Case ID: ad2d_256/html/1210-02.html
Source: Caselaw Access Project
Author: {"author": "", "license": "Public Domain", "url": "https://static.case.law/"}
Date Created: 2024-08-24T03:29:51.129683

Susan Slate, Individually and as Parent and Natural Guardian of Ryan Slate, Respondent, v Fredonia Central School District, Appellant.
    [682 NYS2d 507]
   —Order unanimously affirmed with costs. Memorandum: Although defendant presented sufficient evidence to entitle it to summary judgment dismissing the complaint, plaintiff raised questions of fact concerning causation, notice and the existence of a dangerous condition on the stair in defendant’s school where plaintiff’s son fell, thereby warranting denial of defendant’s motion (see generally, Zuckerman v City of New York, 49 NY2d 557, 562).

Although slight differences in elevation have been held to be nonactionable (see, Morales v Riverbay Corp., 226 AD2d 271; see also, Julian v Sementelli, 234 AD2d 866; Guerrieri v Summa, 193 AD2d 647), the same cases also hold that even a trivial height differential may be actionable where the defect constitutes a trap, snare, or nuisance. Plaintiff submitted an affidavit of a licensed engineer whose opinion it was that the repair in the stair constituted a trap, notwithstanding its minimal height differential, because the depression in the front part of the repair was not readily observable under normal conditions, thus creating a question of fact whether the defect constituted a dangerous condition.

The remaining contentions of defendant lack merit or are not preserved for our review (see, Walker v Huber, 254 AD2d 734; Matter of Rodgers v Crumb, 242 AD2d 874). (Appeal from Order of Supreme Court, Chautauqua County, Gerace, J.— Summary Judgment.) Present — Green, J. P., Pine, Wisner, Balio and Boehm, JJ.