Commissioner of Transportation v. Lane

148 Misc. 2d 320, 560 N.Y.S.2d 258, 1990 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 466
CourtNew York County Courts
DecidedAugust 28, 1990
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 148 Misc. 2d 320 (Commissioner of Transportation v. Lane) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York County Courts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Commissioner of Transportation v. Lane, 148 Misc. 2d 320, 560 N.Y.S.2d 258, 1990 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 466 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1990).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Robert L. Estes, J.

The Commissioner of Transportation, as agent of the People of the State of New York, has commenced a proceeding in this court requesting an order summarily removing the respon[321]*321dent, Gilbert Lane, from lands comprising a portion of a public highway right-of-way known as New York State Route 23, in the Town of Kortright, Delaware County, New York. The proceeding is pursuant to RPAPL 713 (3), which permits a party to maintain a special proceeding for summary eviction after service of a 10-day notice to quit, in cases where the respondent or the person to whom he has succeeded "has intruded into or squatted upon the property without the permission of the person entitled to possession and the occupancy has continued without permission or permission has been revoked and notice of the revocation given to the person to be removed.”

After denying a motion by the petitioner for summary judgment, the court convened a hearing. The petitioner adduced testimony from Ronald C. Edwards, a transportation maintenance engineer for the Department of Transportation, and from John Westcott, a senior investigator for the New York State Attorney-General’s office. The respondent did not testify. On the court’s own motion in the interests of justice, the court took judicial notice of a record maintained by the Delaware County Clerk, indicating that a license was granted by the County Clerk to Mr. Lane under section 32 of the General Business Law on August 31, 1983.

From the evidence, the court finds that since late July of 1989, Mr. Lane has brought to a pull-off area on New York State Route 23, numerous items of personal property, which he there offers for sale. The items include used vehicles, tires, farm implements, wagons, old furniture, assorted collectibles, motorcycle parts, lamps, and wood-burning stoves. It is clear from the description of such items as "wares” in the testimony and from the fact that one of the witnesses expressed an interest in considering purchase of one of the wood stoves, that the items are maintained there for purposes of sale, not for Mr. Lane’s personal use. Indeed, Mr. Westcott’s notebook entry of August 6, 1989 states that he saw on that date a full display of "merchandise.” The open array of goods is visible in the photographs received in evidence. There is also a used bus on the property, maintained by the respondent as an office for the conduct of his business. Mr. Lane admitted to Mr. Westcott that he had not been moving at night, but can, because "everything is on wheels,” according to a note by Mr. Westcott dated August 9, 1989. On August 3, 1989 Mr. Westcott noted the presence of three wagons and a Volkswagen bus.

Mr. Lane was served by Mr. Westcott on May 16, 1990, with [322]*322a 10-day notice to quit, but has not removed from the premises the items which he maintains there for sale. Specific permission from the Department of Transportation to maintain items for sale on the premises has not been obtained by Mr. Lane. The site is described by Mr. Edwards as being intended for the storage of construction materials such as stone or as a "pull-off” for cars of the motoring public. There is no evidence that the premises include any structure or other improvements for use by the public, or that Mr. Lane’s activity interferes with the traveled way or the motoring public.

As an honorably discharged veteran having procured the necessary county license, Mr. Lane has a right granted by the Legislature, to engage in certain activities, including "the right to hawk, peddle, vend and sell goods, wares and merchandise or solicit trade” upon the streets and highways within the County of Delaware. (General Business Law § 32 [1].) In Matter of Woodin v Lane (119 AD2d 969, 971), the right was described as a personal privilege.

The petitioner cites Matter of Commissioner of Transp. v Lane (144 Misc 2d 680) for the proposition that eviction was held to be appropriate under almost identical circumstances. The parties were identical. Mr. Lane’s activities were virtually identical, except they occurred in that case within an incorporated village. A motion by the petitioner for summary judgment in that special proceeding under RPAPL 713 (3) was granted, requiring Mr. Lane’s eviction.

The court determined the motion after finding that Mr. Lane had not "put forth any factual basis for his claims of permissive entry or permissive use except the assertion of his attorney that [Mr. Lane] entered with the lawful right which all citizens have to enter upon the public highway.” (Supra, at 683.)

That court also confined its analysis of Mr. Lane’s activity by analyzing the terms "hawker” and "peddler” as related to Mr. Lane’s activity, without considering that the statute also grants a right to "vend” and to "sell.”

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Related

Commissioner of Transportation v. Lane
178 A.D.2d 754 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1991)

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Bluebook (online)
148 Misc. 2d 320, 560 N.Y.S.2d 258, 1990 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 466, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/commissioner-of-transportation-v-lane-nycountyct-1990.