Board of Mgrs. of the 432 Park Condominium v. 56th & Park (NY) Owner, LLC

2024 NY Slip Op 33853(U)

Opinion

Board of Mgrs. of the 432 Park Condominium v 56th & Park (NY) Owner, LLC 2024 NY Slip Op 33853(U) October 28, 2024 Supreme Court, New York County Docket Number: Index No. 655617/2001 Judge: Melissa A. Crane Cases posted with a "30000" identifier, i.e., 2013 NY Slip Op 30001(U), are republished from various New York State and local government sources, including the New York State Unified Court System's eCourts Service. This opinion is uncorrected and not selected for official publication. INDEX NO. 655617/2021 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 909 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 10/28/2024

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK NEW YORK COUNTY PRESENT: HON. MELISSA A. CRANE PART 60M Justice ----------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------X INDEX NO. 655617/2021 BOARD OF MANAGERS OF THE 432 PARK MOTION DATE N/A CONDOMINIUM, ON BEHALF OF THE INDIVIDUAL UNIT OWNERS AND THE COMMERCIAL UNIT OWNERS, BOARD OF MANAGERS OF THE COMMERCIAL MOTION SEQ. NO. 022 SECTION OF THE 432 PARK CONDOMINIUM, BOARD OF MANAGERS OF THE RESIDENTIAL SECTION OF THE 432 PARK CONDOMINIUM, ON BEHALF OF THE INDIVIDUAL UNIT OWNERS,

Plaintiff, DECISION + ORDER ON - V - MOTION

56TH AND PARK (NY) OWNER, LLC,RYAN HARTER, HARRY MACKLOWE,

Defendant. ------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------X

56TH AND PARK (NY) OWNER, LLC Third-Party Index No. 595204/2022 Plaintiff,

-against-

LEND LEASE (US) CONSTRUCTION LMB INC., SLCE ARCHITECTS LLP, WSP USA BUILDINGS, INC. F/K/A, WSP USA BUILDINGS, INC. F/K/A WSP CANTOR SEINUK STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS, CGI NORTHEAST INC, ROWAN DAVIES, IRWIN, INC.,, JENKINS AND HUNTINGTON, INC., VOA, INC.

Defendant. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- X

HARRY MACKLOWE Second Third-Party Index No. 595923/2022 Plaintiff,

432 PARK PROPERTIES INC.

Defendant. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- X

655617/2021 BOARD OF MANAGERS OF THE 432 PARK CONDOMINIUM, ON BEHALF OF THE Page 1 of4 INDIVIDUAL UNIT OWNERS AND THE COMMERCIAL UNIT OWNERS ET AL vs. 56TH AND PARK (NY) OWNER, LLC ET AL Motion No. 022

[* 1] 1 of 4 INDEX NO. 655617/2021 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 909 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 10/28/2024

LEND LEASE (US) CONSTRUCTION LMB INC. Third Third-Party Index No. 595956/2022 Plaintiff,

RAEL AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER COMPANY, INC., ASM MECHANICAL SYSTEMS, A.S.R. ELECTRICAL CONTRACTING, INC., CELTIC SHEETMETAL, INC., COMPONENT ASSEMBLY SYSTEMS, INC., IDA EXTERIOR SYSTEMS, LLC, L.I.F. INDUSTRIES, INC., MAYRICH CONSTRUCTION CORP., PARAMOUNT PLUMBING CO. OF NY, INC., ROGER & SONS CONCRETE, INC., NICHOLAS & GALLOWAY, INC., A&H CUSTOM MACHINE LTD., TAYLOR DEVICES, INC., METROPOLITAN WALTERS, LLC, SCHINDLER ELEVATOR CORPORATION, JOHN DOES

Defendant. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- X

CELTIC SHEETMETAL, INC. Fourth Third-Party Index No. 595257/2023 Plaintiff,

INTERNATIONAL ASBESTOS REMOVAL, INC. F/K/A JOHN GRANDO, INC., PREMIER INSULATION SERVICES CORP., PRECISION TEST AND BALANCE OF NY CORP.

Defendant. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- X

MAYRICH CONSTRUCTION CORP. Fifth Third-Party Index No. 595301/2023 Plaintiff,

STARBRITE WATERPROOFING CO. INC., CIVETTA- COUSINS JV, L.L.C.

Defendant. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- X

ROGER & SONS CONCRETE, INC. Sixth Third-Party Index No. 595305/2023 Plaintiff,

FERRARA BROS. BUILDING MATERIALS CORP., DOKA USA LTD., RETECH SYSTEMS LLC, STARBRITE

655617/2021 BOARD OF MANAGERS OF THE 432 PARK CONDOMINIUM, ON BEHALF OF THE Page 2 of 4 INDIVIDUAL UNIT OWNERS AND THE COMMERCIAL UNIT OWNERS ET AL vs. 56TH AND PARK (NY) OWNER, LLC ET AL Motion No. 022

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WATERPROOFING CO., INC., DYWIDAG-SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL, USA, INC., FALCON STEEL COMPANY, INC., HILTI, INC., FERRARA BROS. LLC, SMYRNA READY MIX CONCRETE LLC, SRM CONCRETE LLC, NUCOR HARRIS REBAR NORTHEAST LLC

Defendant. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- X

The following e-filed documents, listed by NYSCEF document number (Motion 022) 806, 807, 808, 809, 810,811,812,813,814,815,816,817,818,819,820,821,822,823,824,825,826,827,828,829,830, 831,832,833,834,835,836,837,838,839,840,841,842,843,844,845,848,849,850,851,852,853, 854,855,856,857,858,859,860,861,862,863,864,865,866,867,868,869,870,871,872,873,874, 875,877,878,879,880,881,882,883,884,885,886,887,888,889 were read on this motion to/for JUDGMENT-SUMMARY Upon the foregoing documents, it is

The court denies defendant Macklowe' s motion for summary judgment made before the

close of discovery. The court also denies plaintiffs cross motion for summary judgment.

There are issues of fact about whether Macklowe abused his control over the commercial

board or participated in its misconduct (1) to circumvent the mandatory approval process for

engaging in sensitive electrical work; (2) divert work to his own companies and to an

inexperienced sub contractor; (3) directed the inexperienced sub to perform its work in reckless

manner to cut costs that caused the arc explosion and (4) foisted the insurance onto plaintiffs by

abusing his position at the board to excuse his own companies from using their insurance to

cover the significant damage that the Macklowe controlled subcontractor caused. The cross

motion to dismiss Macklowe' s claims for indemnification must be denied because, if

Macklowe' s view of events bears out at trial, he could be entitled to indemnification.

Having moved for summary judgment prematurely, and despite being warned, Macklowe

has now squandered his opportunity for summary judgment post-note. Plaintiff likewise is now

precluded from moving again on this issue. (Strout v. CF E 88 LLC, No. 161439/19, 2024 WL

655617/2021 BOARD OF MANAGERS OF THE 432 PARK CONDOMINIUM, ON BEHALF OF THE Page 3 of 4 INDIVIDUAL UNIT OWNERS AND THE COMMERCIAL UNIT OWNERS ET AL vs. 56TH AND PARK (NY) OWNER, LLC ET AL Motion No. 022

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4350564, at *1 [1 st Dep't Oct. 1, 2024][ "successive motions for summary judgment should be

denied absent new evidence"]).

Accordingly, it is

ORDERED THAT both the motion and the cross motion are denied; and it is further

ORDERED THAT there shall be no further motion practice whatsoever, including

motions to reargue, without prior conference with the court.

202410~538~0908D6

10/28/2024 DATE MELISSA A. CRANE, J.S.C.

~ CHECK ONE: CASE DISPOSED NON-FINAL DISPOSITION

GRANTED 0 DENIED GRANTED IN PART □ OTHER APPLICATION: SETTLE ORDER SUBMIT ORDER

CHECK IF APPROPRIATE: INCLUDES TRANSFER/REASSIGN FIDUCIARY APPOINTMENT □ REFERENCE

655617/2021 BOARD OF MANAGERS OF THE 432 PARK CONDOMINIUM, ON BEHALF OF THE Page4 of 4 INDIVIDUAL UNIT OWNERS AND THE COMMERCIAL UNIT OWNERS ET AL vs. 56TH AND PARK (NY) OWNER, LLC ET AL Motion No. 022

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