Araujo v. Mercer Square Owners Corp.

33 Misc. 3d 835
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 1, 2011
StatusPublished

This text of 33 Misc. 3d 835 (Araujo v. Mercer Square Owners Corp.) 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
Araujo v. Mercer Square Owners Corp., 33 Misc. 3d 835 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2011).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Paul G. Feinman, J.

Defendant Mercer Square LLC (LLC) moves pursuant to CPLR 3212 for summary judgment dismissing the verified complaint and all cross claims against it. Defendant Bath & Body Works, LLC (BBW) cross-moves to dismiss plaintiffs complaint and all cross claims asserted against it. By separate cross motion, defendants Mercer Square Owners Corp. (Owners Corp.), Mercer Square Associates (Associates), Residential Management Group, LLC, Residential Management Group doing business as Douglas Elliman Property Management, Douglas Elliman Property Management and Insignia Residential Group, Inc. (collectively, the Douglas Group) cross-move also seeking dismissal of all claims and cross claims. Each motion and cross motion has been opposed, with the exception of Associates’ cross motion for summary judgment.

For the reasons explained below, LLC’s motion is denied, BBW’s cross motion is granted, Owners Corp.’s cross motion is denied in part and granted in part, and the Douglas Group’s cross motion is granted. Also, Associates’ unopposed motion is granted in its entirety.

Background

In this action, plaintiff alleges that on April 15, 2005, she tripped and fell over a broken portion of the sidewalk in front of a mixed-use building located at 693 Broadway/250 Mercer Street, New York, New York (hereinafter, the Building or 250 Mercer Street or Condominium). The Building is a condominium consisting of only two units: (1) a residential unit owned by defendant Owners Corp., a residential cooperative; and (2) a commercial unit formerly owned by Associates but transferred [839]*839to LLC in 2000. The commercial unit contains several retail and commercial subunits and is located entirely on the first floor. The residential unit includes a lobby and a few storage areas on the first floor, and everything from the second floor up. Defendant BBW operates a retail store in the Building pursuant to a lease with LLC. The Douglas Group is the Building’s management company, pursuant to a management agreement entered into with Owners Corp. Although the management agreement is between Owners Corp. and Insignia Residential Group, it applies to all of the various entities that have grouped together under the name the “Douglas Group,” because they “are all names under which the managing agent Douglas Elliman Property Management has done business. They are different names for the same entity, a singular managing agent and defendant in the above-captioned matter” (document 72-3, exhibit C, Ballison affidavit 11 2).

The Condominium’s declaration and bylaws govern the operations of the property as between the individual unit owners. Article 9 (1) of the declaration defines “common elements” to include, among other things, “[a]ll of the sidewalks outside of and immediately appurtenant to the Building” (document 35-3, declaration at 8). However, it also provides the following:

“Excluded from the Common Elements are windows and doors in the exterior walls of the Building which are utilized exclusively in relationship to either the Residential or Commercial Unit. The Commercial Unit Owner shall have an exclusive easement for use of that portion of the Common Elements that includes the store fronts, entrances and sidewalks. The Commercial Unit Owner shall have the right to alter and improve the store fronts and entrances . . . The Common Interest of the Residential Unit in the Common Elements shall be 82.3 percent thereof and the Common Interest of the Commercial Unit shall be 17.7 percent thereof’ (id. at 9 [emphasis added]).

This easement is reaffirmed in article 13, which lists several easements that “shall affect the Condominium,” including an “(b) easement in favor of the Unit having the exclusive use of portions of the Common Elements” (id. at 12). Furthermore, “[t]he user of any easement granted by the above subparagraphs of this Article 13 shall have the responsibility of repairing any damage resulting therefrom” (id. at 13). The parties do not appear to dispute that plaintiffs alleged accident occurred on the [840]*840sidewalk in front of the retail store operated by BBW under a lease agreement with LLC.

Plaintiff commenced this action by filing the summons and verified complaint with the New York County Clerk’s office on June 20, 2007. The verified complaint asserts one cause of action sounding in negligence, pleaded in a conclusory manner and providing very few details regarding the nature of the alleged defect in the sidewalk, the specific location of the incident, and plaintiffs alleged injuries. Thereafter, defendants answered and asserted various cross claims against each other. Discovery has been exchanged and the parties have conducted depositions of their designated individuals.

Analysis

1. Procedural Matters

a. Use of Cross Motion

The parties were advised on the record at oral argument of their improper use of a cross motion to obtain relief against a nonmoving party (see CPLR 2215 [“a party may serve upon the moving party a notice of cross motion demanding relief”] [emphasis added]). However, because any objection on this procedural ground has been waived by addressing the cross motions on their merits, and in the absence of a claim by any party of prejudice, the court will exercise its discretion to ignore the defect and reach the merits of the motion and cross motions (see CPLR 2001).

b. Submission of Surreply Papers

Counsel for plaintiff, BBW and LLC have each requested leave, by way of separate letters submitted to the court, asking for permission to file surreply papers to address material evidence presented for the first time in Owners Corp.’s reply papers in support of its cross motion for summary judgment. As described in further detail later in this decision and order, Owners Corp. now offers evidence that it argues shows that John O’Sullivan, the individual deposed on behalf of Owners Corp. in this action, is not in fact an employee of Owners Corp., in contrast to the unequivocal deposition testimony of O’Sullivan and deponents from the Douglas Group, as well as the arguments made by Owners Corp. in its moving papers. Although the Part 12 rules strongly discourage the parties from sending correspondence directly to the court, based on the circumstances involved here, the court will exercise its discretion and deem these letters part of the record to be considered in connection [841]*841with the instant motion and cross motions. The propriety of the “newly discovered” evidence presented for the first time in Owners Corp.’s reply papers will be addressed later in this decision and order.

2. Summary Judgment

A movant seeking summary judgment in its favor must first make a prima facie showing of entitlement to judgment as a matter of law, tendering sufficient evidence in admissible form to eliminate any material issues of fact from the case (Winegrad v New York Univ. Med. Ctr., 64 NY2d 851, 853 [1985]). If this standard is met, the burden then shifts to the opposing party who, to defeat the motion, must demonstrate the existence of a triable issue of fact (Zuckerman v City of New York, 49 NY2d 557 [1980]). If the credibility of evidence is an issue, summary judgment should not be granted (see Hartford Acc. & Indem. Co. v Wesolowski, 33 NY2d 169 [1973]).

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Branham v. Loews Orpheum Cinemas, Inc.
866 N.E.2d 448 (New York Court of Appeals, 2007)
Di Ponzio v. Riordan
679 N.E.2d 616 (New York Court of Appeals, 1997)
Tagle v. Jakob
763 N.E.2d 107 (New York Court of Appeals, 2001)
Espinal v. Melville Snow Contractors, Inc.
773 N.E.2d 485 (New York Court of Appeals, 2002)
Peralta v. Henriquez
790 N.E.2d 1170 (New York Court of Appeals, 2003)
Butler v. Rafferty
792 N.E.2d 1055 (New York Court of Appeals, 2003)
Palka v. Servicemaster Management Services Corp.
634 N.E.2d 189 (New York Court of Appeals, 1994)
Sanchez v. State of NY
784 N.E.2d 675 (New York Court of Appeals, 2002)
Ritto v. Goldberg
265 N.E.2d 772 (New York Court of Appeals, 1970)
Hartford Accident & Indemnity Co. v. Wesolowski
305 N.E.2d 907 (New York Court of Appeals, 1973)
Zuckerman v. City of New York
404 N.E.2d 718 (New York Court of Appeals, 1980)
Winegrad v. New York University Medical Center
476 N.E.2d 642 (New York Court of Appeals, 1985)
Gordon v. American Museum of Natural History
492 N.E.2d 774 (New York Court of Appeals, 1986)
McNair v. Lee
24 A.D.3d 159 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2005)
Pekelnaya v. Allyn
25 A.D.3d 111 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2005)
Roveccio v. Ry Management Co.
29 A.D.3d 562 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2006)
Branham v. Loews Orpheum Cinemas, Inc.
31 A.D.3d 319 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2006)
Hakim v. 65 Eighth Avenue, LLC
42 A.D.3d 374 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2007)
LoGiudice v. Silverstein Properties, Inc.
48 A.D.3d 286 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2008)
Rothstein v. 400 East 54th Street Co.
51 A.D.3d 431 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2008)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
33 Misc. 3d 835, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/araujo-v-mercer-square-owners-corp-nysupct-2011.