Food Fair Stores, Inc. v. Jackson Heights Shopping Center, Inc.

55 Misc. 2d 205, 284 N.Y.S.2d 814, 1967 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1421
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedJune 29, 1967
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 55 Misc. 2d 205 (Food Fair Stores, Inc. v. Jackson Heights Shopping Center, Inc.) 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
Food Fair Stores, Inc. v. Jackson Heights Shopping Center, Inc., 55 Misc. 2d 205, 284 N.Y.S.2d 814, 1967 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1421 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1967).

Opinion

Abrahams & Geller, J.

Food Fair Stores, Inc., prime tenant of Jackson Heights Shopping Center, Inc., snes to enjoin the construction of a building on the perimeter of the area designated and used as the parking area, which the parties have computed and stipulated would result in reducing its parking capacity from 400 to 350 cars. Surprising as it seems, despite the painstaking nature of the negotiations and the specialized experience and knowledge of shopping centers by the participants, there is no express provision or language in the lease definitively and conclusively disposing of such an important matter and parol evidence to explain and clarify the various provisions bearing on the issue has been presented on this trial by both parties.

The Food Fair lease was made in 1956 to commence when the Food Fair building and other stores within the shopping center to the extent of at least 200 linear front feet were completed. The lease was modified in 1958 when the shopping center was enlarged by the addition of adjacent land in the same ownership, increasing the Food Fair building area and rental, the contemplated area for other buildings and the parking area. Food Fair entered into possession in 1959. In February 1967 the landlord filed plans and proceeded with excavation for construction of this two-story store-and-office building 70 by 154 feet, on the perimeter of the parking area.

The* 1956 lease referred to a plot plan prepared by landlord’s architect and made a part thereof as annexed Schedule “A”. It showed the positions and dimensions of the building to be constructed for Food Fair, of the other stores to be built, and of the parking area. Similarly, the 1958 modification had attached thereto Schedule “A” prepared by the landlord’s architect showing not only the 200 linear front feet of stores required to be completed but also the location and dimensions to be included in an area contemplated for additional stores, [207]*207as well as the increased area for the Food Fair store and for the parking area.

Food Fair’s representative, following the architect’s boundaries of these designated parts in the plot plan, outlined the entire perimeter of the plot in green, the Food Fair store in red, and the parking area in yellow. The landlord conceded at the trial that it was the practice for a shopping center lease to show the entire perimeter of the plot in one color, the parking area in another color and that particular tenant’s building area in a different color.

The Food Fair lease for a total term with renewals of thirty-five years is for the premises “ as outlined in red on * * * Schedule 1A ’ together with the building to be erected thereon * * * and together with the right to use the premises outlined in yellow on Schedule 1 A ’ and marked 1 Parking Area The “Parking Area ” is not only for Food Fair but for all the stores included in the shopping center.

Paragraph 31 contains a covenant of quiet enjoyment, “ that Tenant shall have quiet possession and enjoyment of the Demised Premises and said Parking Area during the term of this lease ” (emphasis supplied).

Paragraph 32, which makes provision for the contingency of a reduction in the size of the parking area ‘ ‘ so long as such reduction of Parking Area thereafter continues,” with slightly different consequences if due or not due to ‘ ‘ any act of omission or commission of Landlord,” begins with the following clear and broad statement as to Tenant’s “ non-revocable right ” to the use of the parking space as shown in Schedule “ A ”: “ Landlord represents, warrants and agrees that, at all times during the term of this léase, Tenant shall have the non-exclusive and non-revocable right, together with other Tenants and occupants of the stores on the premises whereon Landlord contemplates their erection, as indicated in Paragraph 30 hereof, to the use of the parking space outlined in yellow on Schedule ‘ A ’ (hereinafter called ‘ Parking Area ’) and driveways appurtenant to the Demised Premises for purposes of ingress and egress, parking of motor vehicles for itself and its customers, and loading and unloading of vehicles in connection with and incidental to the business conducted by Tenant on Demised Premises ” (emphasis supplied).

Paragraph 42 provides that neither the landlord, its successors or assigns nor any subsidiary or controlling corporation shall ‘ alter, change or vary in any manner the location of the building improvements and parking facilities as to the said improve[208]*208ments and parking facilities are shown on Schedule ‘ A ’ attached hereto.” (Emphasis supplied.)

The landlord relies upon the opening clause of Par graph 30, which deals at considerable length with a restrictive covenant as to competing businesses. Paragraph 30 states: ‘ ‘ Landlord contemplates the erection of additional stores in the area of Demised Premises, as outlined in green on Schedule ‘ A ’, and Landlord agrees * * * [then follow the specific and detailed provisions of the restrictive covenant].” The landlord then ties in with this opening clause that portion of Paragraph 32 which reads: “If for any reason due to any act of omission or commission of Landlord, the size of Parking Area is reduced so that at least 225 cars cannot park thereon, all provisions with respect to minimum rental of $32,500 provided for in Paragraph 7 hereof, shall be deemed eliminated and deleted from this lease, and so long as such reduction of Parking Area continues, Tenant’s only obligation with respect to rental shall be the payment of 1% of gross sales during the said period (as set forth in Paragraph 7 hereof) payable after the expiration of each lease year of the term hereof (as defined in Paragraph 7); provided, however, that Tenant may at any time while such reduction in Parking Area continues, in addition to any other remedies available to it, on 10 days ’ written notice, terminate this lease.”

Landlord contends that the building of additional stores anywhere on the entire green-outlined perimeter of the plot,. embracing also the perimeter of the parking area, is authorized by the opening clause of Paragraph 30 and that such building in the parking area is an act of commission by the landlord reducing the size of the parking area within the meaning of Paragraph 32. Thus, the landlord takes the position that it has the right to build any number of stores in any portion of the shopping center, including the area delineated in yellow as the “ Parking Area,” provided there remains parking space for 225 cars. . .

The importance of the size and location of the parking area was clearly revealed at the trial. The Food Fair store as well as all the other stores in the shopping center fronted on the parking area, there being no entrances to any of the stores other than from the parking area. The landlord admitted that there had been discussions concerning the .customary “ 3 to 1 ” ratio in the shopping center business, that is, three square feet of parking area for each square foot of ground floor area in the shopping center. Food Fair agreed that, in view of this particular location within the city, it would [209]*209accept a parking area which amounted to a ratio of about 2 to 1. That parking area was located and bounded with specific dimensions in a particular area in the plot plan prepared by landlord’s architect and made a part of the lease.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
55 Misc. 2d 205, 284 N.Y.S.2d 814, 1967 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1421, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/food-fair-stores-inc-v-jackson-heights-shopping-center-inc-nysupct-1967.