First Tower Corp. v. French

45 A.D.2d 147, 356 N.Y.S.2d 905, 1974 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 4560
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedJune 27, 1974
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 45 A.D.2d 147 (First Tower Corp. v. French) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
First Tower Corp. v. French, 45 A.D.2d 147, 356 N.Y.S.2d 905, 1974 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 4560 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1974).

Opinion

Marsh, P. J.

This is an appeal from a judgment entered pursuant to an order which granted summary judgment to defendant-third-party plaintiff French on certain counterclaims asserted by French in an action initiated by First Tower Corporation by way of a petition to recover possession of real property.

For many years prior to the action herein, French was the apparent owner and occupant of three cottage lots located in the Town of Tully, Onondgaga County, New York, described [148]*148as Farm Lot 48—Lots 32, 33 and 34. County taxes on said lots had been unpaid for several years. Sometime between October 1, 1966 and October 1, 1968, First Tower Corporation took an assignment of a tax sale certificate based upon 1966 delinquent county taxes. Subsequent to the redemption period provided by section 8 of the Onondaga County Tax Law (L. 1937, ch. 690, as amd. by L. 1964, ch. 768, § 2), First Tower obtained a tax deed from the Onondaga Commissioner of Finance dated January 26, 1970 which deed was recorded March 16, 1970. (L. 1937, ch. 690, § 9.)

On April 2,1970 French was notified by letter of First Tower’s claim of ownership. French consulted counsel to set aside the tax deed. Nevertheless, in view of his desire to occupy the cottage property during the approaching summer season, French entered into a lease with First Tower whereby French agreed to rent the lots for a term of five months for a seasonal rent of $550. The lease contained a provision which would entitle First Tower to the sum of $50 for each week that French remained in possession of the property after expiration of the lease term without executing a renewal lease. By a stipulation contained in paragraph 14th of the lease it was agreed that the lease, constituted no admission by French of the validity of the tax deed and French therein reserved his right to contest it.

At the termination of the lease on September 30,1970, French • personally vacated the premises but did not remove certain furniture, clothing and personal effects. On October 21,1971, First Tower instituted a summary proceeding for the recovery of the premises, demanding a judgment in the amount of $2,700, representing past rent allegedly due at the rate of $50 per week from the expiration of the lease. Petitioner contended that the presence of French’s personal property constituted continued possession and occupancy of the leasehold. In February, 1972 French interposed an answer which generally denied petitioner’s allegations and set forth two counterclaims. The first counterclaim sought to compel a determination of claims to the subject property pursuant to article 15 of the Real Property Law. Alleging that the tax deed issued to petitioner was void for reasons of inadequate description of the property on the deed, assessment roll and notice of tax sale and for failure to post notices of the tax roll for 1966, French sought relief barring petitioner from the property and declaring French to be absolute owner. The second counterclaim sought recovery of the $550 rental paid by French to First Tower together with $1,760 for damages allegedly resulting from petitioner’s ‘ ‘ wrongful [149]*149exclusion ” of French during the months following expiration of the lease.

Simultaneously with service of his answer, French commenced a third-party action against Gr. Bussell Eddy, Treasurer of First Tower Corp. Eddy had obtained two tax deeds purporting to convey the French property, the first deed—dated October 30, 1970 and recorded February 19, 1971—was based on unpaid 1967 taxes, and the second—dated September 7, 1971 and recorded December 10, 1971—was based on unpaid 1963 taxes. In the third-party action it was alleged that the above deeds were void for reasons identical to those asserted against the deed to First Tower (improper descriptions and posting of notices).

French moved for summary judgment in the proceeding, based upon the counterclaims as alleged in his answer and third-party complaint. By an order dated May 15, 1973 the court granted respondents’ motion, ordered all tax sales certificates and tax deeds in favor of First Tower and Eddy to be canceled by the Commissioner of Finance, and ordered First Tower and Eddy jointly to execute and deliver a quitclaim deed conveying all interests in the subject property to French upon the latter’s payment of $3,048.77 to counsel for petitioner and third-party defendant. This amount represents property taxes paid by First Tower and Eddy in securing the three tax deeds from the county, costs of filing the deeds, and moneys paid as school and property tax in 1971. The order denied, however, respondents’ claim for a refund of $550 as rent paid on the 1970 property lease.

First Tower and Eddy have appealed from this order granting summary judgment and from a subsequent judgment entered June 1, 1973, which provides that French be entitled to recover the sum of $290.50 as costs and disbursements in the action herein.

The first basis for invalidity of the tax deeds alleged by French is the failure to post the notice of receipt of the tax roll and warrant as required by section 920 of the Beal Property Tax Law. The Beceiver of Taxes for the Town of Tully was required to publish the tax roll once a week for two successive weeks in the official town newspaper and, in addition, to post it on the sign board for legal notices at the entrance to the Town Clerk’s office. The Court of Appeals in WerTcing v. Amity Estates (2 N Y 2d 43) held that failure properly to post on appropriate sign boárds the tax roll and warrant as required by the Tax Law (then Tax Law, § 69, now Beal Prop[150]*150erty Tax Law, § 920) is a jurisdictional defect. In Werhing the Receiver of Taxes posted in only one place and left the remaining places to be posted by the Postmaster, for which posting he could not attest (the former section 69 of the Tax Law required posting in five conspicuous places, as opposed to one posting required by section 920 of the Real Property Tax Law). Also in Werhmg the notice itself was defective in providing only six days for collection in a 30-day period as opposed to the statutory requirement of 12 days. Nor did.the notice provide for the proper hours required by section 69. The Court of Appeals concluded that the defective content and posting of the notices amounted to a . lack of substantial compliance with the statute, creating a jurisdictional defect.

Sale of tax certificates and the conveyance of tax deeds with respect to real property located in Onondaga County are governed by a special tax law (L. 1937, ch. 690) rather than the Real Property Tax Law. Section 6 of chapter 690 of the Laws of 1937 provides that six months after the real property tax is due (Feb. 1) the County Treasurer must publish once each week for three weeks a statement of the taxes and charges due with respect to property subject to delinquent taxes and a notice that the property will be sold for satisfaction of such taxes. Upon the sale of the property for tfie satisfaction of the delinquent taxes, the Commissioner of Finance issues a certificate of sale which is evidence of the sale and that all proceedings prior to the sale were regular, including the assessment (L. 1937, ch. 690, § 7). A property owner has two years from the last day of sale to redeem the property upon payment to the purchaser holding the tax sale certificates of the amount of taxes plus 8% interest. A mortgagee has three years from the date of sale to redeem (L. 1964, ch. 768, § 8, as amd.).

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Bluebook (online)
45 A.D.2d 147, 356 N.Y.S.2d 905, 1974 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 4560, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/first-tower-corp-v-french-nyappdiv-1974.