City of Binghamton v. Buono

124 Misc. 203, 208 N.Y.S. 60, 1924 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1103
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 27, 1924
StatusPublished

This text of 124 Misc. 203 (City of Binghamton v. Buono) 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
City of Binghamton v. Buono, 124 Misc. 203, 208 N.Y.S. 60, 1924 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1103 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1924).

Opinion

Rhodes, J.:

. This proceeding has been instituted by the city of Binghamton to acquire by condemnation property of the defendants Buono for the purposes of a site for a public school to be known as the Christopher Columbus School, which it is proposed to locate on a plot of ground bounded upon the north by Hawley street, on the west by Fayette street and on the east by Stuyvesant street, said plot having a depth southerly from Hawley street of two hundred and forty-five feet. The defendants’ property, forming a part of the proposed site, is located at the southeast corner of the intersection of Hawley and Fayette streets and comprises the northwest corner of the proposed site, such premises of defendants having a frontage on Hawley street of forty-two feet and a depth along Fayette street of seventy-five feet. The northerly part of the premises, fronting on Hawley street, is and for more than a year last past has been used for business and commercial purposes; the rear portion of the building is and for more than a year last past has been used as a dwelling.

Defendants Buono interpose several defenses to the attempt of the city to acquire said property by condemnation, and they are the defendants referred to herein. One defense is that it is not necessary for the city to acquire the premises because of the fact that all the rest of the land necessary for said site has been acquired and that there is sufficient room upon said plot to place said proposed building without the. acquisition of defendants’ land. It appears, however, that the balance of the proposed site is to be used for an athletic field and for purposes incidental to school property. The city necessarily has some latitude and discretion as to the amount of property to be acquired so long as the amount is reasonably necessary for the public use intended. It is manifest that the amount of land which it should be permitted to acquire is not limited to the land which the school buildings will cover, but that it extends to as much more as will be requisite for the reasonable and proper use and enjoyment thereof as a school site.

As a further defense defendants allege that the plaintiff has not in good faith made an effort to agree with defendants for the purchase of their premises. It appears that officials of the city approached the owner relative to acquiring the premises by purchase. The owner stated he would sell to the city for a price named in [205]*205case the proper city officials would amend the zoning ordinance in such a way as to permit him to occupy and use another piece of property at the northwest corner of Fayette and Hawley streets for commercial purposes, stating that in case he was not permitted to use the property at the northwest corner for commercial purposes he would in no event be willing to sell to the city the premises involved herein. I think the facts established upon the hearing are sufficient to show that the city has in good faith endeavored to agree with the defendant for the purchase of the land and that the plaintiff has not been able to reach such agreement. Defendants also set up as an alleged defense that if the property is acquired by the city it will result in depriving the defendants of carrying on their business in the immediate vicinity, producing great loss to them thereby. Whether or not this be true, it is not a defense to be considered upon the question as to whether or not the city has the right to acquire the premises. The loss incidental to the taking of the property in condemnation is a matter to be considered before the commissioners awarding compensation. Any other loss, not the subject of compensation, "must be borne, as in all similar cases, as an incident to the exercise of the right of eminent domain, and will be damnum absque injuria.

Defendants also interpose a further defense to the effect that defendants’ premises have for more than a year last past been used in connection with trade, commerce and business, and that, therefore, the city is prohibited from acquiring the property by condemnation by virtue of the provisions of section 464 of the Education Law, as amended by chapter 782 of the Laws of 1911. So far as material here that section provides as follows: The following property cannot be acquired without the consent of the owner: * * * 4. Fixtures or erections for the purpose of trade or manufacture, which have existed for a period of one year prior to the beginning of the condemnation proceedings.” There is no question but that the premises under consideration have been used for more than a year for the purpose of trade or manufacture. Plaintiff, however," insists that section 464 is not now controlling by reason of later enactments of the Legislature incorporated in the provisions of the Education Law, which, in effect, modify or repeal the prohibition of section 464.

Plaintiff argues that assuming the section has not been repealed, it prohibits the taking by condemnation of fixtures and erections only arid does not prohibit the talcing of the real property upon which such fixtures and erections are located. This construction would destroy the purpose and intent of the provision. It may be argued that it would be possible to remove fixtures used for the [206]*206purpose of trade or manufacture, but it is manifest that if land may be acquired upon which are erections for the purpose of trade or manufacture ” leaving to the owner the necessity or privilege of removing the same, the purpose of the statute would be defeated. As was said by Mr. Justice Cochrane, writing the opinion in Board of Education of Malone v. O’Rourke (191 App. Div. 317, 320): In my opinion structures for the purposes of trade or manufacture which have existed for one year are under all circumstances exempt from condemnation. The Legislature intended to protect such property for the reason that it might be a peculiar source of income to its owner, interference with which in the judgment of the Legislature was unwise.” That statement was obiter for the reason that the particular subdivision of this section was not under review. In that case the court was construing subdivision 2 of this section which prohibits the acquiring by condemnation of gardens, orchards or any part thereof. The court held that such garden land could not be acquired by condemnation without the consent of the owner, and further said: “ ' Statutes should be read according to the natural and most obvious import of the language, without resorting to artificial or forced constructions, for the purpose of either limiting or extending their operation.’ (Matter of New York & Brooklyn Bridge, 72 N. Y. 527, 529.) That wholesome rule is particularly true of a statute which deprives the owner of his property without his consent. It is elementary that statutes authorizing the power of eminent domain should receive not a liberal but a strict construction.”

The manifest purpose of the Legislature was to prohibit the acquiring of commercial property by condemnation in cases such as this. To permit the acquisition of land, leaving to the owner the structures with the necessity of removing them, would oftentimes destroy the enterprise which it was the policy of the Legislature to conserve and protect, and would defeat the legislative intent. The decision above cited was made in March, 1920. The section in question was amended by the Legislature by chapter 195 of the Laws of 1920, which took "effect April 14, 1920. The amendment consisted of the addition of subdivision 5 of said section which, as amended by chapter 3 of the Laws of 1924, reads:

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Related

Board of Education v. O'Rourke
191 A.D. 317 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1920)
In re the Trustees of the New York & Brooklyn Bridge
72 N.Y. 527 (New York Court of Appeals, 1878)
Mc'Cartee v. Orphan Asylum Society
9 Cow. 437 (Court for the Trial of Impeachments and Correction of Errors, 1827)

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Bluebook (online)
124 Misc. 203, 208 N.Y.S. 60, 1924 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1103, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/city-of-binghamton-v-buono-nysupct-1924.