Innamorato v. State

65 Misc. 2d 440, 317 N.Y.S.2d 860, 1971 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1905
CourtNew York Court of Claims
DecidedJanuary 25, 1971
DocketClaim No. 50151
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 65 Misc. 2d 440 (Innamorato v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Court of Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Innamorato v. State, 65 Misc. 2d 440, 317 N.Y.S.2d 860, 1971 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1905 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1971).

Opinion

Daniel Becker, J.

This is a claim for the appropriation of claimant’s land pursuant to section 30 of the Highway Law which proceeding is described as Interstate Route 503, Route 17 Interchange to Route 208, Orange County, Map No. 568, Parcel No. 936, Map No. 598, Parcel No. 964 and Map No. 587, Parcel No. 958.

[441]*441These maps and descriptions were filed in the office of the Secretary of State on August 3, 1967 and in the office of the Orange County Clerk on January 12,1968. Personal service was made on the claimant on January 30,1968.

The claim was filed with the Clerk of the Court of Claims and the Attorney-General on October 3, 1968. The claim has not been assigned or submitted to any other court or tribunal for audit or determination.

The court adopts the descriptions of the appropriated property as shown on the maps and descriptions filed in the Orange County Clerk’s office, copies of which are attached to the claim and are incorporated herein by reference.

The original claimants Gelsomino Innamorato and Philomena Innamorato were the owners of the property by reason of a deed from Pasquale Agostino and Marianna Agostino, husband and wife, to Gelsomino Innamorato and Philomena Innamorato, husband and wife, dated February 7, 1953 and recorded in the Orange County Clerk’s office in Liber 1258 of Deeds at Page 52 on February 9, 1953. Claimant Gelsomino Innamorato died on April 16, 1970 and Philomena Innamorato was appointed executrix of his estate by the Surrogate Court of Orange County and letters testamentary were issued to her dated April 28, 1970. Based upon the stipulation of the attorneys, on June 2, 1970 an order was made by the Honorable Dorothea E. Donaldson, Judge of the Court of Claims, substituting Philomena Innamorato, as executrix of the estate of Gelsomino Innamorato, in place of Gelsomino Innamorato individually and amending the title of the claim accordingly.

Before the appropriation the claimants’ property consisted of 33.750± acres on the west wide of Route 208 in the Town of Montgomery, Orange County, New York. The property was generally rectangular in shape and about 15± acres of the property were used by the claimants as an automobile salvage yard. The property had no road frontage on Route 208 but there was a small access road into the property from Route 208 over which claimants had an easement.

The State appropriated 30.947± acres in fee for the construction of Route 84 and a service area leaving claimants with 2.803± acres of landlocked land.

Both appraisers agreed that the highest and best use of the property before the appropriation was as an automobile salvage yard. The appraisers also agreed that the highest and best use of the remaining 2.803± acres of land after the appropriation was for sale to a neighboring property owner. The court concurs with the appraisers with respect to those conclusions [442]*442and finds that these were the highest and best uses of the property before and after the appropriation.

The claimants’ appraiser evaluated the property before the taking as follows: Land — $236,821; Buildings ■ — $26,800 for a total of $263,621 which he rounded to $263,000. He appraised the after value of the land at $2,000 and fixes the claimants’ damages at $261,000, of which $244,000 was direct damages and $17,000 was consequential damages.

The State’s appraiser testified that the value of the land before the appropriation was $135,000, buildings and land improvements were $25,000, for a total of $160,000. He estimated that the value of the land remaining after the appropriation was $500 and that the claimants were damaged in the amount of $159,500. He assesses $148,800 of these damages to the direct taking and $10,700 to severance damages.

In 1968 the property and improvements were assessed for a total of $11,000. The equalization rate was 39%.

There were several buildings and various other improvements on the property. However, the claimants’ appraiser assigned a value for buildings and improvements of $26,800" and the State’s appraiser fixed the same at $25,000. Claimants’ appraiser evaluated the remaining parcel of 2.803± acres at $2,000; the State’s appraiser at $500. Hence the major dispute here is with respect to the value of the land before the appropriation. Roughly, the State’s appraiser fixed the before value of the land at $4,000 per acre; the claimants’ appraiser estimated it to be $7,000 per acre. By reason of zoning ordinances in the area it is difficult to establish an auto salvage yard where such a business has not been previously operated. Therefore, there is no question but that this particular parcel was more valuable than surrounding land because of its use as a junk yard.

The State made a motion at the trial to strike eight , of the comparable sales used by the claimants’ appraiser on the grounds that the claimants’ written appraisal did not contain adjustments of the comparable sales. That motion is now denied.

Rule 25a of the Rules of the Court of Claims (22 NYCRR 1200.27) provides for the filing and exchange of appraisals. Judge At/pert in Parisi v. State of New York (62 Misc 2d 378) held that the written appraisal must contain adjustments of comparable sales or the comparable sales may not be used at the trial. Judge Lengyel in Azzolini v. State of New York (63 Misc 2d 631) held that the appellate decisions require adjustments to be in the trial record but do not require that they be in the written filed appraisal.

[443]*443What we are now confronted with are the provisions of section 16 of the Court of Claims Act which is more liberal than rule 25a of the Buies of the Court of Claims. In my opinion, both section 16 and rule 25a should be read together and a claimant, under the circumstances in this particular case, should in fairness be given the opportunity to present oral adjustments. It should be pointed out here that the court is relying primarily on the claimants’ comparables No. 1 and No. 5 and the State’s comparable No. 233, which all involve the same property. However, the court does not condone the so-called “bare bones ” written appraisal in which the appraiser makes no adjustments. The purpose of rule 25a is to give each side an opportunity to see in advance the appraisal evidence that they will be confronted with at the trial. Judge Lehgyel pointed out in Assolmi v. State of New York (supra, p. 634) that adjustments of comparable sales are not required to be in the appraisal report. He said: ‘1 The appellate decisions require them to be in the trial record (Ridgeway Assoc. v. State of New York, 32 A D 2d 851, 853; Svoboda v. State of New York, 28 A D 2d 1056; Wright v. State of New York, 33 A D 2d 616; Verni v. State of New York, 31 A D 2d 727); and, do not as yet require .them to be set forth in the filed appraisal. Buie 25a of the Buies of the Court of Claims (22 NYCBB 1200.27), has not repealed or abrogated section 16 of the ¡Court of Claims Act. Furthermore, we do not believe a court rule can repeal, abrogate or amend a constitutional legislative enactment. (See Court of Claims Act, § 9, subd. 9.) As we all know, section 16 provides that either party to an appropriation claim may utilize comparable sales if they are served upon his opponent more than 20 days before the trial.

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Bluebook (online)
65 Misc. 2d 440, 317 N.Y.S.2d 860, 1971 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1905, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/innamorato-v-state-nyclaimsct-1971.