City of Albany v. State

38 Misc. 2d 300, 237 N.Y.S.2d 1017, 1962 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2059
CourtNew York Court of Claims
DecidedDecember 28, 1962
DocketClaim No. 37708
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 38 Misc. 2d 300 (City of Albany 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
City of Albany v. State, 38 Misc. 2d 300, 237 N.Y.S.2d 1017, 1962 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2059 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1962).

Opinion

Fred A. Young, P. J.

The above-entitled claim was filed in the office of the Clerk of the Court of Claims and served upon the Attorney-General on April 11, 1960. The claim was based upon the appropriation by the State of New York of several parcels of property owned in fee by the claimant municipality. The appropriations were made pursuant to section 347 of the Highway Law for Thruway purposes. The claimant is a municipal corporation and a political subdivision of the State of New York.

Fourteen parcels totaling 16.784 acres were, at the time of the appropriation, beds of streets. Ten parcels totaling 61.087 acres were used for the purpose of water supply for the City of Albany. Two parcels appropriated for permanent easements of .326 acres were also used by the city for water supply purposes at the time of the appropriation.

The claimant also seeks consequential damages to 50.506 acres of property resulting from loss of access thereto.

The State of New York appropriated the beds of the several streets involved between the years 1951 and 1954, the other appropriations were made in 1953, by filing maps and descriptions in the office of the Clerk of Albany County. The date July 1, 1953 was agreed upon by the parties as the taking date for interest purposes.

Acquisition of the street beds was had pursuant to subdivision 11-a of section 347 of the Highway Law, said section provided that title of the property vest in the State of New York upon the filing of the map and description in the office of the County Clerk of the county in which the property is located. It did not provide for personal service of the map upon the owners of any interest in the streets, but in lieu thereof provided for publication of a notice of the filing together with a description of the property. Publication of the subject street bed takings was duly made between the years 1951 and 1954. Personal service was never made upon the claimant municipality for these takings. With respect to the remaining takings personal service was made in all but one instance on May 13,1960.

As we have already noted the claim herein was not filed until April 11, 1960. The State of New York takes the position that [302]*302the filing was not timely with respect to the street bed takings. The claimant relies on subdivision 1 of section 10 of the Court of Claims Act, which provides that a claim for appropriation of property shall be filed within two years after the accrual of the claim or where title is vested by the filing of a description and map in the office of the County Clerk or Register, then within two years after personal service of a copy of such description and map and notice of filing thereof or if personal service cannot be made, within the State, then within two years after the filing of the description and map and the recording of notice of filing thereof. Subdivision 11-a of section 347 of the Highway Law does not provide for any time limitation for the filing of a claim, it contains the following clause: ‘ ‘ All other provisions in this section relating to claims on account of such appropriation shall apply to claims which may arise under this subdivision with the same force and effect.”

Subdivision 13 of section 347 of the Highway Law provides in part: ‘ ‘ Any owner may present to the court of claims a claim for the value of such property appropriated and for legal damages, as provided by law for the filing of claims with the court of claims.”

As we have already noted subdivision 11-a provides for vesting of title upon the filing of a map. It incorporates the other provisions of section 347 by reference including the manner in which a claim can be presented to the Court of Claims.

Subdivision 11-a was added to section 347 of the Highway Law by chapter 686 of the Laws of 1943. Subdivision 1 of section 10 of the Court of Claims Act was amended to cover instances where title is vested by the filing of a map and description by chapter 688 of the Laws of 1948. Ordinarily if these statutes are in conflict it would seem under the usual rules of statutory interpretation, that the later statute prevails.

Examining the bill jacket of chapter 686 of the Laws of 1943 to ascertain legislative intent we find a memorandum to the Governor’s Counsel submitted by the New York State Department of Public Works recommending approval of the bill by the Governor. It states in part: Another change in the procedure relates to the immediate acquisition of the beds of streams and streets. Generally, when the owner of lands abutting a street or stream receives compensation for his property, it includes the frontage value. However, the cost of an abstract of title is very large and as long as the abutting owner is compensated, it is suggested that the State could be spared the high cost of a search of the bed or street or stream. The procedure outlined in the bill calls for the filing of a map in the County Clerk’s [303]*303office and the publication of a notice, and if the owner makes a claim for damages, he is required to furnish a search to the Attorney-General. These several provisions are now contained in the Flood Control Law (Chapter 862, Laws of 1930, as amended) and experience has shown that they are desirable steps. Attention has been given to due process of law as required by the Constitution.”

Subsequently various other appropriation statutes were amended to contain similar provisions.

Examining the bill jacket for chapter 688 of the Laws of 1948, we find that the bill was a Department of Public Works bill and that a memorandum submitted to the Governor’s Counsel by the Department of Public Works states in part: “ This bill seeks to assure that the owners of lands so appropriated shall have notice of such appropriation and adequate opportunity to file a claim.”

It is obvious that the purpose of subdivision 11-a was to put the burden of procuring an abstract of title of a street bed upon the one claiming the fee thereto, and not to set up any Statute of Limitations.

The Court of Claims Act, provided the time for the filing of appropriation claims, and it is obvious that by 1948 there was some misgivings about adequate notice to people whose property was appropriated by the filing of a map and hence the Court of Claims Act was amended so that in appropriation claims where title vests by the filing of a map, the claimant has two years from the date of personal service in which to file a claim, if he can be found in the State. Hence, we conclude that the time limitations as set forth in subdivision 1 of section 10 of the Court of Claims Act are applicable and the claim herein is timely filed.

The State further contends that assuming the claim was timely filed the claimant is not entitled to damages arising from the appropriation of the street beds. The State relies on the principle that ownership by the city of fee of the land in the street is impressed with a trust to keep the same open and for use as such, the trust is publici juris, i.e., for the whole People of the State, and is under the absolute control of the Legislature in which body, as represented by the People is vested the power to govern and to regulate the use of the streets. (City of New York v. Rice, 198 N. Y. 124; People v. Kerr, 27 N. Y. 188; People ex rel. Palmer v. Travis, 223 N. Y. 150.)

In the instant situation the fee to the bed of such street was acquired in fee not for State highway purposes, but for the purposes of the Thruway.

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

Related

Rymkevitch v. State
42 Misc. 2d 1021 (New York State Court of Claims, 1964)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
38 Misc. 2d 300, 237 N.Y.S.2d 1017, 1962 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2059, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/city-of-albany-v-state-nyclaimsct-1962.