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Zoning Board’s Interpretation of Village Ordinances Upheld—Keeping of Chickens Is Not an Allowed “Residential Use”

The Third Department determined the village zoning board of appeals’ interpretation of a zoning ordinance had a rational basis.  Petitioner sought a ruling allowing him to keep chickens in a residential zone. Because “poultry husbandry” was specifically mentioned in the zoning ordinances as an agricultural use, and was not mentioned as an allowed residential use, the board’s interpretation was upheld as “neither irrational nor unreasonable:”

Here, Village of Champlain Zoning Code § 119-20 (B) states that the permitted uses in an R1 residential district are “one- and two-family dwellings” and “accessory uses.” The code allows for accessory uses that are “of a nature customarily incidental and subordinate to the principal use of the structure, such as garages, outbuildings, swimming pools, energy collection devices and the keeping of domesticated animals” (Village of Champlain Zoning Code § 119-16). The code also defines “agriculture” as “[t]he use of land for agricultural purposes, including tilling of the soil, dairying, pasture, apiculture, arboriculture, horticulture, floriculture, viticulture, forestry, animal and poultry husbandry and the necessary accessory uses for packing or storing of products” (Village of Champlain Zoning Code § 119-16). The code further states that “[a]ny use not listed as permitted [w]ithin a [z]oning district is assumed to be prohibited in that [z]oning district” (Village of Champlain Zoning Code § 119-191). Matter of Meier v Village of Champlain Zoning Bd. of Appeals, 2015 NY Slip Op 05245, 3rd Dept 6-18-15

 

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Court Deferred to the Agency’s Interpretation of a Statute Because the Interpretation Involved Knowledge and Understanding of the Underlying Operational Practices (In the Usual Case, a Court Will Not Defer to an Agency’s Interpretation of a Statute)/The Term “Business Enterprise” in Tax Law 14 (a) Refers to the Taxable Entity, Not the Legal Entity

The Third Department deferred to the interpretation of a statute by the Tax Appeals Tribunal which found that petitioners were not entitled to Qualified Enterprise Zone Enterprise (QEZE) tax reduction credits and refundable Empire Zone (EZ) wage credits.  The case turned on the Tribunal’s definition of a business enterprise.  The Tribunal determined the term refers to the taxable entity, not the legal entity. Because the interpretation of the relevant statute, Tax Law 14 (a), involved knowledge and understanding of the underlying operational practices, the court deferred to the agency’s determination. (In the usual case a court need not defer to an agency’s interpretation of a statute):

The parties’ primary disagreement here centers on whether the term business enterprise under Tax Law § 14 (a) refers to the taxable entity or the legal entity. The Tax Law does not define business enterprise, and this Court will “defer to the governmental agency charged with the responsibility for administration of [a] statute in those cases where interpretation or application involves knowledge and understanding of underlying operational practices” … . While, as a general rule, courts will not defer to administrative agencies in matters of pure statutory interpretation, where, as here, the question is “‘one of specific application of a broad statutory term in a proceeding in which the agency administering the statute must determine it initially,'” deference is appropriate … . To prevail over the Tribunal’s construction of the statute, petitioners must establish that their “interpretation of the statute is not only plausible, but also that it is the only reasonable construction”… .

In our view, it cannot be said that the Tribunal acted irrationally in construing the term business enterprise in accordance with an entity’s classification for state and federal income tax purposes. Matter of Ayoub v Tax Appeals Trib. of the State of N.Y., 2015 NY Slip Op 05240, 3rd Dept 6-18-15

 

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Supreme Court Justices Who Are “Certificated” to Continue on the Bench at Age 70 Are Entitled to Both Their Pensions and Their Salaries

The Third Department, in a full-fledged opinion by Justice Clark, reversing Supreme Court, determined Judges who reach the age of 70 and are “certificated to continue their services on the Supreme Court bench” are entitled to receive both their pensions and their judicial salaries. To hold otherwise violates the plain meaning of Retirement and Social Security law 212 (1) which reads: “any retired person may continue as retired and, without loss, suspension or diminution of his or her retirement allowance, earn [an amount not greater than statutorily prescribed] in a position or positions in public service.” That same provision provides that “there shall be no earning limitations under the provisions of [Retirement and Social Security Law § 212] on or after the calendar year in which any retired person attains age [65]”… . Matter of Loehr v Administrative Bd. of the Cts. of the State of N.Y.2015 NY Slip Op 05243, 3rd Dept 6-18-15

 

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Contract Merged with the Deed and Any Rights Afforded Purchaser by the Uniform Vendor and Purchaser Risk Act Were Extinguished Upon Transfer of Title

After transfer of title, the purchaser alleged that the property had been damaged between the execution of the purchase contract and the transfer of title. The Third Department determined summary judgment was properly awarded the seller. The property was sold “as is” and the contract did not survive the transfer of title.  Any rights granted purchaser under the Uniform Vendor and Purchaser Risk Act (UVPRA), which allows for rescission in some cases, were extinguished upon the transfer of title:

Unless a land sale contract expressly provides otherwise, a vendor bears the risk of loss until legal title or possession has been transferred to the purchaser … . However, a contract for the sale of real property merges with the deed and, as a result, the terms of the contract do not survive transfer of title unless the parties clearly specify otherwise … . Here, the terms and conditions of the auction provided that the sale would be governed by the Uniform Vendor and Purchaser Risk Act (hereinafter UVPRA), which provides a purchaser with the right to rescind the sale contract or recover money paid toward the purchase price under certain circumstances (see General Obligations Law § 5-1311 [1] [a]). However, there was no indication that plaintiff’s rights under the UVPRA would survive transfer of title. In fact, the terms and conditions provided that the property would be sold “as is” and that a purchaser would not have recourse against defendant for any defects stemming from the sale. Therefore, any rights that plaintiff may have asserted under the UVPRA were extinguished when title was transferred to plaintiff. Burkins & Foley Trucking & Stor., Inc. v County of Albany, 2015 NY Slip Op 05252, 3rd Dept 6-18-15

 

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Absolute Privilege Attaches to Statement Made by a Nonparticipant in the Litigation Which Is Republished by an Attorney In the Course of the Litigation

The Third Department determined an action based upon the republication of an allegedly defamatory statement (made by a nonparticipant in the litigation) by an assistant attorney general in the course of a medical malpractice case was precluded by the absolute privilege afforded attorneys in matters related to litigation:

Statements made by parties and their counsel in the context of a legal action or proceeding are protected by an absolute privilege so long as, “by any view or under any circumstances, they are pertinent to the litigation” … . Allowing such statements or writings to form the basis of an action for defamation “would be an impediment to justice, because it would hamper the search for truth and prevent making inquiries with that freedom and boldness which the welfare of society requires” … . A liberal standard guides the inquiry of what is pertinent … , and encompasses “any statement that may possibly or plausibly be relevant or pertinent, with the barest rationality” … . Moreover, the burden rests with claimant “to conclusively, and as a matter of law, establish the impertinency and the irrelevance of the statement” … .

Here, claimant asserts that the memorandum was prepared by a nonparticipant to the litigation which removes it from the protection of the absolute privilege; however, this contention ignores that claimant’s action is grounded in the republication of the alleged defamatory statement by the AAG, whose statements are afforded the protection … . It is evident that the AAG turned over the memorandum after the malpractice litigation had been commenced in federal court … and, further, the statements in the memorandum were clearly pertinent to the malpractice litigation, as they concerned allegations that were relevant to the treatment of the inmate … . McPhillips v State of New York, 2015 NY Slip Op 05242, 3rd Dept 6-18-15

 

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Lien for Attorney’s Fees (Re: Workers’ Compensation Award) Can Be Satisfied Before Reimbursing Municipality for Benefits Paid by the Municipality to the Injured Corrections Officer Pursuant the General Municipal Law

The Third Department determined that a lien for attorney’s fees could be attached to Workers’ Compensation benefits prior to reimbursing a municipality for benefits paid to the municipal employee pursuant to the General Municipal Law. Claimant corrections officer was injured on the job. Under General Municipal Law 207-c municipal employers are required to pay full wages to corrections officers injured in the performance of their duties.  Workers’ Compensation Law 30 (3) provides that the amount of the payments made under the General Municipal Law shall be credited against any award of compensation pursuant to the Workers Compensation Law. The municipality argued it was entitled to the entire amount paid to the employee and the amount should not be reduced by the attorney’s fees (a lien on the Workers’ Compensation award).  The Third Department disagreed:

General Municipal Law § 207-c requires municipal employers to pay full wages to correction officers who are injured in the performance of their duties. Workers’ Compensation Law § 30 (3) provides that the amount of such payments “shall be credited against any award of compensation” that may also be made to such an officer. The employer contends that the mandatory language of the Workers’ Compensation Law provision entitles employers to full credit for such payments and, thus, precludes the attachment of a lien for counsel fees. However, Workers’ Compensation Law § 24 likewise uses mandatory language in providing that, when approved by the Board, counsel fees “shall become a lien upon the compensation awarded . . . [and] shall be paid therefrom only in the manner fixed by the [B]oard” (emphasis added). The lien attaches when the compensation is awarded “and takes precedence over the employer’s right to reimbursement of funds previously paid to the claimant-employee” … . The purpose of enacting Workers’ Compensation Law § 30 (3) was not to preclude counsel fees, but “to avoid duplicate benefits to an injured [officer], the combined total of which might exceed the salary [the officer] would have received for the period” if the injury had not occurred … . Workers’ Compensation Law § 30 (3) must be harmoniously interpreted with the Workers’ Compensation Law as a whole and with General Municipal Law § 207-c … . We find nothing in the statutory language indicating a legislative intent to treat employees who receive benefits under General Municipal Law § 207-c differently from other injured employees by departing from the statutory scheme for payment of counsel fees set forth in Workers’ Compensation Law § 24. Matter of McCabe v Albany County Sheriff’s Dept., 2015 NY Slip Op 05236, 3rd Dept 6-18-15

 

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No Interlocutory Appeal Lies from a Pre-Trial Ruling on the Admissibility of Evidence Which Did Not Limit the Scope of the Issues or Theories of Liability to Be Tried

Defendant was intoxicated when her vehicle collided with plaintiff’s decedent’s vehicle.  Plaintiff, the administrator of decedent’s estate, sought to introduce expert testimony demonstrating that, based upon defendant’s blood-alcohol content six hours after the accident, she would have been visibly intoxicated and had a higher blood-alcohol content when she was served at defendant tavern.  The tavern moved to preclude the expert testimony and, after a Frye hearing, the court granted the motion.  The Third Department determined the court’s ruling on the evidentiary issue did not limit the scope of the issues or theories of liability to be tried and was not, therefore, appealable as of right or by permission. Appeal would have to wait until the trial is concluded:

It is well settled that “an order which merely determines the admissibility of evidence, even when made in advance of trial on motion papers, constitutes, at best, an advisory opinion which is neither appealable as of right nor by permission” … . Supreme Court precluded plaintiff from offering an expert opinion as to “the extrapolated blood alcohol content [and] the physiological condition” of [defendant] while she was at the tavern, crediting the testimony of [the tavern’s] expert that such an opinion could not be reliably drawn from the available proof. Regardless of whether Supreme Court abused its discretion in making that determination, it was plainly an evidentiary ruling that did not “limit[] the scope of the issues or the theories of liability to be tried” … . Indeed, counsel for plaintiff acknowledged at oral argument that the preclusion of the proffered expert evidence is not fatal to his claims and that a trial will occur even if the evidence is not allowed. Appellate review thus must wait until after trial, when the relevance of the evidence and the effect of the evidentiary ruling may be properly assessed … . Hurtado v Williams, 2015 NY Slip Op 04912, 3rd Dept 6-11-15

 

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Although a Prima Facie Case of Abuse and Neglect Was Made Out, Father’s Expert Provided Persuasive Evidence the Child’s Injuries Were Not the Result of Abuse—The Abuse and Neglect Findings Were Not, Therefore, Supported by a Preponderance of the Evidence

The Third Department, in a full-fledged opinion by Justice McCarthy, reversed Family Court’s finding that father abused and neglected his infant daughter (Nora).  The trial was essentially a “battle of experts” [Patno was the Department of Social Service’s expert; Scheller was father’s expert]. The Third Department determined the Department of Social Services had made out a prima facie case of abuse and neglect (expert testimony that Nora’s physical condition was caused by shaking) but, under a weight of the evidence analysis, father’s expert provided the best explanation for Nora’s injuries—an explanation which did not implicate father.  The court noted that father did not exhibit any characteristics associated with an abusive parent and father’s expert’s “testimony, which was consistent with conclusions of Nora’s treating physicians and her medical records in crucial respects, offered a reasonable and persuasive account of how Nora’s symptoms — and lack thereof — better supported his … diagnosis:”

…. [T]he uncontested evidence showed that Nora did not suffer external trauma …, broken bones or neck injuries …, and she had a one-sided retinal hemorrhage … . Further, the father, a professional pediatric nurse, exhibited none of the characteristics thought to be diagnostically predictive of a perpetrator of abusive head trauma …, and he consistently denied that he mishandled Nora … . The single characteristic that Nora was fussy — while perhaps almost always present in victims of abusive head trauma — fails to meaningfully support Patno’s diagnosis over Scheller’s diagnosis, given the vast number of fussy infants who are never physically abused. Further, while Patno testified that abusive head trauma from shaking often results in a triad of symptoms that include subdural hematoma, retinal hemorrhaging and brain swelling …, the medical evidence uniformly established that Nora did not suffer from brain swelling. Additionally, Scheller and Adamo — petitioner’s witness — were substantially in agreement that Nora’s single-sided retinal hemorrhaging could be the specific result of the subdural hematoma, rather than a direct result of any potential trauma. Patno failed to offer any explanation regarding the merits of such a theory or even an opinion as to whether she believed that such one-sided retinal hemorrhaging was the direct result of shaking … . Accordingly, given Patno’s lack of specificity regarding the one-sided retinal hemorrhage, it is unclear whether she believed that evidence of a fussy infant who had suffered a subdural hematoma was, by itself, sufficient to diagnose abusive head trauma. Matter of Natalie AA. (Kyle AA.), 2015 NY Slip Op 04889, 3rd Dept 6-11-15

 

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Tax Payments Made Voluntarily Cannot Be Recovered Under a Mistake of Law Theory/Supreme Court Should Not Raise a “Non-Subject-Matter-Jurisdiction” Defense Sua Sponte

The Third Department determined Supreme Court properly denied petitioner’s request for a refund of real estate taxes paid re: optic cable installations located on private rights-of-way because petitioner had not protested the tax payments and made them voluntarily.  In addition, the court noted that the court should not have raised the statute of limitations defense sua sponte because the defense did not implicate subject matter jurisdiction:

… [U]nless subject matter jurisdiction is implicated, a court should not raise an issue sua sponte when a party is prejudiced by its inability to respond … . Here, because respondent Essex County failed to raise the statute of limitations as an affirmative defense in a pre-answer motion to dismiss or in its answer (see CPLR 3211 [a] [5]; [e]; 7804 [f]), it was improper for Supreme Court to raise it sua sponte … . * * *

… [W]e find no reason to disturb Supreme Court’s partial denial of the petition on the ground that petitioner failed to demonstrate that it paid the taxes involuntarily. To recover payments made under a mistake of law, as in the present case … , a taxpayer is required to show that the payments were made involuntarily … . This requirement ensures that governmental entities have notice that they may need to provide for tax refunds … . Here, petitioner fully paid all of the relevant taxes and offered no proof that it did so under protest or that such payments were otherwise involuntary … . Indeed, petitioner did nothing to indicate that its payments were involuntary until nearly 18 months after the final contested tax bill was paid, when petitioner submitted its RPTL 556-b correction applications … . Matter of Level 3 Communications, LLC v Essex County, 2015 NY Slip Op 04899, 3rd Dept 6-11-15

 

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