Traina v. New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority

165 Misc. 2d 870, 630 N.Y.S.2d 466, 1995 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 345
CourtNew York Court of Claims
DecidedJune 22, 1995
DocketMotion No. M-51587
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 165 Misc. 2d 870 (Traina v. New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Court of Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Traina v. New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority, 165 Misc. 2d 870, 630 N.Y.S.2d 466, 1995 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 345 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1995).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

John L. Bell, J.

In Pandolph v State of New York (155 Misc 2d 612), this court held that the Court of Claims did not have subject matter jurisdiction over claims against the Olympic Regional Development Authority (hereinafter ORDA or the authority). The Legislature subsequently amended Public Authorities Law § 2622 to confer exclusive jurisdiction upon the Court of Claims to hear claims against ORDA "to recover damages for injuries to property or for personal injury arising out of the operation by the authority of any participating Olympic facility owned by the state or of the Gore mountain ski center” (L [872]*8721994, ch 169, § 93 [codified as subdivision (4) of Public Authorities Law § 2622]). Several issues of first impression as regards the interpretation and application of the statutory amendment to Public Authorities Law § 2622 are implicated in the instant motion for permission to late file a claim against ORDA.

The underlying action accrued on March 12, 1994, when claimant Dennis Traína hit his head on an overhang and fell while he was on a deck attached to the main lodge at White-face Mountain Ski Center, Town of Wilmington, Essex County. Consistent with the requirements set forth in Public Authorities Law § 2622 (1), claimants served a notice of claim (see, General Municipal Law § 50-e) upon ORDA and the Attorney-General on May 2, 1994. Such service was made within 90 days of accrual of the action and, at the time of service, was a statutorily required condition precedent to commencing an action against ORDA.

On June 9, 1994, chapter 169 of the Laws of 1994 was enacted. Section 93 of chapter 169 added subdivision (4) to Public Authorities Law § 2622, which provided as follows: "Notwithstanding subdivision three of this section, exclusive jurisdiction is hereby conferred upon the court of claims to hear and determine any claim of any person brought hereafter against the authority to recover damages for injuries to property or for personal injury arising out of the operation by the authority of any participating Olympic facility owned by the state or of the Gore mountain ski center, in the same manner and to the extent provided and subject to the provisions of the court of claims act with respect to claims against the state, and to make awards and render judgments therefor. The payment of awards and judgments for any such claims brought in the supreme court pursuant to this title or in the court of claims shall be made from appropriations for judgments against the state pursuant to section twenty of the court of claims act.” Interestingly, subdivision (4) was made retroactive to April 1, 1994 (L 1994, ch 169, § 167 [2]).

In November 1994, claimants commenced an action against ORDA in Supreme Court, Essex County. Claimants subsequently learned that after they had served their notice of claim but before they had served their complaint, jurisdiction had ostensibly been changed by chapter 169 from Supreme Court to the Court of Claims. The current motion for permission to late file a claim pursuant to Court of Claims Act § 10 (6) ensued.

[873]*873Initially, it merits noting that for purposes of determining whether subdivision (4) of Public Authorities Law § 2622 applies to an action, the date the action is commenced, and not when it accrued, is dispositive. The statute specifically provides that the Court of Claims has jurisdiction over any claim "brought hereafter against the authority” (Public Authorities Law § 2622 [4] [emphasis supplied]). Thus, although the underlying action accrued prior to April 1, 1994, the date of accrual does not determine the proper forum under the explicit statutory language. Moreover, the service of a notice of claim, which was done prior to enactment of the statutory amendment but after the amendment’s retroactive effective date, did not commence an action. The lawsuit was not commenced in Supreme Court until November 1994 and thus subdivision (4) controls the jurisdiction of this action.

Next, the court will address claimants’ assertion that apparent inconsistencies and lack of clarity abound in section 2622 as a result of the addition of subdivision (4). Claimants note, for example, that when section 2622, as amended, is read literally it appears to create new hybrid procedures incorporating both provisions of the General Municipal Law and the Court of Claims Act. Subdivisions (1) and (2) of the statute incorporate the general procedures used to commence an action against a municipality and mandate that such procedures be followed in an action against ORDA. The procedures in the Court of Claims, although often confused with the procedures for commencing an action against a municipality, are in fact different and distinct from such procedures.1 Although subdivision (4) does not explicitly state that the procedures in subdivisions (1) and (2) do not apply to a claim commenced pursuant to subdivision (4),2 the court nevertheless concludes that the Legislature did not intend to establish unique — and confusing — hybrid procedures applicable only to claims against ORDA. Such conclusion is supported by sound [874]*874policy considerations and a logical interpretation of the subject statute.

From a policy viewpoint, the hybrid procedures that would exist if the procedures in subdivisions (1) and (2) were grafted into a subdivision (4) claim would create a myriad of procedural subtleties and inconsistencies, resulting in a trap not only for the unwary but also for careful counsel. The people most likely to be hurt by such a procedural potpourri would be individuals with legitimate claims against ORDA who would frequently see their claims lost on procedural rather than substantive grounds. In the absence of explicit and unambiguous direction from the Legislature, this court is unwilling to infer an intention to create such hybrid procedures.

Support for the conclusion that the Legislature did not intend the procedures in subdivisions (1) and (2) to apply to the Court of Claims can be found in language in subdivision (4), where it is provided that claims against ORDA in the Court of Claims are to be brought "in the same manner and to the extent provided and subject to the provisions of the court of claims act with respect to claims against the state.” Further evidence from the statute that subdivisions (1) and (2) do not apply in actions in the Court of Claims can be found in subdivision (2). Subdivision (2) incorporates by reference the provisions of title 11 of article 9 of the Public Authorities Law. Included within such title and article is section 2982, which specifically excepts claims brought in the Court of Claims from the procedures of title 11.

Supreme Court continues to have jurisdiction over some ORDA-related matters, and thus this court’s interpretation of subdivision (4) does not render subdivisions (1) and (2) nullities. An example of Supreme Court’s jurisdiction is found in subdivision (1), which refers to, inter alla, actions against "any officer, appointee or employee” of ORDA. The Court of Claims jurisdiction is limited to claims against the authority itself and does not extend to whatever cognizable cause of action may exist directly against individuals affiliated with ORDA.

Another example of potential jurisdiction in Supreme Court merits mentioning, particularly since it involves a potential trap. Supreme Court may still have jurisdiction over some actions directly against ORDA.

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Related

Claim of Tyson v. Roswell Park Cancer Institute Corp.
4 Misc. 3d 556 (New York State Court of Claims, 2003)
Plath v. New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority
190 Misc. 2d 198 (New York State Court of Claims, 2002)

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Bluebook (online)
165 Misc. 2d 870, 630 N.Y.S.2d 466, 1995 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 345, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/traina-v-new-york-state-olympic-regional-development-authority-nyclaimsct-1995.