City of New York v. State

70 Misc. 2d 244, 333 N.Y.S.2d 546, 1971 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1607
CourtNew York Court of Claims
DecidedMay 24, 1971
DocketClaim No. 50493
StatusPublished

This text of 70 Misc. 2d 244 (City of New York 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 New York v. State, 70 Misc. 2d 244, 333 N.Y.S.2d 546, 1971 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1607 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1971).

Opinion

Daniel Beckee, J.

This is a claim for $45,000 filed by the

City of New York against the State of New York with the Clerk of the Court of Claims on January 9, 1969.

The City of New York, hereinafter referred to as City, maintains that pursuant to subdivision 5 of section 340-b and subdivision 3.3 of section 349-c of the Highway Law, set forth below, $45,000 was due it for acquisition of the subject parcel by the State.

Former subdivision 5 of section 340-b of the Highway Law provided: Any property in the city of New York which is deemed by the superintendent of public works and the city of New York to be necessary for the construction, reconstruction and maintenance of interstate highways shall be acquired by the city of New York in the same manner as provided in section three hundred forty-nine-c of this chapter relating to the acquisition of property for the state arterial system in the city of New York, except that the city shall be reimbursed in full for the costs and expenses incurred by such acquisitions for interstate highways subsequent to the enactment of the federal aid highway act of nineteen hundred fifty-six, in the manner as provided in section three hundred forty-nine-c of this chapter relating to reimbursement of costs and expenses of acquisitions for the state arterial highways. Hpon the completion of construction by the state of a section or sections of interstate highways in the city of New York, the superintendent of public works may by official order transfer jurisdiction for maintenance of interstate highways or completed portions thereof - to the appropriate agency of the city of New York.”

Former subdivision 3.3 of section 349-c of the Highway Law provided the procedure and the method of determining any award for property taken pursuant to subdivision 5 of section 340-b of the Highway Law.

The parcel in question is located in the Borough of Richmond, City of New York and is referred to as either Damage Parcel 1721-P or Damage Parcel 22 depending upon the highway project being referred to and the maps involved. The 1957 [246]*246project for the Clove Lakes Expressways shows the parcel as 1721-P and the Hylan Boulevard project shows it to he Damage Parcel 22. The Clove Lakes project was authorized hy resolution of the Board of Estimate of the City in July 1957; Hylan Boulevard is the 1962 project.

The matter was brought on for trial on March 15, 1971 after entry of an order on January 6, 1970 signed by the Honorable Henry W. Lengyel, denying claimant City’s motion for summary judgment.

The City claims that the property in question was acquired by condemnation by it in 1962 at a cost of $45,000. The State denies this and maintains that the property in question was in fact condemned in 1958 for highway purposes and that it is not obliged to compensate the City pursuant to the Highway Law.

The City maintains, in the alternative, that section 3 of the General Municipal Law is applicable since the property in question was held for a substantially different purpose than that for which it was acquired by the State. Section 3 of the. General Municipal Law reads as follows: ‘ ‘ Where property of a municipal corporation, school district or district corporation is taken in the exercise of the power of eminent domain for a purpose substantially different from that for which it is held by such municipal corporation, school district or district corporation, just compensation to the municipal corporation * * * shall be made in the same manner, to the same extent and subject to the same limitations as though it were private property.”

The State maintains that this parcel had been previously condemned for highway purposes by the City by reason of the 1958 acquisition and that this section does not apply.

The City claims that the number designating this parcel in 1957 as 1721-P was erroneously included and that it secured an order correcting nunc pro tunc the 1 ‘ First Separate and Final Partial Decree” signed by the Honorable J. Vincent Keogh on June 10, 1959 substituting Parcel 1720-P for Parcel 1721-P. This order was an ex parte order.

The State maintains that this order is ex post facto and in effect does not alter or change the status of 1721-P as having been condemned in 1958 for highway purposes.

It is the City’s contention that since it held the subject property for sale and acquired it in an in rem foreclosure, that this constitutes evidence of its acting and holding the land in a proprietary capacity and therefore it is entitled to compensation for its taking in the same manner as a private citizen. This too is denied by the State.

[247]*247It should be pointed out that nothing appears on the record to indicate whether this claim has been assigned or submitted to any other court or tribunal for audit or determination. The court herein determines that the claim has not been so assigned or submitted.

The evidence at trial showed that the City acquired title to the subject property through an in rem foreclosure action for nonpayment of taxes in June, 1951. Thereafter, on June 29, 1951, a deed from the Treasurer of the City of New York, as grantor, was executed and delivered to the City of New York, as grantee. The deed was duly recorded on July 5, 1951 in the Richmond County Clerk’s office in Liber 1162 of Deeds, at page 369. Upon the trial of this matter the deed was introduced into evidence as claimant’s Exhibit 3. Claimant contends that this property was held by the City in its private and proprietary capacity, for sale, from 1951 until October 15, 1962. It is the City’s position that title to the subject parcel was divested from the City, which had held title to it in its proprietary capacity, by reason of the order granting the City’s application to condemn on October 15, 1962; that title then vested in the City in its governmental capacity for the purpose of further developing the Federally-aided interstate highway system. The order authorizing the City to condemn this property was filed October 15, 1962 in the office of the County Clerk of Richmond County; that on December 30, 1964 in a proceeding, “In the Matter of the Application of the City of New York, etc.” an order titled “ The Second and Last Separate and Partial Final Decree ” was signed by the Honorable A. David Benjamin and filed on December 31, 1964, awarding the sum of $45,000 to the City of New York from the City of New York for the subject parcel; that thereafter said award was paid by the Comptroller of the City of New York to the City of New York by check dated June 2, 1965, Warrant Number 142370, Ticket Number 820431; that thereafter on June 17, 1965 demand was made upon the State seeking reimbursement in the sum of $89,468.16 which represented the City’s cost in acquiring lands for the widening of Hylan Boulevard. This sum included the sum of $45,000 expended for the subject parcel; that the claim was audited by the State and reduced to the sum of $34,498.16 by eliminating the $45,000 paid for the subject parcel; the City made a subsequent demand for the $45,000 on November 15, 1968 by letter to the Comptroller of the State of New York, requesting payment; that at the same time the City demanded said $45,000 it demanded an additional $10,000 which it claimed [248]*248it had been deprived of by reason of a mathematical error; that no payment was received and this action was then commenced; that prior to trial, by stipulation entered into by both parties the claim for $10,000 was withdrawn.

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Bluebook (online)
70 Misc. 2d 244, 333 N.Y.S.2d 546, 1971 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1607, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/city-of-new-york-v-state-nyclaimsct-1971.