Maltz v. ALAC Contr. Corp.

CourtAppellate Terms of the Supreme Court of New York
DecidedAugust 17, 2017
Docket2017 NYSlipOp 51075(U)
StatusPublished

This text of Maltz v. ALAC Contr. Corp. (Maltz v. ALAC Contr. Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Terms of the Supreme Court of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Maltz v. ALAC Contr. Corp., (N.Y. Ct. App. 2017).

Opinion



Robert Maltz, Appellant,

against

ALAC Contracting Corp., Respondent.


Michael R. Freeda, Esq., for appellant. ALAC Contracting Corp., respondent pro se (no brief filed).

Appeal from a judgment of the District Court of Nassau County, First District (Darlene D. Harris, J.), entered February 5, 2015. The judgment, after a nonjury trial, dismissed the action.

ORDERED that the judgment is affirmed, without costs.

Plaintiff commenced this small claims action to recover the sum of $5,000 for defendant's allegedly improper construction of a roadway, which caused damage to plaintiff's car and the loss of rent. After a nonjury trial, the District Court dismissed the action.

In a small claims action, our review is limited to a determination of whether "substantial justice has . . . been done between the parties according to the rules and principles of substantive law" (UDCA 1807; see UDCA 1804; Ross v Friedman, 269 AD2d 584 [2000]; Williams v Roper, 269 AD2d 125, 126 [2000]).

Plaintiff's sole contention on appeal is that the District Court erred in allowing defendant's witness, Thomas Mahan, who informed the court that he was the superintendent of defendant corporation, to appear for defendant and testify on defendant's behalf, without first inquiring whether Mr. Mahon was authorized. As plaintiff did not raise this issue in the District Court, it is not preserved for appellate review (see Nash v Yablon-Nash, 61 AD3d 832 [2009]). In any [*2]event, we find that the District Court made a reasonable inquiry as to whether Mr. Mahan was authorized to appear on behalf of defendant in defense of this small claims action (see UDCA 1809 [2]).

Upon a review of the record, we find no basis to disturb the District Court's determination, as it provided the parties with substantial justice according to the rules and principles of substantive law (see UDCA 1804, 1807).

Accordingly, the judgment is affirmed.

MARANO, P.J., TOLBERT and GARGUILO, JJ., concur.


ENTER:
Paul Kenny
Chief Clerk
Decision Date: August 17, 2017

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Related

Nash v. Yablon-Nash
61 A.D.3d 832 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2009)
Williams v. Roper
269 A.D.2d 125 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2000)
Ross v. Friedman
269 A.D.2d 584 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2000)

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Bluebook (online)
Maltz v. ALAC Contr. Corp., Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/maltz-v-alac-contr-corp-nyappterm-2017.