New York Infirmary — Beekman Downtown Hospital v. Sarris

154 Misc. 2d 798, 588 N.Y.S.2d 748, 1992 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 393
CourtCivil Court of the City of New York
DecidedAugust 13, 1992
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 154 Misc. 2d 798 (New York Infirmary — Beekman Downtown Hospital v. Sarris) 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
New York Infirmary — Beekman Downtown Hospital v. Sarris, 154 Misc. 2d 798, 588 N.Y.S.2d 748, 1992 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 393 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1992).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Norman C. Ryp, J.

"He who refuses aid which he has the power to give is accountable to justice.” (Flavius Josephus, Against Apion II 27 [37 A.D.].)

A. ISSUES

(1) Whether a 30-day notice to terminate tenancy under Real Property Law § 232-c, by a nonprofit hospital which only alleges, "Tenant initially obtained possession of the premises as an incident of his employment by Landlord. The employment is terminated.”, is legally sufficient?

(2) Whether a staff housing lease which provides for termination "without cause” is enforceable where the tenant/employee alleges a prior AIDS disability revelation and retaliation? A discriminating issue of first impression.

B. PROCEDURAL HISTORY AND FACTS

In these two holdover summary proceedings concerning subject premises, i.e., (Booth House) No. 318 East 15th Street, New York, New York (Apts. No. 1C Room B — Curt Sarris and 8N — Ramon Ramos), these two identical counsels’ respondents’ CPLR 408 and 3102 motions for discovery and petitioner’s cross motions directing an inquest for respondents’ failure to timely file their answer are consolidated for determination.

Both petitions were grounded upon petitioner’s entry into a written lease agreement with each respondent (Sarris — Apr. 23, 1984; Ramos — Apr. 13, 1982) of subject premises sought to be recovered as incident to employment (Sarris — over 5 years as data entry clerk; Ramos — over 25 years as inventory clerk and rehabilitation worker) — each terminated without cause under paragraph 1 of said leases by 30-day prior written notices, respectively dated (Sarris) February 7, 1992 and (Ramos) January 29, 1992.

Previously, respondents moved to dismiss under CPLR 3211 (a) (2) (lack of subject matter jurisdiction), (7) (legal insufficiency) and (8) (personal jurisdiction), which this court denied by order dated April 29, 1992, without prejudice, following [800]*800joinder of issue (wherein the court directed respondents to serve and file their answer on or before May 20, 1992) for insufficient supporting facts, with a trial date fixed for May 28, 1992 on the Housing Part 18 Calendar. Thereafter, respondents served and filed their respective notices of appearance and answers curiously dated June 1 and filed July 10, 1992, which interposed various denials and affirmative defenses including lack of personal jurisdiction and subject matter jurisdiction (first, second, third, fifth, sixth and seventh); legal sufficiency (fourth); rent-stabilized tenancy (third and eighth); loches (ninth) and retaliatory eviction (under Real Property Law § 223-b) following respondents’ disclosure of AIDS diagnosis in violation of common law and Administrative Code of City of New York, plus two counterclaims, the first claiming $500,000 for mental anguish, severe mental distress and financial hardship and the second for $5,000 for legal fees.

The petition alleges that petitioner, a New York State limited profit housing company, organized and existing under article II of the Private Housing Finance Law owns and operates Booth House, which includes subject premises. According to the petitioner, subject premises are exempt, as nonprofit hospital institutions, from the New York City Rent and Rehabilitation Law (Administrative Code of City of NY § 26-403 [e] [2] [g]) and Rent Stabilization Law (RSL; Administrative Code, tit 26, ch 4; Emergency Tenant Protection Act of 1974 [ETPA; L 1974, ch 576, § 4] § 5 [a] [6], as amended by Omnibus Housing Act of 1983 [OHA; L 1983, ch 403] § 55; see, New York Univ. v Owens, NYLJ, June 6, 1990, at 21, col 2 [App Term, 1st Dept 1990]). The only RSL exception appears to be if respondent tenant was not affiliated or employed by the institution at initial occupancy or signed an initial lease, without affiliation or employment, before July 1, 1978. (See, Trustees of Columbia Univ. v James, 127 Misc 2d 81 [App Term, 1st Dept 1985], affd without opn 123 AD2d 904 [1st Dept 1986]; see, RSL [Administrative Code] § 26-511 [c] [9].) Such exception does not appear, based upon submissions, to apply to either respondent. Petitioner is subject to New York State Code of Rules and Regulations, including 9 NYCRR 1727-5.3 ("Termination by housing company”) which covers grounds where a certificate of no objection by the New York State Commissioner of Housing and Community Renewal is and is not required. 9 NYCRR 1727-5.3 (c) (1) ("Certificate not required”) provides: "where the tenant occupies an apartment in a building operated by a company for the purposes of staff [801]*801housing and said tenant is not a staff member, employee or student of a college, university or hospital”.

It further appears that subject (Booth House) lease agreements in paragraph 13 therein further provides: "this agreement shall terminate automatically upon the date that tenant ceases to be employed by the Landlord, and no notice of said termination shall be required.”

While the foregoing appears to mandate this court to deny, per se, the current motion, referred to this court on June 30, 1992 (CPLR 408 and 3124 — current status as a rent-stabilized tenant) in the absence of evidence bringing respondents within the above-noted RSL exception, this does not simply relegate the respondents to the compassion and "mercy of the court”.

C. LEGAL ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS

Upon a full review of all the pleadings and motional submissions, this court reconsiders, whether under CPLR 2001 ("Mistakes, omissions”, etc.) or converted under CPLR 2221 as a motion to reargue/renew, in the interest of justice, equity and judicial economy, its decision and orders dated May 6, 1992, under a misapprehension of law, and fact, which denied respondent’s CPLR 3211 (a) (7) motion to dismiss.

The bases are twofold.

1. 30-Day Notice of Termination.

First, paragraph 4 of the petition alleges in each case: "On or about April [sic: 23, 1984 — Sarris; 13, 1982 — Ramos], petitioner as landlord, entered into a written agreement of lease with respondent tenant for the premises sought to be recovered as an incident to the employment of respondent by petitioner, for a term which ended as a result of the termination of respondent’s employment by petitioner.” As noted above, petitioner’s attorney in his supporting affirmation in opposition, both dated April 28, 1982, in each case alleged: "Neither the lease [Ex A] nor the regulations [Ex C] require any grounds or reasons for termination. It is the fact of termination and not the gravamen therefore that determines the right to continued occupancy.” While this court does not accept petitioner’s attorney’s legal conclusion, under the facts and circumstances herein (for the reasons set forth below), the current focus is upon the sufficiency of subject 30-day notice of termination.

In opposition, respondent alleged: "6. Specifically in its [802]*802petition, attached as Exhibit A, petitioner alleges that my employment was terminated without alleging how or when my employment terminated.”

Petitioner’s annexed (to petitions) 30-day notices, dated February 7 (Sarris) and January 29 (Ramos), 1992 (evidently correctly required, under Real Property Law § 232-c, by order of Judge Jay Stuart Dankberg, dated September 30, 1991, in a prior proceeding [L&T No. 88055/91] involving respondent Ramos et al.) respectively, state, inter alla,

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154 Misc. 2d 798, 588 N.Y.S.2d 748, 1992 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 393, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/new-york-infirmary-beekman-downtown-hospital-v-sarris-nycivct-1992.