Bay Ridge Air Rights, Inc. v. State

84 Misc. 2d 801, 376 N.Y.S.2d 895, 1975 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 3238
CourtNew York Court of Claims
DecidedDecember 16, 1975
DocketClaim No. 59365
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 84 Misc. 2d 801 (Bay Ridge Air Rights, Inc. v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Court of Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bay Ridge Air Rights, Inc. v. State, 84 Misc. 2d 801, 376 N.Y.S.2d 895, 1975 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 3238 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1975).

Opinion

Albert A. Blinder, J.

The claimant by Motion No. M-17646 moved for an order pursuant to subdivision 2 of section 17 of the Court of Claims Act directing an examination before trial. The defendant by Motion No. M-17729 cross-moved for judgment pursuant to CPLR 3211 (subd [a], pars 2, 7) dismissing the claim on the grounds that the claim was not timely filed in accordance with the provisions of section 10 of the Court of Claims Act. The motions are hereby consolidated for decision.

On July 2, 1972, Salían Benjamin Schwartz was allegedly murdered by a former patient of the Creedmoor Psychiatric Hospital, a State facility operated by the Department of Mental Hygiene. Robert J. Wofford, the alleged assailant, at the time of the homicide an outpatient at Brooklyn State Hospital, was employed by the claimant herein, Bay Ridge Air Rights, Inc., as a custodian in the building wherein the alleged crime was committed. Thereafter, the administrator of her estate commenced an action in the United States District Court against the claimant seeking $4,000,000 in compensatory damages plus $3,000,000 for punitive damages. In that action it was alleged that the claimant had been negligent in hiring the assailant and in failing to conduct an investigation into his background.

Claimant subsequently commenced a third-party action in the United States District Court against Creedmoor State Hospital and Brooklyn State Hospital, as third-party defendants, alleging that they were liable for any judgment obtained against it or alternatively for contribution pursuant to CPLR article 14. That third-party complaint against the two hospitals was dismissed on motion of the Attorney-General.

Claimant filed a notice of intention to file a claim on June 3, 1975 and a proposed claim on the same date which was denominated Claim No. 59365. The claim avers facts substantially as stated above. It seeks "indemnification and an appor[803]*803tionment of damages in the event the plaintiff is able to recover against the defendant pursuant to the Rule of Dole v. Dow Chemical Company, on the ground that the State of New York was negligent in releasing Robert J. Wofford without ensuring that he was not homicidal, pursuant to the Rule of Hombre v. State, Claim No. 55058 and Stillman v. State, Claim No. 55103, filed November 20, 1974”.

The defendant’s motion to dismiss is predicated on noncompliance with the provisions of section 10 of the Court of Claims Act. This court has previously held in Leibowitz v State of New York (82 Misc 2d 424, 428, 429) that a situation completely apposite to the motion at bar was barred by subdivision 4 of section 10 of the Court of Claims Act.

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Bluebook (online)
84 Misc. 2d 801, 376 N.Y.S.2d 895, 1975 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 3238, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bay-ridge-air-rights-inc-v-state-nyclaimsct-1975.