Metro Spanish Food Wholesalers, Inc. v. Jetro Cash-&-Carry Enterprises, Inc.

137 Misc. 2d 54, 519 N.Y.S.2d 917, 1987 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2585
CourtCivil Court of the City of New York
DecidedSeptember 4, 1987
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 137 Misc. 2d 54 (Metro Spanish Food Wholesalers, Inc. v. Jetro Cash-&-Carry Enterprises, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Civil Court of the City of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Metro Spanish Food Wholesalers, Inc. v. Jetro Cash-&-Carry Enterprises, Inc., 137 Misc. 2d 54, 519 N.Y.S.2d 917, 1987 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2585 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1987).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Philip C. Modesto, J.

This is a commercial nonjury holdover summary proceeding brought on for trial before this court. The case was tried over a period of four days commencing on July 7, 1987. This decision constitutes the findings of fact and conclusion of law as required pursuant to CPLR 4213 (b).

The petition seeks, inter alia, a final judgment awarding possession of the premises to the petitioner. It alleges that the respondent is a holdover tenant, its lease having expired on March 31, 1987. The premises in question are the second and third floors of building WH-1 located in the Bronx Terminal Market in Bronx County. The petition further alleges that the respondent has continued in possession of the premises without the permission of the landlord, or of the petitioner, after the expiration of the lease term. The amended answer alleges, in relevant part, that the petition was not properly verified, and that the petitioner lacks the legal capacity to bring and maintain the summary proceeding. It also contains denials as to the petitioner’s allegation of the petitioner’s corporate status, the fact of lease existence and expiration and the situs of the premises involved. The answer also contains an affirmative defense alleging that the respondent occupies the premises pursuant to a valid rental agreement and that the term of that lease has not yet expired.

[56]*56THE FINDINGS OF FACT

The court having heard all of the evidence and reviewed and examined all of the relevant documents and exhibits makes the following findings of fact.

It has been indubitably established that the petitioners are the landlord and its leasee and that as such they are entitled to bring this holdover proceeding. (RPAPL 721 [1], [10].) It has also been established that the respondent leased the premises in question on or about January 1, 1987 under a written agreement with the petitioner Arol Development Corporation, the landlord herein. The premises in question are as herein-above described.

The disputed facts concern the issue of when did the January 1, 1987 lease between the petitioner landlord and the respondent expire?

The court finds that the respondent and the petitioner Arol Development Corp. did in fact enter into a written lease for the premises in question. That lease was dated January 1, 1987 and provided that its expiration date was February 15, 1987. This lease term was extended until March 31, 1987 and the rent for the extension was paid by check dated February 9, 1987. The letter seeking the extension in writing was never signed by the landlord or its agents. On February 10, 1987 and March 11, 1987 the respondent’s attorney sent separate letters to Arol Development Corp. which show, inter alia, that no long-term lease between the parties had as yet been entered into as of said dates. On March 18, 1987 another letter was mailed to the landlord from the respondent which sought further to extend the lease from March 31, 1987 up to and including September 30, 1987. A check for the April 1987 rent was enclosed therewith. A follow-up letter from the respondent’s attorney on March 19, 1987 to the landlord clearly shows that the original lease had as yet not been extended beyond the March 31, 1987 expiration date. On March 30, 1987 the landlord and its attorney notified the respondent that the landlord did not wish to extend the lease beyond March 31, 1987. In fact the respondent’s letter dated April 1, 1987 addressed to the landlord clearly demonstrates and shows that the respondent as of that date knew that an extension agreement beyond March 31, 1987 did not exist.

The oral testimony of respondent’s witnesses attempted to show that an oral agreement had been reached between the landlord and the respondent wherein the lease was to be [57]*57extended to at least September 30, 1987 and that in fact the parties had contemplated a long-term lease. This oral testimony was vigorously and directly contradicted by the landlord’s corporate president. The court in light of the evidence as adduced and the documentary evidence as produced is constrained to conclude that no written extension of the January 1, 1987 lease beyond March 31, 1987 exists. Also that no agreement (oral or written) was ever made between the parties for a long-term lease. It is axiomatic that mere negotiations do not constitute binding agreements. The respondent is attempting by its evidence to bind the landlord to a lease agreement beyond March 31, 1987 when in fact no conclusive or probative evidence in support of that proposition exists. The evidence clearly shows that the respondent is a large corporation totally sophisticated in the business world and that it operates and conducts businesses at many other locations throughout the country. Its representative, Mr. Knoll, admitted that he has personally handled at least five separate lease negotiations during the last five years. He also admitted that when his company purchased the assets of the predecessor tenant for the premises it knew that they were buying the assets only and that no lease existed to cover the premises. All throughout the negotiations for the purported lease extension and/or long-term lease the respondent was represented by counsel. The attorneys knew that no written lease and/or extension beyond March 31, 1987 existed and repeatedly attempted to obtain the landlord’s agreement for said extension and/or long-term lease.

The evidence further clearly demonstrated that the landlord, Arol Development Corp., entered into a new lease with the petitioner, Metro Spanish Food Wholesalers, Inc., on March 31, 1987. Also that this new lease was for the same premises as the previous lease between the landlord and the respondent. The commencement date for the new lease is April 1, 1987. The monthly rental for the premises is greater than that being paid by the respondent under the terms of its expired lease. The existence of this new lease has not been successfully controverted by the respondent.

During the trial several motions were made by the respondent which this court will address at this time. The first of these motions was to dismiss the petition because the petition was filed in court on April 1, 1987 and the notice of petition and an exhibit B thereto were filed on April 2, 1987 (one day later). It is alleged that this separate filing of the [58]*58petition and the notice of petition and exhibit on separate dates is a jurisdictional defect which mandates dismissal. RPAPL 735 (2) provides that

"The notice of petition * * * and petition together with proof of service * * * shall be filed with the court or clerk thereof within three days after;

"(a) personal delivery to respondent, when service has been made by that means, and such service shall be complete immediately upon such personal delivery”.

The service of the petition and notice of petition was personally made upon the respondent’s general manager on April 1, 1987. The issue of the appropriateness of that personal service was already resolved by another Judge of this court. It has been established that the service was made on April 1, 1987 and that the filing of the petition in court took place on April 1, 1987 and the notice of petition and exhibit B were filed in court on April 2, 1987.

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Bluebook (online)
137 Misc. 2d 54, 519 N.Y.S.2d 917, 1987 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2585, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/metro-spanish-food-wholesalers-inc-v-jetro-cash-carry-enterprises-nycivct-1987.