Manza v. Newhard

915 F. Supp. 2d 638, 2013 WL 151200, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7656
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedJanuary 15, 2013
DocketNo. 10 CV 8892(VB)
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 915 F. Supp. 2d 638 (Manza v. Newhard) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Manza v. Newhard, 915 F. Supp. 2d 638, 2013 WL 151200, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7656 (S.D.N.Y. 2013).

Opinion

BRICCETTI, District Judge.

Paul T. Manza and Domar Homestead, LLC, bring this Section 1983 action against Michael Newhard in both his individual capacity and his official capacity as the Mayor of the Village of Warwick, New York, and also against the Village of Warwick. Plaintiffs allege violations of their substantive and procedural due process rights in connection with the termination of water service to their property. Now pending is defendants’ motion for summary judgment. . (Doc. # 45.)

For the following reasons, the motion is granted;

The Court has subject matter jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1331.

BACKGROUND

The parties have submitted briefs, statements of facts, affirmations, and declarations with supporting exhibits that reflect the following factual background.

The Village of Warwick maintains a central water service system through which it provides water to Village residents and others. For over 130 years, pursuant to deeded property rights, the Village provided water free of charge to property at 21 H'athorn Road/12 County Route 1A in the Town of Warwick (the “property”).

On September 8, 1980, then-Village attorney Bernard I. Kunert sent a letter to then-Village Mayor John P. McGrath concerning ancient deeds given to the Village with respect to portions of the property conveyed to the Village which the Village needed to build its water system. Those deeds reserved rights for the grantors to receive water free of charge. Kunert opined that the right to receive water free of charge was limited and that certain conditions to receiving free water were not met. Thus, in his opinion, the current users of the property were not entitled to free water. Although it was Kunert’s opinion that under one of the deeds users subsequent to the original grantors should pay for the use of Village water, he also stated a court determination would be [642]*642needed to determine what the actual intent of the parties was at the time the deed was delivered.

Nearly thirty years later, Village attorney Michael D. Meth also reviewed the ancient deeds. Meth reached the same conclusion; namely, that users subsequent to the original grantors should pay for the use of Village water. His opinion omitted any reference to the need for a court determination regarding the intent of the parties at the time the original deed was delivered. He conveyed his opinion to Mayor Newhard by letter dated July 29, 2008.

Following Meth’s letter, on December 15, 2008, the Village issued a bill for water service at the property. At the time, Manza contends he owned a beneficial interest in the property in the form of a ground lease. Nearly one year later, the property was conveyed to Domar Homestead, LLC, of which Manza is the sole managing member.

Defendants contend they sent Manza “Delinquent Notice” bills on both January 16 and February 18, 2009. The latter notice warned that payment was required to “Avoid A Shut-Off.” Plaintiffs dispute these facts, and defendants have provided no documents confirming either the contents of these notices or that they were actually sent.

The parties agree, however, no payment was ever made.

The Village employs a water billing clerk who maintains accounts for recipients of water service, issues bills, and processes payments. This clerk has authority to remedy clerical billing errors. Water bills include a telephone number to reach this clerk in the event there is a question or complaint about the bill. The clerk refers all non-clerical billing problems to the appropriate Village official.

Manza called the number for the Village water clerk that was provided on the December water bill. He explained his objection to the bill based on his deeded property rights, and was asked to explain the problem in person at Village Hall. After a discussion at Village Hall, he was referred to Mayor Newhard.

In February 2009, Manza met with May- or Newhard. Manza informed him that he objected to paying the water bill because he had “deeded rights to free water.”

Mayor Newhard consulted Village attorney Meth, who reissued his opinion letter concerning the right to receive water at the property. On March 5, Mayor New-hard sent a letter to Manza stating that, based on Meth’s opinion, the Village rejected Manza’s objection to paying for water. The letter enclosed a copy of Meth’s opinion. The letter also noted the Village had not received payment on its first bill and that if payment were not received in a timely manner, the Village would be “forced to discontinue service.”

On March 9, Manza responded by email to Mayor Newhard. Manza stated he would pay for water from the date of meter installation forward if his attorney and the Village attorney, or the appropriate court, determined that Manza was obligated to pay for water.

At some point in March, Manza met again with Mayor Newhard along with Arthur Wendel, the Village Water Plant Operator, Steven Sisco, the Village Department of Public Works Supervisor, and others. At that meeting, the parties discussed an alleged leak in the water lines at the property as well as Manza’s objection to being billed for water service.

The record amply supports defendants’ assertion as to the topics discussed at the March 2009 meeting. Indeed, in his Arti[643]*643cle 78 Verified Petition, discussed below, Manza swore to the following facts

The seemingly most productive of these meetings took place in March 2009, at Mayor Newhard’s office at Village Hall in the Village of Warwick____ At this meeting, Petitioner believed that he had reached an understanding with Respondents to (a) cooperate in finding and in helping to fix the alleged leak, without Petitioner accepting any responsibility for the leak, and (b) participate in a judicial determination of Petitioner’s water rights, if Respondents felt that these deeded rights were no longer applicable. Apparently, though, these meetings were of no consequence or import to the Respondent Mayor. Notwithstanding Petitioner’s assertions of longstanding deeded property rights to Village water free of charge, Respondents Mayor Newhard and the Village of Warwick failed to reconsider its fait accompli decision.

In light of this admission as to the topics discussed at the March 2009 meeting,1 the Court construes plaintiffs’ argument that Manza was denied an opportunity to present arguments and proof, especially regarding the decision to begin billing, as a purely legal argument that he was denied a meaningful opportunity to be heard.

By letter dated March 12, 2009, the Village’s Code Enforcement Officer, Daniel Kelly, informed Manza that the matter of deeded water rights had been referred to him, and that the Village of Warwick, based on the opinion of its attorney, required Manza to pay for water usage. Kelly also informed Manza that the Village would continue to provide Manza with water for sixty days, to afford Manza time to pursue his legal options. Kelly warned that if the Village’s decision were not overturned by an authority granted by law to do so by the end of the sixty days, then the Village would shut off water because of nonpayment.

On April 20, 2009, Kelly sent another letter to Manza inquiring as to whether Manza planned to bring an action appealing the Village’s decision to demand payment.

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915 F. Supp. 2d 638, 2013 WL 151200, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7656, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/manza-v-newhard-nysd-2013.