact-finding’ phase of the process, ‘shall commence not more than [60] days after the conclusion of the initial […]

,

THE DATE BY WHICH AN OPTION TO RENEW A LEASE IS TO BE EXERCISED CAN BE WAIVED BY THE ACCEPTANCE OF AN UNTIMELY ELECTION TO RENEW; THE REQUEST FOR A NEW LEASE WITH THE SAME MATERIAL TERMS DOES NOT AFFECT THE VALIDITY OF THE ELECTION TO RENEW (THIRD DEPT).

​The Third Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined there were questions of fact about whether defendant tenant had exercised its option to renew the lease. The court noted that the date by which an option to renew must be exercised is for the benefit of the landlord and therefore can be waived by the landlord: … […]

, ,

AT THE TIME OF THE JUVENILE’S ADMISSION TO POSSESSION OF STOLEN PROPERTY THE JUDGE DID NOT INFORM HIM OR HIS MOTHER OF THE EXACT NATURE OF HIS “PLACEMENT OUTSIDE THE HOME OR ITS POSSIBLE DURATION” AS REQUIRED BY FAMILY COURT ACT SECTION 3213(1); ORDER REVERSED (THIRD DEPT).

The Third Department, reversing the juvenile’s admission in this juvenile delinquency proceeding, determined the juvenile and his mother were not adequately informed of the consequences of the admission to possession of stolen property: … [T]he allocution in which respondent admitted to [possession of stolen property] was fatally defective because Family Court … failed to comply […]

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