United Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners of America v. Nyack Waterfront Associates

182 A.D.2d 16
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedJuly 23, 1992
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 182 A.D.2d 16 (United Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners of America v. Nyack Waterfront Associates) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners of America v. Nyack Waterfront Associates, 182 A.D.2d 16 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1992).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Mahoney, J.

This action arises out of the construction and financing of the three-phased Clermont condominium project in the Village of Nyack, Rockland County. In 1985, defendant Nyack Waterfront Associates (hereinafter NWA) acquired a 5.7-acre tract along the Hudson River for purposes of development. Phase I of the project, which encompassed approximately two acres of the tract, was constructed from 1985 to 1987. Defendant Helmer-Cronin Construction, Inc. acted as general contractor providing labor and materials for the project. On April 21, 1987, the construction being substantially complete, NWA established phase I as a condominium by filing a declaration under the Condominium Act (Real Property Law art 9-B). Approximately nine months later, on January 11, 1988, Helmer-Cronin filed a mechanic’s lien in the amount of $3,124,499.50 representing unpaid costs for labor and materials in connection with the construction of phase I. The lien, by its terms, covered the entire property and listed NWA as the fee owner. While the precise status of phases II and III at this time is unclear from the record, it is undisputed that neither had been declared condominiums and NWA continued to own this remaining acreage in fee simple. During the period between the filing of the declaration establishing phase I as a condominium and the filing of the lien, NWA sold 25 of the 41 units to individual purchasers.

Thereafter, when NWA defaulted on outstanding loans that it took out to purchase the property and to finance the construction, plaintiff, the mortgagee, commenced the instant foreclosure action. In its answer, Helmer-Cronin asserted, inter alia, that its mechanic’s lien was superior, in whole or in part, to the mortgages. Plaintiff then moved to dismiss Helmer-Cronin’s defenses relative to the priority of the lien and sought an order discharging said lien in its entirety on grounds that it was improperly filed as against the individual units and common areas of phase I in violation of Real Property Law § 339-/ and the notice of lien failed to meet the content requirements of Lien Law § 9. Supreme Court granted [19]*19plaintiffs motion and, in separate orders, dismissed the subject affirmative defenses and discharged the lien in its entirety. Helmer-Cronin appealed from both orders. During pendency of the appeal, Helmer-Cronin sought "renewal” of the motion to permit it to respond to "new” evidence set forth in plaintiffs reply papers submitted in connection with the original motion and to argue the applicability of the Court of Appeals’ opinion in Matter of Niagara Venture v Sicoli & Massaro (77 NY2d 175), which was handed down after oral argument was had but before Supreme Court handed down its decision in the matter. Concluding that the motion was in reality one for reargument and believing that it did not overlook any material facts or misapprehend the law (HelmerCronin, by letter, had previously advised the court of the Court of Appeals decision), Supreme Court denied the motion.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
182 A.D.2d 16, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-brotherhood-of-carpenters-joiners-of-america-v-nyack-waterfront-nyappdiv-1992.