Ryan v. Board of Mgrs. of the Sequoia Condominium

2024 NY Slip Op 31038(U)
New York Supreme Court, New York County·Decided March 28, 2024·Unpublished

Opinion

Ryan v Board of Mgrs. of the Sequoia Condominium 2024 NY Slip Op 31038(U)

March 28, 2024

Supreme Court, New York County Docket Number: Index No. 152897/2013 Judge: Paul A. Goetz

Cases posted with a "30000" identifier, i.e., 2013 NY Slip Op 30001(U), are republished from various New York State and local government sources, including the New York State Unified Court System's eCourts Service. This opinion is uncorrected and not selected for official publication.

NYSCEF DOC. NO. 152 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 03/28/2024

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK NEW YORK COUNTY

PRESENT: HON. PAUL A. GOETZ PART 47 Justice

----------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------X INDEX NO. 152897/2013 WAYNE-PAUL RYAN and ROBERT PETER BUNCKE, MOTION DATE 09/14/2020 Plaintiffs,

MOTION SEQ. NO. 003 - against -

BOARD OF MANAGERS OF THE SEQUOIA CONDOMINIUM, THE SEQUOIA CONDOMINIUM DECISION + ORDER ON

ASSOCIATION, PRECISION ASSET MANAGEMENT, INC., and VINCENT OCCHIPINTI, MOTION

Defendants.

------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------X

The following e-filed documents, listed by NYSCEF document number (Motion 003) 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119,120,121,122,123,124,125,126,127,128,129,130,131,132,133,134,135,136,137,138,139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 149, 150, 151 were read on this motion to/for JUDGMENT-SUMMARY

In this real and personal property damage action, plaintiffs own condominium unit 2B (the unit) at the Sequoia Condominium, located at 222 West 14th Street in Manhattan (the Sequoia). Defendants include the Board of Managers of the Sequoia Condominium (the Board); the Sequoia Condominium Association (the Association); the Sequoia's management company, Precision Asset Management Inc. (Precision); and the Sequoia's managing agent, Vincent Occhipinti (Occhipinti) (NYSCEF Doc No 96).

BACKGROUND

Plaintiffs allege that their unit has been plagued by recurring water leaks over several years that resulted in damage to their real and personal property, and loss of use and enjoyment of their unit. Specifically, plaintiffs allege that water infiltrated their bedroom from 2001 through

2012, with the frequency of the leaking escalating between 2010 to 2012 (id. at ,i 8). Plaintiffs 152897/2013 RYAN, WAYNE-PAUL vs. BOARD OF MANAGERS Page 1 of 14 Motion No. 003

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NYSCEF DOC. NO. 152 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 03/28/2024

further allege that defendants were made aware of the leaks and were responsible for curing, repairing, and correcting the conditions causing same, and because defendants failed to do so efficiently, plaintiffs' property was damaged (id. at ,i,i 9-15).

Plaintiffs further allege that defendants incorrectly blamed the leaking on plaintiffs'

allegedly improperly pitched air conditioner sleeve, for which defendants denied responsibility. Thereafter, plaintiffs incurred the costs of hiring a contractor, engineering consultant and architectural consultant to investigate the air conditioner sleeve, address the ongoing leaking, and repair the water-damaged areas of their unit (NYSCEF Doc No 94 ,i,i 54-58; NYSCEF Doc No 105, pp. 4-7, 11, 16-17). When the leaking persisted following these measures, and other units in the Sequoia experienced leaking as well, defendants hired engineer William Lau (Lau) to further investigate the issue (NYSCEF Doc No 94 ,J 31; NYSCEF Doc No 105, p. 18; NYSCEF Doc No 128, ,i,i 51-52). Lau determined that the source of the leak was an exterior wall, for which defendants took responsibility by taking corrective measures which stopped the leaking (NYSCEF Doc No 94, ,J 59).

Thereafter, the parties corresponded about reimbursing plaintiffs' expenses for, inter alia, interior repairs, hotel rooms, contractors, and attorneys' fees. Emails reveal that defendants offered plaintiffs $16,000 for the reimbursement of interior repairs, but that other expenses were still subject to negotiation (NYSCEF Doc No 105, pp. 53-56, 59-66). Plaintiffs sought to collect the $16,000, but defendants responded that plaintiffs would first have to sign a general release of all claims relating to the leaks. Upon plaintiffs' refusal to release all claims, defendants withdrew their offer (NYSCEF Doc No 96, ,J,J 16-30).

Plaintiffs assert that defendants' offer to pay $16,000 to reimburse plaintiffs for their interior repair expenses was an unequivocal and unconditional offer which plaintiffs accepted,

152897/2013 RYAN, WAYNE-PAUL vs. BOARD OF MANAGERS Page 2 of 14 Motion No. 003

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NYSCEF DOC. NO. 152 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 03/28/2024

and that defendants subsequently changed its material terms by requiring an exchange of mutual releases among the parties before defendants would make payment. Plaintiffs' complaint includes six causes of action: ( 1) breach of contract of an unconditional offer to pay $16,000 in damages; (2) breach of contract of the condominium documents; (3) violation of Real Property Law (RPL) § 339-cc; (4) breach of fiduciary duty; (5) negligence; and (6) interference with the use and enjoyment ofreal property. Plaintiffs seek compensation for personal and real property damage and loss of use to their property; retroactive adjustment of common charges; reimbursement for expenses, including but not limited to monies spent on contractors, engineers and attorneys; use of plaintiffs' real property to make repairs to other units at the premises; and related relief (NYSCEF Doc No 96, i11).

Defendants now move for summary judgment dismissing plaintiffs' complaint in its entirety. Defendants argue that plaintiffs' first cause of action should be dismissed based on documentary evidence, as there were negotiations but no binding agreement; the second cause of action should be dismissed based upon evidence that defendants acted diligently to locate and repair the leak; the third cause of action should be dismissed because there is no private cause of action under RPL § 339-cc, except for partition in certain circumstances; the fourth cause of action should be dismissed because condominiums do not owe a fiduciary duty to unit owners; the fifth cause of action should be dismissed because the negligence claim is duplicative of the breach of contract claim; and the sixth cause of action should be dismissed because a common charge refund is not a proper cause of action, and the obligation to pay same is an independent covenant unrelated to the habitability of a condominium unit. Further, defendants argue that all claims against defendants Precision and Occhipinti must be dismissed, as managing agents are

152897/2013 RYAN, WAYNE-PAUL vs. BOARD OF MANAGERS Page 3 of 14 Motion No. 003

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NYSCEF DOC. NO. 152 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 03/28/2024

only responsible for affirmative acts of negligence or wrongdoing, and not for non-feasance (NYSCEF Doc No 94, ,J 8).

Plaintiffs oppose defendants' motion and cross-move pursuant to CPLR §§ 3212(a) and (e) for partial summary judgment on the issue of liability for each of their six causes of action, and for an order pursuant to 22 NYCRR § 130-1.1 imposing sanctions on defendants and awarding plaintiffs costs and reasonable attorneys' fees (NYSCEF Doc No 127). Defendants oppose plaintiffs' cross-motion and argue that it should be denied as an untimely and improper motion for summary judgment (NYSCEF Doc No 149).

DISCUSSION

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Ryan v. Board of Mgrs. of the Sequoia Condominium, 2024 NY Slip Op 31038(U) (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2024).

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