People v. Trolio

170 Misc. 2d 1017, 653 N.Y.S.2d 486, 1996 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 504
CourtJustice Court of Scarsdale
DecidedOctober 25, 1996
StatusPublished

This text of 170 Misc. 2d 1017 (People v. Trolio) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Justice Court of Scarsdale primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Trolio, 170 Misc. 2d 1017, 653 N.Y.S.2d 486, 1996 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 504 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1996).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Arlene E. Katz, J.

The issue before the court is whether Scarsdale Village Code § 205-2 (B) is unconstitutional on the purported grounds that it is arbitrary and not reasonably related to a valid government purpose.

The relevant portions of the Scarsdale Code are as follows:

"Section 205-2 Outdoor Power Tools * * *

"B. The use of gasoline-powered blowers shall be unlawful in the village during the period from June 1st through September 30th of each year * * *

"D. This section shall not apply to golf course operations or utility companies performing emergency repairs”.

On September 15, 1994, the Scarsdale Police issued a summons to defendant’s employee for operating a gasoline-powered leaf blower (gas blower) in the driveway and rear yard of a Scarsdale residence. A hearing was held on November 2, 1994, during which defendant stipulated that the acts of his employee contravened the code provisions. He orally moved to dismiss the information on the grounds that the statutory provisions were unconstitutional. The court granted the motion and dismissed the charge. The People appealed to the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Appellate Term, Ninth and Tenth Judicial Districts. On December 21, 1995, the Appellate Term reversed the dismissal, reinstated the information, [1019]*1019remanded the matter for further proceedings, and permitted defendant to file a written motion to dismiss upon constitutional grounds.

Defendant now moves in writing to dismiss the information pursuant to CPL 170.30 (1) (a) and 170.35 (1) (c), charging that the code is unconstitutional on the grounds it is arbitrary and not reasonably related to a valid governmental purpose, exceeds any reasonable governmental objective, is overbroad and is unreasonably burdensome to landscaping businesses.

The court denies defendant’s motion and finds that the Scars-dale Code is not unconstitutional.

A legislative body is empowered to enact legislation to promote the general welfare (White Plains Automotive Supply Co. v City of Peekskill, 115 AD2d 728 [2d Dept 1985], affd 68 NY2d 933 [1986]), and is duty bound to do so. (See, People v Milio, 112 Misc 2d 949, 953 [Yonkers City Ct 1982].) This power to legislate is not unlimited. The rule has been stated that "due process demands that a law be not unreasonable or arbitrary and that it be reasonably related and applied to some actual and manifest evil [citations omitted].” (Defiance Milk Prods. Co. v Du Mond, 309 NY 537, 541 [1956].)

It is presumed that legislators investigate and find requisite factual support for the laws they enact and that those laws are constitutional. (Matter of Van Berkel v Power, 16 NY2d 37 [1965].) One asserting invalidity of a law must rebut the presumption and prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the law is unconstitutional. (Lighthouse Shores v Town of Islip, 41 NY2d 7 [1976]; McKinney’s Cons Laws of NY, Book 1, Statutes § 150.) If there is any justification for adoption of the law it stands as is; it is not for the court to substitute its own judgment for that of the lawmakers. (Wiggins v Town of Somers, 4 NY2d 215 [1958]; People v Resnick & Sons, 127 Misc 2d 1031 [Yonkers City Ct 1985].) "The courts will not interfere with the judgment of the Legislature unless it appears that the failure to apply the legislation to all who might come within its orbit is palpably unjust and without reason (Matter of Gormeley v. New York Daily News, 30 A D 2d 16, 20, affd. 24 N Y 2d 867).” (Matter of Pratt v Tofany, 37 AD2d 854, 856 [2d Dept 1971].)

In the case at bar the People have demonstrated that the Scarsdale Code properly addresses valid government objectives and is not unreasonable. The Scarsdale Village Board of Trustees (the Trustees) in adopting the Code sought to reduce noise, áir, water and solid waste pollution caused by gas blowers. The legislation to limit the use of gas blowers was the result of a [1020]*1020thorough and lengthy investigation. The Trustees considered noise complaints by residents, consulted with health and air quality experts, conferred with local landscapers, studied the results of similar laws enacted in other communities and held public hearings. The proposed Code provisions were supported by the Scarsdale League of Women Voters and the Village’s Advisory Council on Environmental Conservation. The Trustees did not enact a blanket prohibition. They allowed the use of gas blowers during spring cleanup and for fall leaf collection and provided an exception for golf course operations and utility companies during emergencies.

Defendant, in his affidavits, contends among other things that the code is irrational and unreasonable since its application will result in extreme and unnecessary financial hardship to landscapers. Defendant asserts that the ordinance arbitrarily prohibits the use of an integral and essential tool used by all landscapers and by defendant’s business since approximately 1958. Defendant further states that without the gas blowers landscaping costs would increase fourfold. Defendant sets forth the difficulty in hand raking and sweeping tennis courts, patios and driveways, and cites myriad mechanical and logistical problems associated with alternate automated methods such as mulching lawn mowers, vacuum sweepers and electric blowers.

In response, the People submit affidavits and exhibits which include the resolution adopted in enacting the code, correspondence and pertinent portions of the minutes of Village Board meetings. The aforementioned demonstrate that the Trustees did not intend to compel large scale hand raking and sweeping of properties in lieu of the gas blower. On the contrary, one major goal was to encourage grass recycling via the grass-mulching mower which the Trustees presented as a cost-cutting alternative to gas blowers. Instead of the two-step process of mowing and then blowing the grass away, the mulcher, in one step, distributes the cut grass on the lawn. The People submit that this method does not dry out the soil and acts as a natural fertilizer, thus reducing fertilizer and manpower costs.

Whether this method is the best option for defendant is not determinative of the issue of constitutionality. So long as the law is not arbitrary or irrational, "the choice among permissible alternatives is to be made by the Village, not by [the parties] or the courts [citations omitted].” (D’Angelo v Cole, 67 NY2d 65, 69 [1986].) Considering the heavy burden imposed on a constitutional challenger, defendant’s own affidavits and that of a gas blower manufacturer are not objec[1021]*1021tive and lack the detail and specificity necessary to prove that restricting gas blowers is unreasonable. Further, there is insufficient proof to show a significant financial hardship to defendant. In any event, financial hardship is only one factor to consider. Businesses have long been regulated for the sake of the community. Absent a showing of unreasonableness or irrationality, individual economic hardship does not require a finding of unconstitutionality of an otherwise valid ordinance. (White Plains Automotive Supply Co. v City of Peekskill, 115 AD2d 728, supra; see, Len’s Amoco v Town of Gates, 97 Misc 2d 900, 903 [Sup Ct, Monroe County 1979].)

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Related

Defiance Milk Products Co. v. Du Mond
132 N.E.2d 829 (New York Court of Appeals, 1956)
Wiggins v. Town of Somers
149 N.E.2d 869 (New York Court of Appeals, 1958)
Van Berkel v. Power
209 N.E.2d 539 (New York Court of Appeals, 1965)
D'Angelo v. Cole
490 N.E.2d 819 (New York Court of Appeals, 1986)
White Plains Automotive Supply Co. v. City of Peekskill
502 N.E.2d 1006 (New York Court of Appeals, 1986)
Pratt v. Tofany
37 A.D.2d 854 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1971)
Peconic Avenue Businessmens' Ass'n v. Town of Brookhaven
98 A.D.2d 772 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1983)
White Plains Automotive Supply Co. v. City of Peekskill
115 A.D.2d 728 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1985)
People v. Federico
96 Misc. 2d 60 (Appellate Terms of the Supreme Court of New York, 1978)
Len's Amoco, Inc. v. Town of Gates
97 Misc. 2d 900 (New York Supreme Court, 1979)
People v. Milio
112 Misc. 2d 949 (Yonkers City Court, 1982)
People v. Jack Resnick & Sons, Inc.
127 Misc. 2d 1031 (Yonkers City Court, 1985)

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Bluebook (online)
170 Misc. 2d 1017, 653 N.Y.S.2d 486, 1996 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 504, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-trolio-nyjustctscarsda-1996.