360 E. 72nd St. Owners Inc. v. Wolkoff

2024 NY Slip Op 31173(U)
New York Supreme Court, New York County·Decided April 4, 2024·Unpublished

Opinion

360 E. 72nd St. Owners Inc. v Wolkoff 2024 NY Slip Op 31173(U)

April 4, 2024

Supreme Court, New York County Docket Number: Index No. 655998/2021 Judge: Alexander M. Tisch Cases posted with a "30000" identifier, i.e., 2013 NY Slip Op 30001(U), are republished from various New York State and local government sources, including the New York State Unified Court System's eCourts Service. This opinion is uncorrected and not selected for official publication.

NYSCEF DOC. NO. 132 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 04/05/2024

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK NEW YORK COUNTY

PRESENT: HON. ALEXANDER M. TISCH PART 18 Justice

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------X INDEX NO. 655998/2021 360 EAST 72ND STREET OWNERS INC., MOTION DATE 10/19/2022 Plaintiff,

MOTION SEQ. NO. 003 - V-

SABRINA WOLKOFF, DECISION + ORDER AFTER

Defendant. HEARING

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------X

The following e-filed documents, listed by NYSCEF document number (Motion 003) 76, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 102, 103, 104, 106, 107, 109, 112,113,114,115,116,117,118 were read on this motion to/for SUMMARY JUDGMENT (AFTER HEARING)

Defendant moved, pursuant to CPLR 3212, seeking dismissal of the proceeding. Plaintiff cross-

moved, pursuant to CPLR 3212 seeking a declaratory judgment and permanent injunction. In an interim decision and order dated April 26, 2023, the Court ordered, pursuant to CPLR 3212 (g), that the motion and cross-motion be held in abeyance and directed the parties to appear, in-person, with evidence and witnesses that each side would like to present on the issue of whether the harboring of defendant's pet "causes damage to the subject premise, creates a nuisance or interferes substantially with the health, safety or welfare of other tenants or occupants of the same or adjacent building or structure."

By way of background, defendant is a resident within unit C3503 of a cooperative apartment building ("Co-op") located at 360 East 72nd Street in New York County (NYSCEF Doc. No. 1, Complaint at ,i 2). As a tenant of the building, defendant entered into with the Co-op agreed to abide by a proprietary lease for residence within the apartment (NYSCEF Doc. No. 1, Complaint at ,i 7). Pursuant to Article 11, paragraph four of the proprietary lease, the Board of the Co-op may establish House Rules as the Board deems necessary for the management and control of the building (NYSCEF Doc. No. 1, Complaint ,i 8).

655998/2021 360 EAST 72ND STREET OWNERS INC. vs. WOLKOFF, SABRINA Page 1 of 11 Motion No. 003

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NYSCEF DOC. NO. 132 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 04/05/2024

A resident's failure to comply with the House Rules is deemed a substantial breach, which, at the discretion of the Board, may qualify for possible termination of the resident's proprietary lease.

The Co-op is a pet friendly building, however, within said House Rules, it is prohibited for pure or mixed breeds of Doberman Pinschers, Pit Bulls, and Rottweilers to enter or reside in the building (NYSCEF Doc. No. 83, House Rules). Defendant's dog is 91 % American Staffordshire Terrier, which is one of the four recognized Pit Bull breeds and is therefore prohibited from the building (NYSCEF Doc. No. 99, Plaintiffs Opp.). Defendant contends that she is entitled to a judgment in her favor allowing her to keep her dog and maintain resident status in the building, because the Board allegedly had actual knowledge of defendant's dog but failed to take action in seeking to remove the dog within the first three months of having said knowledge. Due to such delay, defendant argues that plaintiff waived its right to enforce the Pit Bull prohibition under New York City Administrative Code § 27-2009.1. Plaintiff contends that it is entitled to a declaratory judgment and permanent injunction, because New York City Administrative Code § 27-2009.1 is inapplicable as the building is pet-friendly and only restricts Doberman Pinschers, Pit Bulls, and Rottweilers, which it is alleged interfere substantially with the safety and welfare of other tenants and building occupants. Moreover, under the House Rules and defendant's proprietary lease, defendant is prohibited from keeping her dog in the building and must remove it.

NY Code§ 27-2009.1 (b) makes it clear that an owner or his or her agent has three months from the time said individual first gains knowledge of an animal to commence a summary proceeding or action that seeks the removal of said animal. If the action is not commenced within this three-month period, the provision that seeks to remove the animal is deemed waived, regardless of any particularized wording that may state otherwise within the relevant building's lease or house rules. See also Seward Park Housing Corp. v Cohen, 287 AD2d 157 [1st Dept 2001].

655998/2021 360 EAST 72ND STREET OWNERS INC. vs. WOLKOFF, SABRINA Page 2 of 11 Motion No. 003

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NYSCEF DOC. NO. 132 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 04/05/2024

Plaintiff argues that it took "active and timely steps to compel Defendant to cure her violation of the House Rule" (NYSCEF Doc. No. 99, Plaintiffs Opp.). Specifically, that on June 11, 2021, plaintiffs attorney mailed a letter notifying defendant that she was in violation of the House Rule that prohibited Pit Bulls (NYSCEF Doc. No. 89, Bonanno Affidavit at ,r 4). Plaintiffs attorney also served defendant with a Notice to Cure on July 26, 2021, and a Notice of Termination of Defendant's Proprietary Lease on August 30, 2021. As plaintiff alleges, due to defendant's refusal in complying with any of its orders to remove her dog from the building, plaintiff commenced this action on October 15, 2021, which is outside of the three-month period to commence an action seeking the removal of an animal under NY Code§ 27-2009.1 (b). Due to such delay, and pursuant to NY Code§ 27-2009.1 (b), the Court held in its interim decision and order that plaintiffs lease provision prohibiting the presence of Pit Bulls in the building is deemed waived, and plaintiffs waiver clause in the proprietary lease has no effect, as the statute is binding (NYSCEF Doc. No. 124).

However, the Court also held that subdivision (d) of§ 27-2009.1 provides that "[t]he waiver provision of this section shall not apply where the harboring of a household pet causes damage to the subject premise, creates a nuisance or interferes substantially with the health, safety or welfare of other tenants or occupants of the same or adjacent building or structure" (NY Code § 27-2009 .1 (d) ). Defendant argues that

"the pet's breed or supposed lineage of the dog is not evidence of nuisance, objectionable behavior or any dangerous propensity" (NYSCEF Doc. No. 76, Plaintiffs NOM at ,r 32).

"One allegation of any objectionable behavior cannot form the basis of a nuisance complaint. Herein, it is indisputable that the plaintiff has raised only one instance of objectionable behavior, that of chasing the process server at the apartment front door. There are no other allegations against the dog. As such, the one allegation of instance of objectionable behavior is not sufficient to support a claim of nuisance. The defendant emphatically denies that her puppy is undergoing some sort of aggression training or being 'weaponized' to attack on command. The defendant's dog Arthur has attended and passed the American Kennel Club Dog Good Dog program" (NYSCEF Doc. No. 76, Plaintiffs NOM at ,r 34-37).

655998/2021 360 EAST 72ND STREET OWNERS INC. vs. WOLKOFF, SABRINA Page 3 of 11 Motion No. 003

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NYSCEF DOC. NO. 132 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 04/05/2024

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