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EMPLOYEES OF SUBCONTRACTOR CAN SUE FOR THE PREVAILING WAGE REQUIRED BY LABOR LAW 220 AS THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES OF THE PRIME CONTRACT (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department affirmed the denial of defendant employer’s (SLSCO’s) motion to dismiss the plaintiff employees’ breach of contract complaint. The complaint alleged that SLSCO and the subcontractor, PMJ, which employed plaintiffs, breached the prime employment contract by failing to pay the prevailing wage for work done for the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The court noted the employees were third party beneficiaries of the contract and the clause in the contract which purported to prohibit third-party actions seeking the prevailing wage would be void as against public policy:

Plaintiffs are employees of PMJ. They commenced this action for breach of contract against PMJ and SLSCO, predicated upon a third-party contract beneficiary theory, alleging that PMJ failed to pay them prevailing wages as required by the terms of the prime contract … . …

Labor Law § 220(3) provides, in pertinent part, that wages paid to laborers, workers, or mechanics on a public works project shall be the prevailing rate of wages in that locality, and that the public works contracts, including subcontracts thereunder “shall contain a provision that each laborer, workman or mechanic, employed by such contractor, subcontractor or other person about or upon such public work shall be paid the wages herein”. This statute “has as its entire aim the protection of workingmen against being induced, or obliged, to accept wages below the prevailing rate” and “must be construed with the liberality needed to carry out its beneficent purposes”… . In keeping with this liberal reading of the statute, the courts of this state have consistently held that, in public works contracts, a subcontractor’s employees have both an administrative remedy under the statute as well as a third-party right to make a breach of contract claim for underpayment against the general contractor … . Wroble v Shaw Envtl. & Infrastructure Eng’g of N.Y., P.C., 2018 NY Slip Op 08061, First Dept 11-27-18

EMPLOYMENT LAW (LABOR LAW, PREVAILING WAGE, EMPLOYEES OF SUBCONTRACTOR CAN SUE FOR THE PREVAILING WAGE REQUIRED BY LABOR LAW 220 AS THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES OF THE PRIME CONTRACT (FIRST DEPT))/LABOR LAW (PREVAILING WAGE, PREVAILING WAGE, EMPLOYEES OF SUBCONTRACTOR CAN SUE FOR THE PREVAILING WAGE REQUIRED BY LABOR LAW 220 AS THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES OF THE PRIME CONTRACT (FIRST DEPT))/CONTRACT LAW (EMPLOYMENT LAW, THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES, LABOR LAW, EMPLOYEES OF SUBCONTRACTOR CAN SUE FOR THE PREVAILING WAGE REQUIRED BY LABOR LAW 220 AS THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES OF THE PRIME CONTRACT (FIRST DEPT))/THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES (CONTRACT LAW, EMPLOYMENT LAW, LABOR LAW, EMPLOYEES OF SUBCONTRACTOR CAN SUE FOR THE PREVAILING WAGE REQUIRED BY LABOR LAW 220 AS THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES OF THE PRIME CONTRACT (FIRST DEPT))

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PLAINTIFF DID NOT PLACE HER PRIOR KNEE INJURIES IN CONTROVERSY BY ALLEGING A LOSS OF ENJOYMENT OF LIFE, THEREFORE PLAINTIFF DID NOT WAIVE HER PATIENT-PHYSICIAN PRIVILEGE RE: THE KNEE-INJURY MEDICAL RECORDS, THE FIRST DEPT DECIDED NOT TO FOLLOW THE 2ND DEPT’S CONTRARY RULING, EXTENSIVE TWO-JUSTICE DISSENT (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, in a full-fledged opinion by Justice Singh, over an extensive two-justice dissenting opinion, determined that the plaintiff in this traffic accident case did not place her prior knee injuries in controversy and the defendants’ demand for the related medical authorizations should not have been granted. The First Department held plaintiff had not waived her patient-physician privilege regarding the knee injuries. Plaintiff had alleged injury to her back, neck and shoulder, but had also alleged a loss of enjoyment of life, including her inability to wear heels. Defendants argued that her prior knee injury and surgery were relevant to those same issues. The First Department decided not to follow the 2nd Department’s contrary holding:

Contrary to defendants’ argument, neither plaintiff’s bill of particulars nor her deposition testimony places her prior knee injuries in controversy. In paragraph 10 of her bill of particulars, plaintiff limits the injuries she sustained in the 2014 accident to her cervical spine, lumbar spine, and left shoulder. Accordingly, the specified bodily injuries that are affirmatively placed in controversy are the spinal and shoulder injuries. The claims for lost earnings and loss of enjoyment of life alleged in the bill of particulars are limited to these specified injuries. Plaintiff does not mention her prior knee treatments. Nor does she claim that the injuries to her knees were exacerbated or aggravated as a result of the 2014 automobile accident. * * *

Defendants cite to [2nd] Department precedent in support of their argument that the condition of plaintiff’s knees is material and necessary to their defense. The [2nd] Department has held that a party places his or her entire medical condition in controversy through “broad allegations of physical injuries and claimed loss of enjoyment of life due to those injuries” … .

We are not persuaded by the reasoning of the [2nd] Department. In our view, the [2nd] Department’s precedent cannot be reconciled with the Court of Appeals’ rulings that the physician-patient privilege is waived only for injuries affirmatively placed in controversy. Brito v Gomez, 2018 NY Slip Op 08105, First Dept 11-27-18

NEGLIGENCE (PLAINTIFF DID NOT PLACE HER PRIOR KNEE INJURIES IN CONTROVERSY BY ALLEGING A LOSS OF ENJOYMENT OF LIFE, THEREFORE PLAINTIFF DID NOT WAIVE HER PATIENT-PHYSICIAN PRIVILEGE RE: THE KNEE-INJURY MEDICAL RECORDS, THE FIRST DEPARTMENT DECIDED NOT TO FOLLOW THE 2ND DEPARTMENT’S CONTRARY RULING, EXTENSIVE TWO-JUSTICE DISSENT (FIRST DEPT))/TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS  (PLAINTIFF DID NOT PLACE HER PRIOR KNEE INJURIES IN CONTROVERSY BY ALLEGING A LOSS OF ENJOYMENT OF LIFE, THEREFORE PLAINTIFF DID NOT WAIVE HER PATIENT-PHYSICIAN PRIVILEGE RE: THE KNEE-INJURY MEDICAL RECORDS, THE FIRST DEPARTMENT DECIDED NOT TO FOLLOW THE 2ND DEPARTMENT’S CONTRARY RULING, EXTENSIVE TWO-JUSTICE DISSENT (FIRST DEPT))/EVIDENCE (NEGLIGENCE, PLAINTIFF DID NOT PLACE HER PRIOR KNEE INJURIES IN CONTROVERSY BY ALLEGING A LOSS OF ENJOYMENT OF LIFE, THEREFORE PLAINTIFF DID NOT WAIVE HER PATIENT-PHYSICIAN PRIVILEGE RE: THE KNEE-INJURY MEDICAL RECORDS, THE FIRST DEPARTMENT DECIDED NOT TO FOLLOW THE 2ND DEPARTMENT’S CONTRARY RULING, EXTENSIVE TWO-JUSTICE DISSENT (FIRST DEPT))/PRIVILEGE (NEGLIGENCE, TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS, PLAINTIFF DID NOT PLACE HER PRIOR KNEE INJURIES IN CONTROVERSY BY ALLEGING A LOSS OF ENJOYMENT OF LIFE, THEREFORE PLAINTIFF DID NOT WAIVE HER PATIENT-PHYSICIAN PRIVILEGE RE: THE KNEE-INJURY MEDICAL RECORDS, THE FIRST DEPARTMENT DECIDED NOT TO FOLLOW THE 2ND DEPARTMENT’S CONTRARY RULING, EXTENSIVE TWO-JUSTICE DISSENT (FIRST DEPT))/PATIENT-PHYSICIAN PRIVILEGE (NEGLIGENCE, TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS, PLAINTIFF DID NOT PLACE HER PRIOR KNEE INJURIES IN CONTROVERSY BY ALLEGING A LOSS OF ENJOYMENT OF LIFE, THEREFORE PLAINTIFF DID NOT WAIVE HER PATIENT-PHYSICIAN PRIVILEGE RE: THE KNEE-INJURY MEDICAL RECORDS, THE FIRST DEPARTMENT DECIDED NOT TO FOLLOW THE 2ND DEPARTMENT’S CONTRARY RULING, EXTENSIVE TWO-JUSTICE DISSENT (FIRST DEPT))

QUESTIONS OF FACT WHETHER THE DEFENDANT CITY WAS AWARE OF A DEFECT IN THE SOFTBALL PLAYING FIELD, WHETHER THE DEFECT WAS NEGLIGENTLY REPAIRED AND WHETHER PLAINTIFF ASSUMED THE RISK OF INJURY, DEFENDANT’S SUMMARY JUDGMENT MOTION SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GRANTED (FIRST DEPT). ​

The First Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined there were questions of fact whether defendant city had notice of a defect in a softball field, whether the defect was negligently repaired, and whether plaintiff assumed the risk of injury from playing baseball on the field:

Plaintiff Rory Martin was injured when, while playing softball on defendant’s field, he unsuccessfully attempted to jump over a hole that was in the field near home plate. Plaintiff testified at his 50-h hearing that a six-inch-deep hole, three-to-four feet long, and four-to-five feet wide, near the right hand batter’s box, had been filled in with loose clay and appeared to be level when he stepped into the batter’s box. After plaintiff safely reached first base and additional players used the batter’s box, the hole became more exposed and surprised plaintiff as he ran home to try to score. When plaintiff saw the size of the hole and attempted to jump over it, his left foot struck a clay-obscured edge of the hole, causing him to suffer a fractured ankle.

Under the circumstances presented, triable issues exist as to whether the City had notice of this particular defect, and, if so, whether the City negligently or improperly repaired the defect, whether the playing field was as safe as it appeared to be, whether plaintiff’s injury arose as a consequence of a condition or practice common to the particular sport, and whether plaintiff assumed the risk of playing on the subject field … . Martin v City of New York, 2018 NY Slip Op 07946, First Dept 11-20-18

NEGLIGENCE (QUESTIONS OF FACT WHETHER THE DEFENDANT CITY WAS AWARE OF A DEFECT IN THE SOFTBALL PLAYING FIELD, WHETHER THE DEFECT WAS NEGLIGENTLY REPAIRED AND WHETHER PLAINTIFF ASSUMED THE RISK OF INJURY, DEFENDANT’S SUMMARY JUDGMENT MOTION SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GRANTED (FIRST DEPT))/ASSUMPTION OF THE RISK (NEGLIGENCE, SOFTBALL, QUESTIONS OF FACT WHETHER THE DEFENDANT CITY WAS AWARE OF A DEFECT IN THE SOFTBALL PLAYING FIELD, WHETHER THE DEFECT WAS NEGLIGENTLY REPAIRED AND WHETHER PLAINTIFF ASSUMED THE RISK OF INJURY, DEFENDANT’S SUMMARY JUDGMENT MOTION SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GRANTED (FIRST DEPT))/SPORTS (ASSUMPTION OF THE RISK, SOFTBALL, QUESTIONS OF FACT WHETHER THE DEFENDANT CITY WAS AWARE OF A DEFECT IN THE SOFTBALL PLAYING FIELD, WHETHER THE DEFECT WAS NEGLIGENTLY REPAIRED AND WHETHER PLAINTIFF ASSUMED THE RISK OF INJURY, DEFENDANT’S SUMMARY JUDGMENT MOTION SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GRANTED (FIRST DEPT))

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DEFENDANT DEEMED TO HAVE CONSENTED TO THE RECORDING OF PHONE CALLS MADE FROM JAIL AND TO THE PRESENTATION OF THE RECORDINGS AS TRIAL EVIDENCE (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department determined the defendant’s request to preclude recording of phone calls he made from jail was properly denied. Defendant was deemed to have consented to the recordings:

“Defendant impliedly consented to the recording of the call(s) based on his receipt of multiple forms of notice that his calls would be recorded, and he was not entitled to separate notice that the calls might be subpoenaed by prosecutors” … . People v Mason, 2018 NY Slip Op 07944, First Dept 11-20-18

CRIMINAL LAW (EVIDENCE, DEFENDANT DEEMED TO HAVE CONSENTED TO THE RECORDING OF PHONE CALLS MADE FROM JAIL AND TO THE PRESENTATION OF THE RECORDINGS AS TRIAL EVIDENCE (FIRST DEPT))/EVIDENCE (CRIMINAL LAW, PHONE CALLS FROM JAIL, DEFENDANT DEEMED TO HAVE CONSENTED TO THE RECORDING OF PHONE CALLS MADE FROM JAIL AND TO THE PRESENTATION OF THE RECORDINGS AS TRIAL EVIDENCE (FIRST DEPT))/PHONE CALLS (CRIMINAL LAW, JAIL,  DEFENDANT DEEMED TO HAVE CONSENTED TO THE RECORDING OF PHONE CALLS MADE FROM JAIL AND TO THE PRESENTATION OF THE RECORDINGS AS TRIAL EVIDENCE (FIRST DEPT))/RECORDINGS (PHONE CALL, JAIL, CRIMINAL LAW, DEFENDANT DEEMED TO HAVE CONSENTED TO THE RECORDING OF PHONE CALLS MADE FROM JAIL AND TO THE PRESENTATION OF THE RECORDINGS AS TRIAL EVIDENCE (FIRST DEPT))

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DEALERSHIP HAD NOT TRANSFERRED OWNERSHIP OF THE CAR TO THE PURCHASER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AND WAS THEREFORE LIABLE TO PLAINTIFF AS THE OWNER, THE DRIVER STRUCK A BARRICADE WHICH IN TURN STRUCK PLAINTIFF WHO WAS WALKING ON THE SIDEWALK, PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined defendant car dealership (Port Motors) had not transferred ownership of the car to the purchaser (Love) at the time of the accident and was therefore liable to plaintiff as the owner of the vehicle. Plaintiff was injured when the driver (Lemos) struck a barricade which in turn struck plaintiff, who was walking on the sidewalk:

Because Port Motors “fail[ed] to comply with the statutory requirements regarding vehicle registration procedures . . . [it] is estopped from denying ownership of the vehicle and is fully liable to the plaintiff as if it were the owner’ of the vehicle” … . Although this Court has held that “title to a motor vehicle is transferred when the parties intend such transfer to occur” … , here, there is no evidence that the parties intended to transfer title to the vehicle from Port Motors to Love prior to the accident. …

The metal barricade standing in the roadway was not “a sudden and unexpected circumstance which le[ft] little or no time for thought, deliberation or consideration, or cause[d] [Lemos] to be reasonably so disturbed that [he] [had to] make a speedy decision without weighing alternative courses of conduct . . . “… . Rather, by colliding with the barricade and propelling it onto the sidewalk, where it struck a pedestrian, Lemos failed to both operate his vehicle in a manner that was reasonable and prudent under the circumstances  … and to see what was there to be seen through the ordinary use of his senses … . Bunn v City of New York, 2018 NY Slip Op 07936, First Dept 11-20-18

NEGLIGENCE (VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC LAW, DEALERSHIP HAD NOT TRANSFERRED OWNERSHIP OF THE CAR TO THE PURCHASER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AND WAS THEREFORE LIABLE TO PLAINTIFF AS THE OWNER, THE DRIVER STRUCK A BARRICADE WHICH IN TURN STRUCK PLAINTIFF WHO WAS WALKING ON THE SIDEWALK, PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED (FIRST DEPT))/VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC LAW (OWNER LIABILITY, DEALERSHIP HAD NOT TRANSFERRED OWNERSHIP OF THE CAR TO THE PURCHASER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AND WAS THEREFORE LIABLE TO PLAINTIFF AS THE OWNER, THE DRIVER STRUCK A BARRICADE WHICH IN TURN STRUCK PLAINTIFF WHO WAS WALKING ON THE SIDEWALK, PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED (FIRST DEPT))/TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS (VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC LAW, DEALERSHIP HAD NOT TRANSFERRED OWNERSHIP OF THE CAR TO THE PURCHASER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AND WAS THEREFORE LIABLE TO PLAINTIFF AS THE OWNER, THE DRIVER STRUCK A BARRICADE WHICH IN TURN STRUCK PLAINTIFF WHO WAS WALKING ON THE SIDEWALK, PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED (FIRST DEPT))/PEDESTRIANS  (VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC LAW, DEALERSHIP HAD NOT TRANSFERRED OWNERSHIP OF THE CAR TO THE PURCHASER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AND WAS THEREFORE LIABLE TO PLAINTIFF AS THE OWNER, THE DRIVER STRUCK A BARRICADE WHICH IN TURN STRUCK PLAINTIFF WHO WAS WALKING ON THE SIDEWALK, PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED (FIRST DEPT))

FATHER’S PETITION TO MODIFY CUSTODY SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DENIED, MOTHER HAD RELOCATED TO FLORIDA WITHOUT FATHER’S CONSENT AND WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF THE COURT (FIRST DEPT). ​

The First Department, reversing Family Court, determined that father’s petition to modify custody should not have been denied without a hearing. Mother had relocated to Florida without father’s consent or the permission of the court:

Family Court correctly determined that the mother’s testimony about her unilateral relocation constituted a change in circumstances, triggering an inquiry into whether the child remaining in the mother’s custody in Florida is in the child’s best interests … . However, the court abused its discretion in making a final determination on that issue without a full hearing at which the parties and the child’s attorney had an opportunity to present relevant evidence. The question of a child’s relocation out of state necessarily requires “due consideration of all the relevant facts and circumstances and with predominant emphasis being placed on what outcome is most likely to serve the best interests of the child … . [C]ustody and visitation decisions should be made with a view toward minimizing the parents’ discomfort and maximizing the child’s prospects of a stable, comfortable and happy life”… . Relevant factors include the parties’ good faith in requesting or opposing the move, the child’s attachments to each parent, the quality of the life-style that the child would have if the proposed move were permitted or denied, the effect that the move may have on any extended family relationships, and whether a visitation plan can be achieved that permits the noncustodial parent to maintain a meaningful parent-child relationship (id.). In this case, since the father had raised concerns in his petition about the child’s education, the parties should have had the opportunity to present evidence about this, in addition to other relevant factors. Matter of Michael B. v Latasha T.-M., 2018 NY Slip Op 07929, First Dept 11-20-18

FAMILY LAW (RELOCATION, CUSTODY MODIFICATION, FATHER’S PETITION TO MODIFY CUSTODY SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DENIED, MOTHER HAD RELOCATED TO FLORIDA WITHOUT FATHER’S CONSENT AND WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF THE COURT (FIRST DEPT))/CUSTODY (FAMILY LAW, RELOCATION, CUSTODY MODIFICATION, FATHER’S PETITION TO MODIFY CUSTODY SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DENIED, MOTHER HAD RELOCATED TO FLORIDA WITHOUT FATHER’S CONSENT AND WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF THE COURT (FIRST DEPT))/RELOCATION (FAMILY LAW, CUSTODY, FATHER’S PETITION TO MODIFY CUSTODY SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DENIED, MOTHER HAD RELOCATED TO FLORIDA WITHOUT FATHER’S CONSENT AND WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF THE COURT (FIRST DEPT))

FATHER’S PETITION TO MODIFY CUSTODY SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DENIED, MOTHER HAD RELOCATED TO FLORIDA WITHOUT FATHER’S CONSENT AND WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF THE COURT (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, reversing Family Court, determined that father’s petition to modify custody should not have been denied without a hearing. Mother had relocated to Florida without father’s consent or the permission of the court:

Family Court correctly determined that the mother’s testimony about her unilateral relocation constituted a change in circumstances, triggering an inquiry into whether the child remaining in the mother’s custody in Florida is in the child’s best interests … . However, the court abused its discretion in making a final determination on that issue without a full hearing at which the parties and the child’s attorney had an opportunity to present relevant evidence. The question of a child’s relocation out of state necessarily requires “due consideration of all the relevant facts and circumstances and with predominant emphasis being placed on what outcome is most likely to serve the best interests of the child … . [C]ustody and visitation decisions should be made with a view toward minimizing the parents’ discomfort and maximizing the child’s prospects of a stable, comfortable and happy life”… . Relevant factors include the parties’ good faith in requesting or opposing the move, the child’s attachments to each parent, the quality of the life-style that the child would have if the proposed move were permitted or denied, the effect that the move may have on any extended family relationships, and whether a visitation plan can be achieved that permits the noncustodial parent to maintain a meaningful parent-child relationship (id.). In this case, since the father had raised concerns in his petition about the child’s education, the parties should have had the opportunity to present evidence about this, in addition to other relevant factors. Matter of Michael B. v Latasha T.-M., 2018 NY Slip Op 07929, First Dept 11-20-18

FAMILY LAW (RELOCATION, CUSTODY MODIFICATION, FATHER’S PETITION TO MODIFY CUSTODY SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DENIED, MOTHER HAD RELOCATED TO FLORIDA WITHOUT FATHER’S CONSENT AND WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF THE COURT (FIRST DEPT))/CUSTODY (FAMILY LAW, RELOCATION, CUSTODY MODIFICATION, FATHER’S PETITION TO MODIFY CUSTODY SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DENIED, MOTHER HAD RELOCATED TO FLORIDA WITHOUT FATHER’S CONSENT AND WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF THE COURT (FIRST DEPT))/RELOCATION (FAMILY LAW, CUSTODY, FATHER’S PETITION TO MODIFY CUSTODY SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DENIED, MOTHER HAD RELOCATED TO FLORIDA WITHOUT FATHER’S CONSENT AND WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF THE COURT (FIRST DEPT))

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PRODUCTION OF CONDOMINIUM RECORDS PROPERLY REQUESTED, THE BOARD’S PAYMENT OF THE SUBPOENAED PARTIES’ LEGAL EXPENSES IN RESISTING THE SUBPOENAS FOR THE RECORDS WAS PROPER (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department determined the production of certain of the condominium’s books and records was properly requested by petitioners and the subpoenaed parties’ legal expenses in resisting petitioners’ subpoenas were properly paid by the condominium board:

In item (j), petitioners seek “all correspondence with . . . NY Urban [or its principal] from 2011 to the present.” This body of correspondence is relevant and necessary to petitioners’ investigation into NY Urban’s dealings with respondents, and therefore is a proper subject of the common-law right of inspection … .

In item (g), petitioners seek “[a]ll documents and records relating to the Condominium’s settlement agreement with the Condominium sponsor.” We agree with petitioners that understanding how the Condominium reached the settlement agreement is a valid purpose. Indeed, respondents concede that petitioners are entitled to receive a copy of the final settlement agreement itself. The documents specified in item (g) following the word “including” are also reasonably relevant and necessary to the stated purpose of exploring the settlement process. We reject respondents’ conclusory assertion that some unknown number of documents are protected by the attorney-client privilege or work product doctrine.

In paying the subpoenaed parties’ legal expenses, respondents were acting within the scope of their authority and in furtherance of the legitimate purpose of resisting litigation disclosure of Condominium documents, and there is no evidence that they were acting in bad faith … . Matter of Healy v Carriage House Condominium, 2018 NY Slip Op 07970, First Dept 11-20-18

CONDOMINIUMS (PRODUCTION OF CONDOMINIUM RECORDS PROPERLY REQUESTED, THE BOARD’S PAYMENT OF THE SUBPOENAED PARTIES’ LEGAL EXPENSES IN RESISTING THE SUBPOENAS FOR THE RECORDS WAS PROPER (FIRST DEPT))/ATTORNEYS (PRODUCTION OF CONDOMINIUM RECORDS PROPERLY REQUESTED, THE BOARD’S PAYMENT OF THE SUBPOENAED PARTIES’ LEGAL EXPENSES IN RESISTING THE SUBPOENAS FOR THE RECORDS WAS PROPER (FIRST DEPT))

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FAMILY COURT ABUSED ITS DISCRETION IN ORDERING UNSUPERVISED VISITATION WITH CHILDREN WHO HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM THE PARENTS’ CARE, THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A CHANGE IN CIRCUMSTANCES SINCE THE DENIAL OF THE PARENTS’ APPLICATION TO HAVE THE CHILDREN RETURNED TO THEM (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, reversing Family Court, determined the record did not support ordering unsupervised visitation with the parents:

Respondents continue to refuse to admit or even to acknowledge the possibility that the children, all of whom tested positive for sexually transmitted diseases (STD), were sexually abused. Even as recently as May 2018, and although they ostensibly had participated in various services and counseling, the parents continued to offer implausible explanations for the children’s medical condition. …

In November 2017, Family Court (Ta-Tanisha James, J.) denied the parents’ application pursuant to Family Court Act § 1028 to have the children returned to their care. Since then there has been no change in the circumstances upon which the denial of that application was based. The court (Frias-Colon, J.) issued the instant order without benefit of a full fact-finding hearing, apparently to avoid delay and stagnation in the proceeding. This justification is inadequate. The permanency reports and treatment updates before the court reiterated the parents’ ongoing inability to acknowledge that their children had been sexually abused and did not advocate unsupervised visitation. In view of the gravity of the allegations and the parents’ attitude toward, and role in, the events at issue, we find that the court abused its discretion in ordering unsupervised visitation on the record before it. Matter of Abass D. (Mamadou D.–Sitan D.), 2018 NY Slip Op 07968, First Dept 11-20-18

FAMILY LAW (FAMILY COURT ABUSED ITS DISCRETION IN ORDERING UNSUPERVISED VISITATION WITH CHILDREN WHO HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM THE PARENTS’ CARE, THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A CHANGE IN CIRCUMSTANCES SINCE THE DENIAL OF THE PARENTS’ APPLICATION TO HAVE THE CHILDREN RETURNED TO THEM (FIRST DEPT))/VISITATION (FAMILY COURT ABUSED ITS DISCRETION IN ORDERING UNSUPERVISED VISITATION WITH CHILDREN WHO HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM THE PARENTS’ CARE, THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A CHANGE IN CIRCUMSTANCES SINCE THE DENIAL OF THE PARENTS’ APPLICATION TO HAVE THE CHILDREN RETURNED TO THEM (FIRST DEPT))

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IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO HAVE POSSESSION OF THE MORTGAGE, AS OPPOSED TO THE NOTE, AT THE TIME OF THE COMMENCEMENT OF A FORECLOSURE ACTION, EVIDENCE ADMISSIBLE UNDER THE BUSINESS RECORDS EXCEPTION TO THE HEARSAY RULE RAISED A QUESTION OF FACT ABOUT PLAINTIFF’S STANDING (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department determined plaintiff had raised a question of fact about whether it had standing to bring this foreclosure action. The court noted that it is not necessary to have possession of the mortgage, as opposed to the note, at the time the action is commenced. A question of fact about possession of the note was raised by evidence admissible pursuant to the business records exception to the hearsay rule:

“[T]o have standing, it is not necessary to have possession of the mortgage at the time the action is commenced . . . . [T]he note, and not the mortgage, is the dispositive instrument that conveys standing to foreclose under New York law” … . Plaintiff raised a question of fact as to its possession of the note prior to commencement of the action through the affidavit of Anthony D’Addona, who averred that he reviewed the books and records of plaintiff, kept in the ordinary course of business, and that plaintiff was the holder of the note and mortgage. This affidavit was sworn to on September 28, 2015, prior to commencement of this action. “It is well settled that a business entity may admit a business record through a person without personal knowledge of the document, its history or its specific contents where that person is sufficiently familiar with the corporate records to aver that the record is what it purports to be and that it came out of the entity’s files” … . DLJ Mtge. Capital v Mahadeo, 2018 NY Slip Op 07963, First Dept 11-20-18

FORECLOSURE (IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO HAVE POSSESSION OF THE MORTGAGE, AS OPPOSED TO THE NOTE, AT THE TIME OF THE COMMENCEMENT OF A FORECLOSURE ACTION, EVIDENCE ADMISSIBLE UNDER THE BUSINESS RECORDS EXCEPTION TO THE HEARSAY RULE RAISED A QUESTION OF FACT ABOUT PLAINTIFF’S STANDING (FIRST DEPT))/STANDING (FORECLOSURE, IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO HAVE POSSESSION OF THE MORTGAGE, AS OPPOSED TO THE NOTE, AT THE TIME OF THE COMMENCEMENT OF A FORECLOSURE ACTION, EVIDENCE ADMISSIBLE UNDER THE BUSINESS RECORDS EXCEPTION TO THE HEARSAY RULE RAISED A QUESTION OF FACT ABOUT PLAINTIFF’S STANDING (FIRST DEPT))/BUSINESS RECORDS (FORECLOSURE, IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO HAVE POSSESSION OF THE MORTGAGE, AS OPPOSED TO THE NOTE, AT THE TIME OF THE COMMENCEMENT OF A FORECLOSURE ACTION, EVIDENCE ADMISSIBLE UNDER THE BUSINESS RECORDS EXCEPTION TO THE HEARSAY RULE RAISED A QUESTION OF FACT ABOUT PLAINTIFF’S STANDING (FIRST DEPT))/HEARSAY (BUSINESS RECORDS, FORECLOSURE, (IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO HAVE POSSESSION OF THE MORTGAGE, AS OPPOSED TO THE NOTE, AT THE TIME OF THE COMMENCEMENT OF A FORECLOSURE ACTION, EVIDENCE ADMISSIBLE UNDER THE BUSINESS RECORDS EXCEPTION TO THE HEARSAY RULE RAISED A QUESTION OF FACT ABOUT PLAINTIFF’S STANDING (FIRST DEPT))

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