General Motors Corp. v. Warner

5 Misc. 3d 968
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 3, 2004
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 5 Misc. 3d 968 (General Motors Corp. v. Warner) 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
General Motors Corp. v. Warner, 5 Misc. 3d 968 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2004).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Louis C. Benza, J.

[969]*969Petitioner seeks judgment pursuant to CPLR article 75 vacating an award of arbitration based on an error of law. In opposition, respondent cross-moves for, inter alia, an order confirming the arbitrator’s award. The Attorney General also moves this court for leave to appear as amicus curiae.

In its verified petition, petitioner alleges the following. Respondent purchased a 2003 GMC Sierra, a vehicle manufactured by petitioner, from a dealership known as LaQua 481. In April 2003 respondent brought the vehicle to LaQua because the vehicle would not shift past second gear. On the second repair attempt, in May 2003, the shifting problem was repaired. Thereafter, respondent returned the vehicle to LaQua on three occasions, complaining that, inter alia, the vehicle would not start. On each occasion, the vehicle was repaired and returned to respondent. Respondent subsequently filed a request for arbitration pursuant to General Business Law § 198-a (the Lemon Law).

The Lemon Law entitles a consumer to either recover the value of his or her vehicle, or obtain a comparable replacement vehicle, upon showing that a manufacturer has failed to remedy a defect after a reasonable number of repair attempts. The statute contains a presumption that a reasonable number of repair attempts has been made where the same problem has been subject to repair four or more times, or the vehicle is out of service by reason of repair for one or more problems for 30 days (General Business Law § 198-a [d]). If a consumer demonstrates that it is entitled to the presumption, it is incumbent upon the manufacturer to demonstrate either that the defect does not substantially impair the value of the vehicle or the defect is due to the consumer (§ 198-a [c] [3] [i], [ii]). Pursuant to the statute, a party may elect arbitration of such claims and, here, respondent received an arbitration hearing in February 2004.

The parties contest the evidence adduced at this hearing. In its verified petition, petitioner alleges that respondent conceded that the vehicle was not out of service in excess of 30 days, acknowledged that the shifting problem was repaired after the second repair attempt, and that, after the final repair, the vehicle has not failed to start. In his opposition and in support of his cross motion, respondent denies that the vehicle was repaired and, further, argues that the vehicle was out of service in excess of 30 days. In any event, the arbitrator determined that respondent was entitled to a refund in the amount of $32,413.58. The arbitrator based the award on his finding “that [970]*970there were four or more attempts . . . and the problem continued to exist at the end of the fourth repair attempt” (verified petition, exhibit C). As a result, petitioner commenced the instant proceeding seeking to vacate the arbitrator’s award. Thereafter, the Attorney General moved for leave to appear amicus curiae.

In support of its application, petitioner contends that the arbitrator’s decision is not supported by the evidence and, as such, must be vacated. Further, petitioner argues that, due to a change in policy of the Attorney General and concomitant change in forms, the arbitrator’s determination is based on an erroneous legal standard. Specifically, the new policy of the Attorney General, as promulgated by the arbitration forms, requires only that a defect exist after a fourth repair attempt and not, as previously required, at the time of the hearing.

At the outset, this court has on prior occasions been asked to determine the appropriateness of the new standard promulgated by the Attorney General in the arbitration forms in the context of proceedings to vacate arbitration awards. On these occasions, this court has determined that the standard set forth in the forms was an error at law (DaimlerChrysler Corp. v Arvonio, Sup Ct, Albany County, July 6, 2004; DaimlerChrysler Corp. v Catherman, 3 Misc 3d 1110[A], 2004 NY Slip Op 50546[U] [Sup Ct, Albany County, June 12, 2004]; Saturn Corp. v Guidice, Sup Ct, Albany County, Mar. 11, 2004). It is noted that, in these prior cases, the arguments raised by the Attorney General herein were not before the court. As such, the court grants the Attorney General leave to appear amicus curiae as the court determines that such appearance would be beneficial to determination of the issues.

Turning to the merits, the court rejects petitioner’s contention that the arbitrator’s determination, finding that the vehicle was subject to repair four or more times for the same, problem, is not supported by the record. Petitioner fails to submit a transcript of the arbitration proceedings and, instead, supplies an affirmation by its attorney, who attended the arbitration, and an affidavit of an automobile repairperson from the dealership, who was also present at the arbitration. These, submissions are insufficient to challenge the factual finding of the arbitrator as they do not provide a record of the evidence before the arbitrator for this court to review. The court also notes that it may not rely on petitioner’s submissions to establish the record as its submissions are contradicted by the arbitration form [971]*971and respondent’s submissions. Specifically, the form states that the transmission would not shift correctly and the truck could not be started because the gear indicator was in the wrong gear. Further, the affidavit of Sheila Warner states the truck failed to start because it could not be shifted into park. Thus, there is some evidence in the record that, if credited, supports that these two problems were related. Accordingly, petitioner has not demonstrated that a lack of evidence warrants vacatur of the arbitrator’s award.

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Related

Dolton v. LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH
935 A.2d 295 (District of Columbia Court of Appeals, 2007)
In re General Motors Corp.
24 A.D.3d 869 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2005)
DaimlerChrysler Corp. v. Spitzer
26 A.D.3d 88 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2005)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
5 Misc. 3d 968, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/general-motors-corp-v-warner-nysupct-2004.