Smith v. Morgan

167 Misc. 815, 4 N.Y.S.2d 837
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedApril 9, 1938
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 167 Misc. 815 (Smith v. Morgan) 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
Smith v. Morgan, 167 Misc. 815, 4 N.Y.S.2d 837 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1938).

Opinion

McLaughlin (Charles B.), J.

This is an application by various push cart peddlers who have heretofore been licensed to do business in the Ninth Avenue Market, popularly known as Paddy’s Market,” for an order directing the commissioner of markets of the city of New York to issue to them new licenses for the year 1938 in renewal of licenses heretofore held.

In December, 1937, the action of the commissioner of markets in revoking all permits for the Ninth Avenue Market was upheld at Special Term, but the Appellate Division reversed (Matter of Smith v. Morgan, 253 App. Div. 239), on the ground that the Code of Ordinances (Chap. 15, art. 2, § 20) having established forty-eight open-air markets in. New York city, including the Ninth Avenue Market, the commissioner of markets could not revoke all permits for the Ninth Avenue Market and thereby, in effect, abolish a market which had been established by the legislative body of the city. The following language of the opinion, written by Mr. Justice Dore, contains the gist of the holding (pp. 244,245): The claim- here is that the commissioner has power completely [817]*817to abolish and end market areas and sections set up by the ordinance. We hold that the commissioner has no such power; that he may rule and regulate with the approval of the board of estimate and apportionment those market lands which have been designated by the board of aldermen as public markets, but he cannot, by his own act, unsanctioned and unapproved, completely abolish such public markets. His order in question here is an edict of complete prohibition, not of regulation.”

On January 1, 1938, the hew charter went into effect. At the same time the Administrative Code for the City of New York superseded the Code of Ordinances. Chapter 15 of the Code of Ordinances, dealing with markets, was specifically repealed (Laws of 1937, chap. 929, § 2 [Schedule of Laws Repealed, p. 1741]). Neither the new charter nor the Administrative Code contains any provision setting aside any specific areas for market purposes, and, beginning January 1, 1938, there was, therefore, no statute in existence setting aside or designating streets or other locations for public markets. On February 3, 1938, the board of estimate adopted a resolution (Calendar No. 4) setting aside for public market purposes portions of a number of designated streets, in accordance with recommendations by the commissioner of markets which the resolution specifically approved. The area previously occupied by the Ninth Avenue Market is not included among the areas set aside for market purposes in the resolution.

If said resolution of the board of estimate is valid, it is clear that the commissioner of markets has no power to issue permits for the area formerly comprising the Ninth Avenue Market and thus, in effect, establish an additional market. To quote from the opinion of the Appellate Division: “ A reading of the section of the ordinance referred to in its context and section 261 and other relevant sections of the Agriculture and Markets Law indicates the intention of the Legislature to invest the commissioner of markets of a city with the regulation of public markets but not with the power either to establish or abolish them at will.” (Italics this court’s.)

The situation is unaffected by the adoption of the new charter, for the only provision therein as to the powers of the commissioner of markets is that contained in section 833, which reads as follows: The commissioner shall have the powers of a commissioner of public markets under the Agriculture and Markets Law, except that the construction and repair of buildings and structures under his jurisdiction shall be carried out by the department of public [818]*818works, and shall enforce all laws in relation to weights and measures.”

The commissioner’s powers under the Agriculture and Markets Law have been characterized by the Appellate Division as purely executive, administrative and regulatory ” and as conferring no power on the commissioner, either expressly or by implication, “ to establish or abolish public markets.” Indeed, the court specifically declared that “ under the new charter which came into effect January 1, 1938 (Chap. 36, § 833), it is to be noted that the commissioner of markets is invested with ‘ the powers of a commissioner of public markets under the Agriculture and Markets Law,’ which, as we have pointed out above, are strictly limited to regulation and give no power either to establish or abolish public markets that have been dedicated by the proper statutory authority.”

The validity of the resolution of the board of estimate is, however, assailed by the petitioners on various grounds, which will be taken up in order.

The petitioners’ first contention is that the repeal of chapter 15 of the Code of Ordinances “ is void because of the misrepresentation or concealment practiced upon the Legislature by the city’s representatives.” They state that to secure the prompt passage of the Administrative Code, consisting of three thick volumes, at the special session of the Legislature which had been called by the Governor in December, 1937, the city administration gave assurances that the three volumes constituted only an orderly compilation of all the laws theretofore in effect —“ nothing changed, nothing added, and nothing taken away.” Affidavits of various members of the Legislature are submitted which state that the affiants voted for the Code in reliance on representations that it made no substantive changes in the law applicable to the city of New York and merely codified and restated the statutes, local laws and ordinances then in force affecting the city. Even if it be assumed, however, that the passage of the Administrative Code by the Legislature was the result of misrepresentations as to the contents of the Code, it is clear that the validity of the Code is unaffected. Legislation may not be overthrown or invalidated on a showing that the legislators were acting under a misapprehension in enacting the legislation or were influenced by improper motives or were ignorant as to the nature of effects of the legislation. (Baird v. Mayor of New York, 96 N. Y. 567, at p. 581; Matter of New York & Brooklyn Bridge, 72 id. 527; Waterloo Woolen Mfg. Co. v. Shanahan, 128 id. 345, 360; Matter of Peck, 231 App. Div. 99, 100.)

[819]*819The petitioners’ second contention is that the Administrative Code did not effect a repeal of chapter 15 of the Code of Ordinances. They rely upon the following language of the fourth sentence of section 982-1.0 of the Code (p. 1531): “ If in this Code there shall have been incorporated any new provision, which is not a revision, consolidation, codification, continuance or restatement of the provisions of a statute, local law, or ordinance applicable to the city of New York and in force on the thirty-first day of December, nineteen hundred thirty-seven, except as the same shall have been necessary to harmonize the provisions of this Code with the provisions of the New York City Charter, such new provision shall not become effective, but shall be deemed an inadvertence or error.” (Italics the court’s.)

Recognizing that the language above quoted applies only to a new provision,” the petitioners maintain that the repeal of chapter 15 of the Code of Ordinances must be deemed a new provision. That there is no merit in this claim becomes apparent when one reads the second sentence of section 982-1.0, supra. “

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
167 Misc. 815, 4 N.Y.S.2d 837, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/smith-v-morgan-nysupct-1938.