In re County of Nassau

71 Misc. 2d 554, 336 N.Y.S.2d 566, 1972 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1465
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 13, 1972
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 71 Misc. 2d 554 (In re County of Nassau) 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
In re County of Nassau, 71 Misc. 2d 554, 336 N.Y.S.2d 566, 1972 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1465 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1972).

Opinion

Howard T. Hogan, J.

On December 18, 1967, the County of Nassau condemned for public use claimant’s property consisting of 29.4 acres of land, having 750 feet of frontage on the Atlantic Ocean together with improvements. Approximately one half the property (15.6 acres) was improved with a cabana and beach club complex. The remainder was practically vacant.

This property is perhaps the last of several condemnations by the county of beach club land in this area which began in the mid-1960’s. In some of the condemnations both parties agreed that the highest and best use was residential development (Matter of Town of Hempstead [Lido Beach], Sup. Ct. Nassau County, Index No. 7410/66). That decision relates the various zoning changes from commercial to residential and the change in character from commercial beach clubs to residential plots. Another condemnation of similar property in the same area zoned business (Matter of County of Nassau [Lido Blvd.], 67 Misc 2d 1065) established that there was no market for beach clubs. Bather the market showed a distinct preference for residential plots. The problem inherent in that case is very much the same as this — determining land value for property used as a beach and cabana club. In that case the property was found susceptible to either of two separate uses, and residential [556]*556land was worth more than land zoned for commercial use. This is what the court finds here.

VALUATION

Claimant’s appraiser using a summation approach estimated a total damage of $2,400,000- divided as follows:

Beach club land and buildings
(15.6 acres at $55,000) $1,569,000
Other land
(13.8 acres at $60,000) 828,000-

Petitioner’s appraiser also using a summation or cost method estimated the total damage at $1,736,000 as follows:

Land $1,325,000
Improvement 411,000-

SPECIALTY PROPERTY

The subject property, by virtue of its location, size and duality of highest and best use, is unique. The westerly 20 acres, improved with cabanas, lockers, snack bar, club house, swimming pools and other amenities, was a .specialty; The improvements were unique and were specially built for a specific purpose; it was being specially used at the time of the condemnation; there was no market for beach and cabana clubs and no sales for such use at the time; the improvements were appropriate and at the time of vesting its operation was economically .sound and it reasonably could be expected to be replaced. (Matter of County of Nassau [Lido Blvd.], supra; Matter of Port Auth. Trans-Hudson Corp. [Hudson Rapid Tubes Corp.], 20 N Y 2d 457.)

During the trial the parties stipulated the sound value of the improvements was $711,000.

Appraisers for both sides agreed that the use was at least a ‘ ‘ special type ’ ’ of use. With this the court concurs insofar as the 20 acres are concerned. The use being made of that part of the property met all the criteria. With respect to the remainder of 9.4 acres, entirely vacant, the court finds this portion was not a specialty property but rather had a different highest and best use — residential. In other words, the court finds there existed a duality of use for the entire tract.

Without question waterfront land on Long Island is highly desirable and commands a substantial return in the market. Especially is this true if its proximity to New York City is within easy commuting distance as was the subject property.

In the early 1950’s six private beach clubs were constructed along the ocean front on land rezoned for commercial use. Not all were successful. Then in the 1960’s some of this zoning was changed to allow residential one-family development. From [557]*557this it seems only reasonable to conclude that claimant’s easterly • 9.4 acres not used in its beach club operation would have been granted a change of zone to residential.

The subject parcel, rectangular in shape, had 750 feet frontage on the Atlantic Ocean running north some 1,700 feet to Lido Boulevard. All public utilities including sanitary sewers were available. The physical improvements on the westerly 20 acres were cabanas, lockers, swimming pools, club house, snack bar, tennis, hand ball courts, dance pavilion and parking area. The 9.4 acres on the east were mostly unimproved. Each must be valued for its highest and best use. (Sparkill Realty Corp. v. State of New York, 254 App. Div. 78, affd. 279 N. Y. 656.)

METHOD OF VALUATION

Since the evidence demonstrates that this was a viable and economically sound operation which could reasonably be expected to be replaced, value may be measured by the cost approach, as to the area used as a beach and cabana club which appears to have been 20 acres. Both parties stipulated at the trial that the sound value of the beach club improvements was $711,000 and the court adopts this figure.

The claimant’s appraiser valued the land devoted to club use at $55,000 per acre, or $858,000 for 15.6 acres, by analyzing and capitalizing the ground lease with modifications of the Atlantic Beach Club and others in the area. He determined the value of the easterly 13.8 acres by utilizing comparable sales of largé vacant tracts suitable for residential development in the immediate vicinity and adjusted these for plot yield per acre, time and size where necessary in order to reflect differences between them and that portion of the subject property under review, arriving at a value of $60,000 per acre or $828,000 for the vacant land.

Petitioner’s appraiser valued the entire parcel of 29.4 acres as if it were all business land, even though he testified that the highest and best use of 9.4 acres of vacant land east of the actual club was residential. Based on vacant land sales, three of which were utilized by claimant also, he found a value of $45,000 per acre or a total of $1,323,000 for the land. However, he deducted $300,000 from the stipulated sound value of the improvements which he attributed to economic obsolescence. It was his opinion that the land as utilized for a beach club was worth only $30,000 per acre. His $300,000 for economic obsolescence was based upon a deduction of $15,000 per acre from his $45,000 per acre figure for 20 acres which he arbitrarily determined were devoted to club use. This position is difficult to [558]*558reconcile with his finding that the beach clnb constituted the highest and best use of this part of the subject property.

His estimate of economic obsolescence was based upon his analysis of ground leases of three beach clubs in the Lido area. To him, these leases indicated a value of $30,000 per acre for land under beach club use. However, these leases which he capitalized were all executed more than 10 years before the vesting date and do not reflect the fair economic rent attributable fco the land in 1967. Petitioner’s expert did not even adjust for this time difference in his analysis. As such his opinion of economic obsolescence is entitled to little weight. In addition, the evidence supports a finding that this beach club was an economically sound and viable operation. This alone disproves the economic obsolescence. He further testified that residential land in the area was worth between $55,000 and $60,000 per acre.

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Related

Fisher v. City of Syracuse
46 A.D.2d 216 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1974)

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Bluebook (online)
71 Misc. 2d 554, 336 N.Y.S.2d 566, 1972 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1465, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-county-of-nassau-nysupct-1972.