Opinion ID: 2003960
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Relevant Provisions of the EDPL

Text: Section 207 of the Eminent Domain Procedure Law, entitled Judicial review, establishes the way by which New York courts must review a condemnor's decision to acquire property by exercise of the power of eminent domain. Under section 207 (A), anyone seeking judicial review of a condemnor's findings and determination concerning a proposed public project may seek judicial review thereof by the appellate division . . . in the judicial department embracing the county wherein the proposed facility is located by the filing of a petition in such court within thirty days after the condemnor's completion of its publication of its determination and findings pursuant to section [204] herein  (emphasis added). In order to further expedite a final decision, section 207 (A) also calls for the prompt delivery of the transcript of the public hearing on the condemnation and the determination and findings to the court; specifies that the proceeding in the Appellate Division shall be heard on the record without requirement of reproduction; and mandates that if the proposed public project is located in more than one judicial department [the] proceeding may be brought in any one, but only one of such departments and all such proceedings with relation to any single public project shall be consolidated with that first filed. Section 207 (B) makes the Appellate Division's jurisdiction exclusive and its judgment and order final subject to our review in the same manner and form and with the same effect as provided for appeals in a special proceeding. Further, [a]ll such proceedings shall be heard and determined by the appellate division . . . and by the court of appeals, as expeditiously as possible and with lawful preference over other matters. ( Id. ) Section 207 (C) states that [t]he court shall either confirm or reject the condemnor's determination and findings, and limits the scope of review to four grounds: (1) whether the proceeding conformed with the Federal and State Constitutions ( see EDPL 207 [C] [1]); (2) whether the condemnor's statutory jurisdiction or authority encompassed the proposed acquisition ( see EDPL 207 [C] [2]); (3) whether the condemnor's procedures complied with the provision in article 2 of the Eminent Domain Procedure Law and article 8 of the Environmental Conservation Law (State Environmental Quality Review Act [SEQRA]) ( see EDPL 207 [C] [3]); and (4) whether a public use, benefit or purpose will be served by the proposed acquisition ( see EDPL 207 [C] [4]). Next, section 208 of the Eminent Domain Procedure Law, entitled Jurisdiction of courts, states that [e]xcept as expressly set forth in [Eminent Domain Procedure Law § 207], and except for review by the court of appeals of an order or judgment of the appellate division . . . as provided for therein, no court of this state shall have jurisdiction to hear and determine any matter, case or controversy concerning any matter which was or could have been determined in a proceeding under this article (emphasis added). Finally, section 703, entitled Application of CPLR, states that [t]he civil practice law and rules shall apply to practice and procedure in proceedings under [the Eminent Domain Procedure Law] except where other procedure is specifically provided by [the Eminent Domain Procedure Law] or rules governing or adopted by the appropriate court (emphasis added). Concomitantly, section 705, entitled Applicability with respect to inconsistent laws, provides that [n]otwithstanding any inconsistent provisions of law, general or special, the provisions of this law shall be controlling and . . . any interest in real property subject to acquisition shall be acquired pursuant to the provisions of this law. Thus, section 207 forges a comprehensive regime for judicial review of a condemnor's decision to acquire property by eminent domain, each feature of which places a premium on speed: any challenge must be initiated in the Appellate Division, bypassing Supreme Court; only a limited number of carefully spelled out issues may be reviewed; the challenge must be brought within 30 days after the condemnor's determination and findings are published; the usual requirement for reproduction of the record is dispensed with; any subsequent, but still timely, challenge must be consolidated with the first-filed lawsuit so as to achieve a single, unified disposition; and these cases are to be handled as expeditiously as possible and afforded a preference. Section 208 drives home the exclusive nature of the section 207 regime by divesting the state courts of jurisdiction to decide matters encompassed within it in any other way. And then sections 703 and 705 insure that no provision of the CPLR may trump the section 207 regime: section 703 specifies that the CPLR does not apply where other procedure is specifically provided by [the Eminent Domain Procedure Law]  and the section 207 regime surely qualifies as other procedure  and section 705 states that [n]otwithstanding any inconsistent provisions of law  which would, of course, include any inconsistent provisions of the CPLR  the provisions of [the Eminent Domain Procedure Law]  which include the section 207 regime  shall be controlling. In sum, section 207, especially when read in context with sections 208, 703 and 705, creates an exclusive and comprehensive program for judicial review of a condemnor's decision to acquire property by eminent domain, which is not susceptible to alteration by the CPLR. The Eminent Domain Procedure Law's legislative history reinforces what these provisions plainly say.