Buffalo Civic Auto Ramps, Inc. v. Serio

21 A.D.3d 722, 800 N.Y.S.2d 686, 2005 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 8869
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedSeptember 1, 2005
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 21 A.D.3d 722 (Buffalo Civic Auto Ramps, Inc. v. Serio) 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
Buffalo Civic Auto Ramps, Inc. v. Serio, 21 A.D.3d 722, 800 N.Y.S.2d 686, 2005 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 8869 (N.Y. Ct. App. 2005).

Opinion

Determination of respondent Superintendent, dated January 29, 2003, which upheld reclassification of petitioner’s cashiers, for workers’ compensation purposes, from clerical “office employees” to a category covering “automobile parking lot and drivers” (challenged in this proceeding, transferred to this Court by order of Supreme Court, New York County [Lewis Bart Stone, J.], entered November 7, 2003), vacated and annulled, on the law, without costs, and the matter remanded to New York Compensation Insurance Rating Board for further proceedings consistent with this decision.

This CPLR article 78 proceeding was commenced to review the reclassification of the petitioner Buffalo Civic Auto Ramps, Inc.’s (BCAR) parking ramp cashiers from New York Workers’ Compensation and Employers Liability Insurance Manual Standard Exceptions Classification Code 8810 (Code 8810) to Automobile Parking Lot Drivers Classification Code 8392 (Code 8392). Because we find the determination lacking in substantial evidence, as well as arbitrary and capricious, the determination is vacated.

In the early to mid 1990s, BCAR’s cashiers were classified as clerical workers under Code 8810. After an audit in July 2000, the cashiers were removed from this classification by the State Insurance Fund. Petitioner initially challenged the classification by the New York Compensation Insurance Rating Board (NYCIRB). After NYCIRB determined that the classification was appropriate, the petitioner subsequently appealed the decision to the Superintendent of Insurance, pursuant to Insurance Law § 2319 (c) (2).

At the hearing, petitioner testified that BCAR runs a parking garage with cashiers that work in self-contained booths. The responsibilities of the BCAR cashiers include collecting parking [723]*723fees. They do not conduct business outside of the booths, however, they do have to cross car ramps to begin and end their shift, as well as to take personal breaks. The booths are located inside the ramp near the exit to the parking lot. Each booth is built on a concrete slab about eight inches high and protected by bollards (concrete filled pipes and guard rails), to protect the occupants should a vehicle contact the booth. There have been no incidents of vehicular contact with any of the booths or accidents involving these cashiers.

At the close of the hearing, the hearing officer issued a written report concluding that the new classification for the petitioner’s cashiers was not arbitrary, capricious or an abuse of discretion. The Superintendent agreed and, on January 29, 2003, issued a final determination approving and adopting the hearing officer’s findings. This proceeding ensued.

In a decision and order dated October 22, 2003, the court properly transferred the petition to this Court pursuant to CPLR 7804 (g). Petitioner now contends that this case was improperly transferred as the issue presented did not mandate a hearing pursuant to CPLR 7803 (4). The petitioner further contends that the reclassification of its cashiers was not supported by substantial evidence, was contrary to the history and language of the manual utilized by respondent for classification purposes,

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Related

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2021 NY Slip Op 00235 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2021)
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102 A.D.3d 962 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2013)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
21 A.D.3d 722, 800 N.Y.S.2d 686, 2005 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 8869, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/buffalo-civic-auto-ramps-inc-v-serio-nyappdiv-2005.