Allison v. Erie County Industrial Development Agency

16 Misc. 3d 445
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedApril 27, 2007
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 16 Misc. 3d 445 (Allison v. Erie County Industrial Development Agency) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Allison v. Erie County Industrial Development Agency, 16 Misc. 3d 445 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2007).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Joseph G. Makowski, J.

The Present Motions

This matter comes before the court by way of order to show cause granted by the court on February 15, 2007 brought by defendants Erie County Industrial Development Agency (hereinafter referred to as EGIDA) and Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (hereinafter referred to as NFTA) and Ciminelli Development Co., Inc., requesting relief pursuant to CPLR 2001 and 5021 (a) (2) as described below:

1. Signing and directing the entry of judgment in the forms annexed to the Harry Steinberg affirmation as exhibits A and B to the order to show cause.
2. Temporarily enjoining plaintiffs from filing a notice of lien, levying upon, taking any steps to encumber the properties, assets, or accounts of any of the defendants pending entry and satisfaction of said judgment.
[447]*4473. Signing orders in the form annexed to the Harry Steinberg affirmation as exhibit L declaring the judgments in these matters satisfied of record, which orders are to be held in escrow by counsel for defendants until judgments are duly paid and the required annuities have been purchased.
4. Allowing the entries of orders and marking of judgments satisfied.
5. Granting such other and further relief as to the court seems just and proper.

Pursuant to agreement of counsel, the court in issuing the aforementioned order to show cause issued the relief recited below:

Ordered that sufficient cause appearing therefor, plaintiffs have agreed to refrain from enforcing a notice of lien, levying upon, or taking any steps to encumber the properties, assets or accounts of any of the defendants pending the return date of this order to show cause.

On February 26, 2007, plaintiffs, Timothy Allison and Jeffrey Rutherford, by and through their attorneys Paul William Beltz, PC., filed a notice of cross motion requesting the following relief:

1. An order staying Firemen’s Fund from filing any judgment until the format is resolved by the court.
2. Further staying Firemen’s Fund from purchasing annuities until the contracts have been approved by the court.
3. Directing the carrier to supply copies of proposed annuity contracts for review by plaintiffs and approval by the court.

Procedural Background

The present dispute between the parties has its origin in a September 25, 2005 jury verdict on liability and damages in favor of plaintiffs Timothy Allison and Jeffrey Rutherford in their personal injury claims against defendants. Plaintiffs’ jury verdicts were appealed to the Appellate Division, Fourth Judicial Department. The court, on December 22, 2006, affirmed the jury determination on liability, but vacated and set aside certain damage awards of the plaintiffs subject to a proposed remittitur stipulation. (See Steinberg affidavit, exhibits E, F.)

Allison

The relevant portion of the holding of the Appellate Division, Fourth Judicial Department, in Allison v Erie County Indus. Dev. Agency (35 AD3d 1159 [2006]) is set forth below:

“It is hereby ordered that the judgment so appealed [448]*448from be and the same hereby is unanimously modified on the law by setting aside the award of damages for past and future pain and suffering and as modified the judgment is affirmed without costs, and a new trial is granted on those elements of damages only unless plaintiff, within 20 days of service of a copy of the order of this Court with notice of entry, stipulates to reduce the award of damages for past pain and suffering to $1 million and for future pain and suffering to $4 million, in which event the judgment is modified accordingly and as modified the judgment is affirmed without costs.” (35 AD3d at 1159.)

Rutherford

In its memorandum decision and order in Rutherford v Erie County Indus. Dev. Agency (35 AD3d 1161, 1161-1162 [2006]), the Appellate Division recites:

“It is hereby ordered that the judgment so appealed from be and the same hereby is unanimously modified on the law by setting aside the award of damages for future pain and suffering and for future medical expenses and as modified the judgment is affirmed without costs, and a new trial is granted on those elements of damages only unless plaintiff, within 20 days of service of a copy of the order of this Court with notice of entry, stipulates to reduce the award of damages for future pain and suffering to $1 million and for future medical expenses to $325,000, in which event the judgment is modified accordingly and as modified the judgment is affirmed without costs.”

Following the rulings of the Appellate Division, plaintiffs, through their counsel, determined that each would accept the reduced awards. On the record before the court, it appears the defendants have requested the Appellate Division to reconsider its decision. Alternatively, defendants have sought permission to appeal to the Court of Appeals. Neither the request for reargument to the Appellate Division nor the appeal to the Court of Appeals prevents this court from addressing the issues submitted to it for consideration.

The Events of March 2007

In a letter dated March 7, 2007 from James Calarco, claim specialist for the Fireman’s Fund Insurance Companies to Anne [449]*449B. Rimmler, Esq., counsel for plaintiffs, defendants’ insurance carrier enclosed 10 checks totaling approximately $9.1 million representing the lump-sum payments, past due periodic payments, attorney’s fees, and interest due Timothy Allison, Jeffrey Rutherford, and Paul William Beltz, PC., as counsel. In his letter of March 7, 2007, Mr. Calarco writes:

“Dear Ms. Rimmler:
“Counsel has reviewed the two proposed judgments you annexed to the reply papers you served on March 1, 2007, and has concluded that defendants have no objections to the lump sum dollar amounts of the payments owed, or the timing and payouts for the annuities, as recited in your judgments. Accordingly, to terminate the running of interest on the portions of the judgments for (a) lump sum payments; (b) past due periodic payments; and (c) attorney’s fees, we hereby unconditionally tender to you the amounts due for these categories of payments, as well as separate checks for the total interest amounts that we have computed up to and including March 8, 2007.
“Enclosed please find the following checks in accordance with the amounts contained in the judgment as drafted by your office and annexed to your reply papers of March 1, 2007, as follows: . . .

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
16 Misc. 3d 445, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/allison-v-erie-county-industrial-development-agency-nysupct-2007.