7402 Bay Parkway Assoc. v. Diamond

116 Misc. 2d 403, 458 N.Y.S.2d 122, 1982 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 3892
CourtCivil Court of the City of New York
DecidedOctober 7, 1982
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 116 Misc. 2d 403 (7402 Bay Parkway Assoc. v. Diamond) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Civil Court of the City of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
7402 Bay Parkway Assoc. v. Diamond, 116 Misc. 2d 403, 458 N.Y.S.2d 122, 1982 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 3892 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1982).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Gabriel M. Krausman, J.

But for fortuitous circumstances Darlene Diamond’s tale of anguish and human suffering could have ended, as do so many landlord-tenant cases, in unwarranted tragedy. Luckily for Darlene Diamond the law offices of Community Action for Legal Services took her case and expended the time and energy necessary to see that she was vigorously represented and that this matter was brought to a just conclusion.

This action was initiated by landlord petitioner to recover rent allegedly owed by respondent tenant. On August 13, 1982 respondent Darlene Diamond was evicted from her premises at 74-02 Bay Parkway, apartment No. E-6, in Brooklyn by Marshal Marchisotto. On August 16, 1982 respondent moved by order to show cause for restoration of possession to the premises. The matter was set down [404]*404for a hearing to be held on August 18, 1982. On that date petitioner stated that his process server refused to testify at the hearing unless his attorney was present while he testified and therefore requested that the matter be adjourned until August 20. The application for adjournment was granted and the matter was set down for a hearing on the issue of service, if in fact there was service and if service was made the sufficiency of such service under RPAPL 735. The matter was also set down for a hearing with regard to the sufficiency of the eviction by the marshal.

RPAPL 735 provides, in the first instance, service of the notice of petition and petition shall be accomplished by personal service upon respondent. If after “reasonable application” to gain admittance, admittance cannot be gained only then may service be made by “affixing a copy of the notice and petition upon a conspicuous part of the property sought to be recovered or placing a copy under the entrance door of such premises; and in addition, within one day after such * * * affixing or placement, by mailing to the respondent both by registered or certified mail and by regular first class mail”.

As concerns the issue of whether process was served in this case, from the evidence adduced at trial it is clear that Martin Pollack, the process server, effectuated neither personal nor conspicuous-placed service upon respondent on July 7,1982. In open court Mr. Pollack testified and the affidavits of service filed in court, in cases where Mr. Pollack was the process server, show that he failed to record in his log a number of instances in which he served or allegedly served process on July 7, 1982. Thus, the veracity of the log entries and of Mr. Pollack’s testimony concerning them or his other activities on that day is called into question.

Even more revealing is the fact that the affidavit of service sworn to by Mr. Pollack in the case of Weintraub v Puig (L & T Index No. 74251/82), is in direct conflict with Mr. Pollack’s trial testimony and log entry with regard to the time of his attempted service upon Darlene Diamond. The testimony and log entry show that on the morning of July 7, 1982 at 8:25 a.m. Mr. Pollack made an attempt to [405]*405serve process upon Darlene Diamond. The sworn affidavit in the Puig case states that he made conspicuous-placed service upon the respondent in that action at 240 Ocean Parkway, apartment No. 5-G, at 8:30 a.m on July 7, 1982, the same date in question. To reconcile the time frames in the testimony of Mr. Pollack and the sworn affidavit, this court would have to believe the incredulous story that he made service upon Darlene Diamond at 7402 Bay Parkway and in a five-minute period descended six floors, traveled over 40 blocks to 240 Ocean Parkway, ascended five floors to apartment No. 5-G and made service upon Rachel Puig. Acceptance of that incredible story is tantamount to believing the fiction that Mr. Pollack has the uncanny ability to be in two places at one time. As a result of Mr. Pollack’s conflicting testimony this court has grave doubts about the credibility of any of his statements.

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Bluebook (online)
116 Misc. 2d 403, 458 N.Y.S.2d 122, 1982 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 3892, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/7402-bay-parkway-assoc-v-diamond-nycivct-1982.