815 Park Avenue Owners, Inc. v. Fireman's Insurance of Washington

225 A.D.2d 350, 639 N.Y.2d 325, 639 N.Y.S.2d 325, 1996 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 2194
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedMarch 12, 1996
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 225 A.D.2d 350 (815 Park Avenue Owners, Inc. v. Fireman's Insurance of Washington) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
815 Park Avenue Owners, Inc. v. Fireman's Insurance of Washington, 225 A.D.2d 350, 639 N.Y.2d 325, 639 N.Y.S.2d 325, 1996 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 2194 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1996).

Opinion

Plaintiff, a cooperative corporation, commenced this action against its insurer by service of a summons with notice dated July 29, 1993. Plaintiff’s first cause of action seeks recovery for [351]*351property damage to a penthouse apartment unit sustained in December 1986 in the amount of $93,458. Its second cause of action seeks recovery for loss of rent (maintenance charges) in the amount of $393,685.92 which, upon information and belief, is asserted to have been withheld by the proprietary tenant "due to alleged untenantability of his [sic] apartment resulting from a covered Cause of Loss.”

Defendant’s motion for dismissal of the complaint is predicated entirely on the period of limitation set forth in the insurance policy, requiring that suit against the insurer be commenced within two years "after the loss occurs.” The moving papers seek dismissal of the complaint "and both causes of action contained therein on the grounds that the Statute of Limitations alleged in the Complaint as to both the first and second cause of action has expired prior to service of the Summons.” Defendant concedes, in its reply affidavit, that the property damage to the premises comes within the coverage of the policy. It continues, "There is further no dispute that the policy provided coverage for loss of rents as set forth in plaintiff’s second cause of action.” At issue, therefore, is the date on which the loss occurred for purposes of initiating the two-year limitation period for commencement of an action against the insurer, as provided in the policy.

Insofar as relevant to this appeal, the amended complaint brought by Roni Bialor, the proprietary lessee of the penthouse apartment, verified September 12, 1989, against the cooperative corporation (Bialor v 815 Park Owners, index No. 24246/87 [Sup Ct, NY County]) alleges that the subject unit sustained "extensive water damage to the interior ceiling, walls, floors and windows * * * and the personal property of the Plaintiff due to the influx of water through the roof and walls of The Apartment.” Her first cause of action states: "On or about December 11,1986, Plaintiff was forced by the dangerous condition of The Apartment to vacate same and at great personal expense obtain living quarters elsewhere * * * That by reason of the foregoing, Plaintiff has suffered and continues to suffer the loss of use of The Apartment, her property and possession [sic], and has been forced to incur legal expenses and other disbursements to gain access to and possession of The Apartment and possessions.” Her second cause of action seeks recovery pursuant to Real Property Law § 235-b, the implied warranty of habitability. Plaintiff interposed a counterclaim in the action seeking to recover the arrears in maintenance charges.

In opposing defendant’s motion for summary judgment, [352]*352plaintiff contends that the amount of lost rent cannot be ascertained until the underlying action is resolved and the competing claims for arrearage and abatement (on whatever grounds) are decided. In reply, defendant emphasizes that the complaint in this action seeks recovery of a sum certain, alleging damages of $93,458 to the premises and $393,685.92 in lost rent. Defendant takes the position that, having asserted the right to recover a sum certain (down to the penny), plaintiff should be held to the recitations in its pleadings and should not be heard to argue that the amount is not ascertainable.

Supreme Court sided with plaintiff, noting, "Insurance coverage under the policy has been conceded by defendant’s counsel”. The court clearly regarded the loss-of-rent clause as an indemnity provision, reasoning that until the extent of the loss is judicially decided, " 'the Period of Limitations cannot have expired. In fact, it has not even started to run’ ” (quoting plaintiff’s opposing affidavit). The court therefore denied the motion to dismiss in its entirety, without ruling on the timeliness of the individual causes of action stated in the complaint.

There can be no dispute that plaintiff’s first cause of action arising out of the damage to its property is untimely. The record indicates that the casualty loss occurred in late 1986, and the commencement of this action in July 1993 is not timely even under the six-year Statute of Limitations applicable to contracts (CPLR 213 [2]).

As to loss of rent, it is reasonable to interpret this coverage as an incident of the property damage, that is, as an item of expense ancillary to and resulting from the covered casualty. Construing the policy as a whole, it is therefore appropriate to measure the limitations period from the date of the casualty. The alternative advanced by plaintiff, measuring the period from the date related litigation might be concluded, is proper only where the insurance policy provides coverage against loss or damage for which the insured may be held legally liable (Sassi v Jersey Trucking Serv., 283 App Div 73, 76). There is no dispute that plaintiff’s claims are for first-party benefits under the coverage for property damage afforded by section one of the policy, which includes additional coverage for lost rent, and are not asserted under the policy’s protection against liability claims provided in section two. Finally, the construction of the limitations period proposed by plaintiff would effectively render the limitation clause nugatory in this case, in contravention of established principles of contract interpretation (Ruttenberg v Davidge Data Sys. Corp., 215 AD2d 191).

Even assuming that there is some uncertainty as to the date [353]*353from which the calculation of the period for commencement of an action against the insurer should be measured, no question remains as to the final date on which plaintiff sustained a covered loss. In this respect, the basis of the recovery sought by plaintiff in the instant action must be distinguished from the basis of the underlying action brought against it by the proprietary tenant. So, too, must the extent of defendant’s concession that the subject policy covers "loss of rents as set forth in plaintiff’s second cause of action.”

In her first cause of action, Ms. Bialor avers that she was forced to "vacate” the apartment and that she continued "to suffer the loss of use of The Apartment” as of September 12, 1989, the date the amended complaint was verified. In addition, she alleges damage to her personal property, for which recovery is not permitted under Real Property Law § 235-b (Couri v Westchester Country Club, 186 AD2d 712, 715, lv dismissed in part and denied in part 81 NY2d 912; Halkedis v Two E. End Ave. Apt. Corp., 161 AD2d 281, 282, lv denied 76 NY2d 711). Thus, the complaint asserts, as a first cause of action, that Ms. Bialor was constructively evicted from the premises. Her second cause of action is expressly predicated on Real Property Law § 235-b and seeks compensatory and punitive damages incident thereto (see, Minjak Co. v Randolph, 140 AD2d 245). In marked contrast to the tenant’s second cause of action, reciting that damages are sought pursuant to Real Property Law § 235-b, the action brought by plaintiff cooperative corporation seeks recovery solely with respect to loss of rent occasioned by "untenantability” as the result of a covered loss.

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Bluebook (online)
225 A.D.2d 350, 639 N.Y.2d 325, 639 N.Y.S.2d 325, 1996 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 2194, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/815-park-avenue-owners-inc-v-firemans-insurance-of-washington-nyappdiv-1996.