Colliers Intl. NY LLC v City Hall Commons LLC

2024 NY Slip Op 33167(U)

September 10, 2024

Supreme Court, New York County

Docket Number: Index No. 650032/2020

Judge: Debra A. James

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.650032/2020 COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL NY LLC vs. CITY HALL COMMONS LLC

Motion No. 001 Page 1 of 5 The following e

- filed documents, l isted by NYSCEF document number (Motion 001) 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 23, 29

were read on this motion to/for DISMISS

.

ORDER

Upon the foregoing documents, it is

ORDERED that the motion of the defendant C i t y H a l l C o m m o n s ,

LLC, to dismiss is d e n i e d , and it is further;

ORDERED that the c r o s s m o t i o n o f plaintiff C o l l i e r

I n t e r n a t i o n a l N Y L L C
, for summary judgment on the complaint herein

is granted and the Clerk of the Court is directed to enter judgment

in favor of plaintiff and against defendant in the amount of

$ 206 ,924.20 , together with interest at the rate of 9 % per annum

from September 17, 2019

, until the date of the decision and order

on this motion, and thereafter at the statutory rate, as calculated

by the Clerk, together with costs and disbursements to be taxed by

the Clerk upon submission of an appropriate bill of costs.



### SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK

NEW YORK COUNTY

PRESENT: HON. DEBRA A. JAMES PART 59

Justice

----------------------------------------------------------------- -- -------------- X INDEX NO. 650032/2020

MOTION DATE 0 2 /2 7 /2020

MOTION SEQ. NO. 001

DECISION + ORDER ON

MOTION COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL NY LLC

,

Plaintiff,

- v

-

CITY HALL COMMONS LLC,

Defendant.

------------------------------------------------------------------- -- ------------ X INDEX NO. 650032/2020

NYSCEF DOC. NO. 31 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 09/10/2024

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### [* 1]650032/2020 COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL NY LLC vs. CITY HALL COMMONS LLC

Motion No. 001 Page 2 of 5 DECISION

I n t h i s a c t i o n , plaintiff C o l l i e r s I n t e r n a t i o n a l NY LLC

(“Colliers”) seek s the payment of a brokerage commission a r i s i n g

o u t o f the renewal of a lease between the defendant

, l a n d l o r d C i t y

H a l l C o m m o n s L L C (“CHC”) and non

- party JPMorgan Chase Bank N

. A

.

(“Chase”)

, t e n a n t
, for premises located at 253 Broadway, New York,

N ew York

.

C h a s e r e t a i n e d Colliers in connection with the lease r enewal

and participated in the negotiations

. ( S e e e

- m a i l m e s s a g e d a t e d

M a y 2 8

, 2 0 1 9 f r o m p l a i n t i f f t o d e f e n d a n t
, w i t h c c : C h a s e , a n d

l e t t e r d a t e d M a y 3 1

, 2 0 1 9 f r o m p l a i n t i f f t o d e f e n d a n t [ NYSCEF

D o c u m e n t N u m b e r s 12 a n d 13 )

.

On September 17, 2019, Chase and CHC subsequently agreed to

t h e terms o f the lease r enewal and both acknowledged by letter

agreement (the “Renewal Notice”) that Colliers was the sole broker

involved in the transaction , and that CHC would “ pay the fees due

to [Collier s ] relating to this Renewal Notice pursuant to a

separate agreement

. ” ( NYS CEF D o c u m e n t N u m b e r 0 14, p. 1 )

. I n f a c t
,

i n s u p p o r t o f i t s d i s m i s s a l m o t i o n , d e f e n d a n t a t t a c h e s a c o p y o f

t h e R e n e w a l N o t i c e , w h i c h i n c l u d e s a c o p y o f t h e C o m m i s s i o n

C a l c u l a t i o n W o r k s h e e t

. ( S e e N Y S C E F D o c u m e n t N u m b e r 0 0 7

, p

. 4 )

.

CHC argues that Colliers is not owed any fees because the

Renewal Notice re f e r s t o a separate b r o k e r a g e agreement, which was

never executed by the parties

. It is undisputed that Colliers INDEX NO. 650032/2020

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### [* 2]650032/2020 COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL NY LLC vs. CITY HALL COMMONS LLC

Motion No. 001 Page 3 of 5 sent CHC a brokerage agreement after the renewal was completed,

and that CHC did not execute s u c h brokerage agreement. ( NYSCEF

D o c u m e n t N u m b e r 15 )

.

CHC further argues t h a t the i s s u e w h e t h e r Colliers i s e n t i t l e d

t o c o m m i s s i o n s r a i s e s a triable issue that precludes summa ry

judgment, as Collier was more a hinderance than helpful during the

l e a s e r e n e w a l negotiations

.

The clear representation of CHC to pay Collier’s commissions

,

as per the Renewal Notice, and documentary evidence o f Collier’s

p a r t i c i p a t i o n in the lease renewal negotiations entitle s Colliers

to summary judgment

, as a matter of law. S e e Newmark & Co. Real

Estate Inc. v 2615 E. 17 St. Realty LLC , 80 AD3d 476 (1st Dept

2011).

Newmark involv e d a lease that provided “that plaintiff was

the exclusive broker for the transaction and that defendant

[landlord] would pay its commission

, ” i d

, a t p 4 7 7

. The N e w m a r k

court found that the failure of the parties to execute a brokerage

agreement was not an impediment to enforceability because of the

parties ’ communications establish ing that : (1) the broker

participated in the lease negotiations , (2) the commissio ns had

been discussed

, (3) the landlord r e v i s e d the brokerage agreement,

a n d (4) the landlord n e v e r r e j e c t e d t h e t e r m s o f t h e u n s i g n e d

b r o k e r a g e a g r e e m e n t

. T h e r e f o r e , t h e N e w a r k c o u r t h e l d t h a t s u c h INDEX NO. 650032/2020

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### [* 3]650032/2020 COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL NY LLC vs. CITY HALL COMMONS LLC

Motion No. 001 Page 4 of 5 evidence e s t a b l i s h e d a “meeting of the minds” as to the

commissions. S e e I d

. at p p

. 4 7 7

- 478.

Here
, it is undisputed that Colliers participated in the

transaction ( NYSCEF D o c u m e n t N u m b e r s 0 12 a n d 0 13)

, and b y the

R e n e w a l N o t i c e , CHC expressly a g r e e d t o pay Colliers c o m m i s s i o n s

e a r n e d . The failure of the parties to execute a subsequent

broke rage agreement does not relieve CHC of its obligation to pay

the commissions

, as a ma tter of law. N e w m a r k

, id

. S e e a l s o Joseph

P. Day Rea lty Corp. v Chera , 308 AD2d 148, 152 ( 1st Dept 2003 ) :

Where a contract of sale or lease agreement admits the broker's performance of services and includes an express promise by the seller to pay the broker's commission, the broker is entitled to summary judgment on its claim

for a commission as a t h i r d

- p a r t y b e n e f i c i a r y of the

contract or lease

.

a n d H e l m s l e y

- S p e a r , I n c v N e w Y o r k B l o o d C e n t e r , I n c

. , 2 5 7 A D 2 d

6 4

, 6 7 ( 1st Dept 2003 )

.

The record is devoid of any objection by CHC to the

c o m m i s s i o n s , w h i c h w e r e s e t f o r t h i n t h e C o m m i s s i o n C a l c u l a t i o n

W o r k s h e e t a t t a c h e d t o the execut e d Renewal Notice ( N Y S C E F D o c u m e n t

N u m b e r 0 0 7 )

.

Furthermore, CHC ’s allegations that Colliers i s not entitled

to commissions because it was a hinderance during the negotiations

fail to raise a triable issue of fact that would defeat summary

judgment

, a s s a m e i s m e r e l y a n e f f o r t t o “ c o n t r a d i c t a contractual

a d m i s s i o n c l e a r f r o m t h e i n s t r u m e n t i t s e l f

. ” S e e Helmsley

- Spear, INDEX NO. 650032/2020

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### [* 4]650032/2020 COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL NY LLC vs. CITY HALL COMMONS LLC

Motion No. 001 Page 5 of 5 Inc. , 257 AD2d at 68

. The o t h e r c a s e s cited by CHC are inappo site

and un availing

.

Colliers is entitled to receive the commissions set forth in

the Renewal Notice

. C o l l i e r s i s e n t i t l e d t o p r e

- j u d g m e n t i n t e r e s t

o n s u c h c o m m i s s i o n s a t t h e s t a t u t o r y r a t e f r o m t h e d a t e that t h e

L e a s e R e n e w a l w a s s i g n e d

. S e e Lee & Assoc. NYC LLC v 1998 Alexander

Karten Annuity Tr.

, 117 AD3d 514, 515 ( 1st Dept 2014 )

.

9/10/2024

DATE DEBRA A. JAMES, J.S.C.

CHECK ONE: X CASE DISPOSED NON

- FINAL DISPOSITION

GRANTED DENIED X GRANTED IN PART OTHER

APPLICATION: SETTLE ORDER SUBMIT ORDER

CHECK IF APPROPRIATE: INCLUDES TRANSFER/REASSIGN FIDUCIARY APPOINTMENT REFERENCE INDEX NO. 650032/2020

NYSCEF DOC. NO. 31 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 09/10/2024

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