Burpee v. Burpee

152 Misc. 2d 466, 578 N.Y.S.2d 359, 1991 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 669
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedAugust 15, 1991
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 152 Misc. 2d 466 (Burpee v. Burpee) 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
Burpee v. Burpee, 152 Misc. 2d 466, 578 N.Y.S.2d 359, 1991 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 669 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1991).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

George A. Murphy, J.

This is an action by plaintiff for personal injuries allegedly [467]*467sustained as the result of defendant’s sexual abuse of her during early childhood. The defendant now moves pursuant to CPLR 3211 (a) (5) for an order dismissing the complaint on the grounds that the time to bring the action has long expired. The plaintiff counters by asking the court to deprive the defendant of his right to interpose the Statute of Limitations on the grounds that his conduct would make it inequitable for the court to permit a defense of the Statute of Limitations under the circumstances of this case.

The plaintiff, now age 27, avers that during the years 1972 to 1975 (when she was between the ages of 8 and 11), the defendant, her natural father, subjected her to sexual abuse. She states, in pertinent part, in her affidavit: "When this activity began, I was scared and confused. Being a child, I was ignorant as to how to protect myself. Due to my father’s horrible conduct, I suppressed these events”. The plaintiff, without relating the history of her relationship with her father during the years subsequent to 1975, next states that in the latter part of 1990, while she, and her father at her request, were in therapy, he admitted that the sexual abuse had occurred. The plaintiff then sought legal counsel and brought this action for psychological injuries due, she claims, to her father’s said misconduct from 1972 to 1975. Through his attorney, the defendant denies all of the claims and allegations made by the plaintiff. He also contends that even if, arguendo, plaintiff’s claims were accepted as true, the plaintiff must still fail in her action since it has been brought long after the expiration dates for the time to commence the action.

When a party moves pursuant to CPLR 3211 (a) (5) for an order dismissing the complaint on the grounds of the Statute of Limitations, that party has the burden to show that the time to commence the action has, in fact, expired. That done, the other party then has the burden to show that the action qualifies for some exception to the application of the statute to the action (see, Hoosac Val. Farmers Exch. v AG Assets, 168 AD2d 822; Park Assocs. v Crescent Park Assocs., 159 AD2d 460; Waters of Saratoga Springs v State of New York, 116 AD2d 875, affd 68 NY2d 777). In the case at bar, the prior expiration of the Statute of Limitations is undisputed. Consequently, the plaintiff must now demonstrate that the court as a matter of equity should deprive the defendant of the benefit of the Statute of Limitations (CPLR 214, 215).

The plaintiff offers several arguments in urging the court to [468]*468utilize General Obligations Law § 17-103 (4) (b), which empowers the court to provide equitable relief to a plaintiff, if warranted: (1) psychological trauma from the experience causing her to repress her memory of it until the defendant’s 1990 admission of misconduct; (2) the horrible nature of the defendant’s conduct in sexually abusing a child; (3) the very silence of the defendant over the years, which "hid” his misdeeds; and (4) the defendant’s admission which mandates he be brought to justice rather than escape liability by application of the Statute of Limitations.

Although it is obvious that the allegations of the plaintiff, if true, call for the severest condemnation by all right-thinking persons of compassion, the court, while recognizing that the problem of adult survivors of child sexual abuse is a serious and widespread one, is nevertheless required to determine this matter in accordance with the law of the State of New York as contained in its statutes and judicial precedents.

Beginning then with plaintiff’s first point, in New York State the law is that psychological trauma and repression therefrom is insufficient to justify the avoidance of the Statute of Limitations in the name of equity. However, if a person is "insane”, New York will permit the avoidance of the Statute of Limitations pursuant to CPLR 208 since insanity deprives a person of the ability to function in society in various, requisite ways. In the leading case of McCarthy v Volkswagen of Am. (55 NY2d 543, 548, 549), the Court of Appeals held that CPLR 208 was intended "to extend * * * to only those individuals who are unable to protect their legal rights because of an over-all inability to function in society”, not "a mere post traumatic neurosis” (Barnes v County of Onondaga, 65 NY2d 664, 666). A year ago, the Appellate Division, First Department, in Hoffman v Hoffman (162 AD2d 249, 250) denied the tolling of the Statute of Limitations to an adult survivor of childhood sexual abuse who relied on allegations of posttraumatic neurosis to come within the purview of CPLR 208. Similarly, in Smith v Smith (830 F2d 11, 12 [2d Cir 1987]), a case in which a daughter brought an action against her father alleging that he had sexually abused her repeatedly until she was 12 years old, which caused her to suffer neurosis and repression thereafter, the United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, reiterated and embraced the principles set forth in McCarthy and added that "the insanity tolling provisions of [CPLR] 208, even if applicable, would not have ex[469]*469tended her right to sue * * * when she was thirty-two years of age.”

This court has researched this point nationwide and in depth and is aware that in several States, such as Washington State (see, Wash Rev Code Annot § 4.16.340) and California (see, Cal Code Civ Pro § 340.1 [a]) legislative responses in the form, for example, of a delayed discovery rule, have given recognition to the need to afford adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse a remedy not available to others simply because of the trauma-produced long-term multiple psychological ailments suffered by the innocent victim (see, Daly v Derrick, 230 Cal App 3d 1349, 281 Cal Rptr 709 [6th Dist 1991]; Evans v Eckelman, 216 Cal App 3d 1609, 265 Cal Rptr 605 [1st Dist 1990]; Meiers-Post v Schafer, 170 Mich App 174, 427 NW2d 606 [1988]; Osland v Osland, 442 NW 2d 907 [ND 1989]; Hammer v Hammer, 142 Wisc 2d 257, 418 NW2d 23 [1987]; Johnson v Johnson, 701 F Supp 1363 [ND Ill 1988]; see also, Comment, Adult Incest Survivors and the Statute of Limitations: The Delayed Discovery Rule and Long-Term Damages, 25 Santa Clara L Rev 191 [1985]).

Turning now to plaintiff’s second argument based on the alleged horrible nature of defendant’s misconduct, the law in New York is that "[i]t is insufficient for the plaintiff to argue that the gravity of the alleged tortious conduct of the defendants, in and of itself, gives rise to an estoppel.” (Hoffman v Hoffman, 162 AD2d 249, supra.) In each case, were the gravity of the particular conduct to constitute the test for the application of the Statute of Limitations, much uncertainty would be introduced into the issue since such test would be too subjective as a guide to the courts. Thus, this argument of the plaintiff must be rejected under present New York law.

It should be noted that CPLR 201 expressly states: "No court shall extend the time limited by law for the commencement of an action”. However, notwithstanding this prohibition, the New York Legislature and the Court of Appeals have wisely taken cognizance of the need to provide reasonable exceptions as changing conditions warrant, e.g., malpractice and toxic substance cases (see,

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Bluebook (online)
152 Misc. 2d 466, 578 N.Y.S.2d 359, 1991 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 669, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/burpee-v-burpee-nysupct-1991.