Murphy v. Erie County

60 Misc. 2d 954, 304 N.Y.S.2d 242, 1969 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1169
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 6, 1969
StatusPublished

This text of 60 Misc. 2d 954 (Murphy v. Erie County) 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
Murphy v. Erie County, 60 Misc. 2d 954, 304 N.Y.S.2d 242, 1969 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1169 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1969).

Opinion

Michael Catalano, J.

Plaintiffs move to serve an amended complaint.

Defendants move to dismiss the amended complaint, upon the grounds of insufficiency and res judicata.

This is the third complaint seeking the same relief from the Supreme Court in Erie County.

The first complaint (includes “petition”; CPLR 105, subd. [b]) dated August 6, 1969, named Jerome T. Murphy (herein called “ Jerome ”), a taxpayer as petitioner for judgment under CPLR article 78 in the nature of “prohibition” against the County Legislature of the County of Erie (herein called “ County Legislature ”) and B. John Tutuska, as County Executive of the County of Erie (herein called “Tutuska”), as [956]*956respondents, later adding Kenford Company, Inc. (herein called “Kenford”) and The Dome Stadium, Inc., (herein called “ Dome ”), as inter veno r s-r e spondents, alleged in effect that on June 17, 1969, the County Legislature entered into a secret contract to enter into a certain management contract of a proposed domed stadium; that on June 18, 1969, the County Legislature adopted a resolution providing that Kenford would guarantee a lease whereby it would pay $63,750,000 over 40 years to the County of Erie (herein called “ County ”), but if the terms of this lease could not be agreed to within three months, then a 20-year management contract would be awarded to Kenford which would receive “up to 15% of said management; ” (so in original) that on August 4, 1969, a contract was submitted for adoption by the County Legislature; that on August 5, 1969, the County Legislature adopted this management contract and submitted it to Tutuska for his signature in behalf of the County; that such action was without legal authority, being arbitrary and capricious and fraudulent; wherefore, an order was sought nullifying this management contract and resolution, and permanently staying the execution of said management contract.

The first complaint was dismissed as insufficient by a decision of Mr. Justice Walter J. Mahoney of this court on August 21, 1969, and “ without prejudice ” by a final judgment dated October 1, 1969.

The second complaint dated August 12, 1969, named Bradley J. Hurd, (herein called “ Hurd ”) plaintiff “as a taxpayer of the County of Erie,” and the County, the County Legislature, Tutuska, Kenford and Dome defendants, alleging, in effect, that on June 18, 1969 and August 5, 1969, the County Legislature adopted certain resolutions, pursuant to which on August 8, 1969, Tutuska accepted in form an agreement with Kenford and Dome to be executed after three months’ failure to agree upon a lease for the domed stadium; that the management of the stadium is public work that must be contracted only with the lowest bidder; wherefore, a judgment was demanded annulling said resolutions of June 18, 1969 and August 5, 1969 and said management contract, and restraining the execution of said management contract.

The second complaint (Hurd’s) was dismissed as insufficient by a decision of Mr. Justice James O. Moore of this court on September 15,1969, stating in part; that the courts do not pass upon legislative policy or administrative discretion; that by chapter 252 of the Laws of 1968, effective May 14, 1968, the New York State Legislature (herein called “ State Legislature ”) passed an act specifically authorizing the County to [957]*957enter into this type of management contract; that the court must assume that legislative discretion has been properly exercised without resorting to competitive bidding. This Hurd complaint was “dismissed on the merits for failure to state a cause of action ” by final judgment dated October 1, 1969.

The third complaint now before this court adds nothing substantially different from the other two dismissed by Justices Mahoney and Moore. It merely adds more details, complaining of specific terms of the management contract, then demands judgment enjoining the County, the County Legislature and Tutuska from spending public money upon this domed stadium, or from allowing any person other than an employee of the County to manage it or from allowing defendants to execute this management contract; and demands judgment nullifying the County Legislature’s said resolutions of June 18, 1969 and August 5, 1969.

The plaintiffs, Francis X. Murphy (herein called “ Francis,” not related in any way to Jerome T. Murphy, petitioner in the first complaint or petition) and Peter B. Carr (herein called “ Carr ”) bring these actions against the same five defendants named in the second complaint, namely, the County, the County Legislature, Tutuska, Kenford and Dome, all of which, excluding the County, were respondents in the first complaint. The plaintiffs herein are lawyers duly practicing as such in this State, appearing pro se, as taxpayers. Thus, all three complaints contain so-called “ taxpayers’ actions ”, seeking basically the same relief from the State Supreme Court.

The third complaint, being an “ amended complaint ”, alleges for a first cause of action (called “ Count One ”) in effect, that on June 18, 1969, the County Legislature adopted a resolution approved by Tutuska for the construction of a domed staduim, to be leased for 40 years to Kenford, or if not agreed upon, to agree to retain Kenford to manage it; that on August 8, 1969, Tutuska and Kenford entered into such a management agreement, being unconstitutional and a public waste and not for a proper County purpose; for a second cause of action (“ Count II”) in effect, that this management contract is an unlawful delegation to a private person of management of public property; that such is a waste of County money; for a third cause of action (“ Count III ”) alleges, in effect, that such a surrender of poAver of taxation is a waste of public property; that for a fourth cause of action (“ Count IV ”); that such is a joint venture between the County and a private corporation and it is not a proper County purpose; that for a fifth cause of action (“ Count V ”); that since the contract provides Kenford with [958]*958office, storage and parking space to be used in fulfilling Ken-ford’s obligations therein, such is a gift or loan and so a waste of County property; that for a sixth canse of action (“ Count VI ”); that since this contract may be assigned by Kenford to Dome it is not in accordance with the June 18, 1969 resolution, constituting a waste of public money and property; that for a seventh cause of action (“ Count VII ”); that since the contract binds the County to provide services and materials to Kenford for one month, then be paid for at a later time, such is an illegal loan of money or property; that for an eighth canse of action (“ Count VIII ”); that since the contract appoints Dome to be sole agent to negotiate major contracts for 11% of the gross revenue and to negotiate purely private contracts for 89% to 96% of certain revenues, such is a waste of public property; that for a ninth cause of action (“ Count IX ”); that the contract with Kenford and Dome being contrary to the June 18, 1969 resolution was a negligent or willful wrong by the parties thereto; that for a tenth cause of action (“ Count X ”); that the dome stadium will not be self-supporting pursuant to the June 18, 1969 resolution and the management contract, thus, will be a waste of taxpayers’ money; that for an eleventh

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Bluebook (online)
60 Misc. 2d 954, 304 N.Y.S.2d 242, 1969 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1169, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/murphy-v-erie-county-nysupct-1969.