Opinion ID: 556653
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Katz' Qualified Immunity Claim

Text: 17 In reviewing a district court's denial of a motion for summary judgment, we must apply a de novo standard of review, taking as true the factual allegations of the non-moving party, and drawing all inferences from the underlying facts in appellee's favor. P.C. v. McLaughlin, 913 F.2d 1033, 1040 (2d Cir.1990) (citation omitted); see Dube v. State University of New York, 900 F.2d 587, 597 (2d Cir.1990). Consequently, we draw all inferences and resolve any factual ambiguities in favor of the Natales. 18 The central issue before us is whether Katz may assert qualified immunity from suit. A government official performing a discretionary function is entitled to qualified immunity provided his or her conduct does not violate clearly established statutory or constitutional rights of which a reasonable person would have known. Harlow v. Fitzgerald, 457 U.S. 800, 818, 102 S.Ct. 2727, 2738, 73 L.Ed.2d 396 (1982); see also P.C. v. McLaughlin, 913 F.2d at 1039; Robison v. Via, 821 F.2d 913, 920-21 (2d Cir.1987). Essentially, if it is objectively reasonable for an official to believe that he or she is acting within constitutional and statutory bounds, the official will be insulated from liability stemming from his or her conduct. In denying Katz' motion for summary judgment, the district court held that it could not at this time and on this record find that Mr. Katz did not, at any time, violate clearly established rights of plaintiffs of which a reasonable person would have been aware. Jt.App. at 470. We disagree. 19 The threshold issue in determining the applicability of Katz' qualified immunity defense is whether the Natales had a clearly established right to the permits at issue. If plaintiffs did not have a clearly established right to the permits at the time Katz and the Commission attempted to block their issuance, Katz would be entitled to qualified immunity, since it would have been objectively reasonable for him to believe that his actions were lawful. See, e.g., Hawkins v. Steingut, 829 F.2d 317, 321 (2d Cir.1987). 20 In deciding whether a claim of entitlement to requested permits exists, the proper inquiry is whether, absent the alleged denial of due process, there is either a certainty or a very strong likelihood that the [permit] application would have been granted. Yale Auto Parts, Inc. v. Johnson, 758 F.2d 54, 59 (2d Cir.1985); see also Brady v. Town of Colchester, 863 F.2d 205, 213 (2d Cir.1988). Basically, our focus is on the extent of the issuing agency's discretion to grant or deny the permit in question. RRI Realty Corp., Inc. v. Village of Southampton, 870 F.2d 911, 918 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 110 S.Ct. 240, 107 L.Ed.2d 191 (1989). 21 At the time the Natales applied for the zoning permit, Katz had a reasonable belief that their land was not properly subdivided, giving the Town the discretion to deny their application. Because the prior owners of the Natales' lots had not started construction before the issuance of the 1963 regulation, Katz reasonably concluded that the lots did not meet the subdivision requirement. Katz premised this belief on the Connecticut Supreme Court's decision in Sherman-Colonial Realty Corp. v. Goldsmith, 155 Conn. 175, 183, 230 A.2d 568 (1967), interpreting the 1963 regulation's apparent repeal of the 1959 regulation's grandfather provision. In Sherman-Colonial, the court stated, [t]he mere filing of maps for the subdivision of a parcel of real estate does not necessarily immunize the subject property from the operative effect of subsequent subdivision regulations. Id. at 183, 230 A.2d 568. Thus, Katz could reasonably assume that the Commission could require the Natales to obtain subdivision approval before the requested permits were issued. In sum, because there was ample justification for Katz' determination that the Natales did not have a right to the permits in question, it was objectively reasonable for Katz to believe that his actions would not deny them of any constitutionally protected rights. 22 Although the State court's decision in Bogardus held that the Natales did in fact have a right to the permits, at the time Katz acted to block the issuance of the permits, the Natales' entitlement was far from clear. Because we believe that there was a legitimate dispute as to whether the permit applications should have been granted, we find that Katz acted reasonably. Consequently, Katz is entitled to qualified immunity from any liability stemming from actions he took prior to Bogardus. 23 After Bogardus was decided, however, it would have been unreasonable for Katz to have acted to impede the Natales' efforts at obtaining building and zoning permits. The only adverse action that was taken against the Natales after the Bogardus decision was the Town Planner's denial of their property swap application. This determination was later reversed by the ZBA. While the Natales claim that such applications are granted as a matter of course, see Jt.App. at 261, they have not pointed to any state or local provision which deprives the Town of discretion to deny a property swap application. Moreover, the Natales have not shown that Katz played a role in rejecting their request for a property swap. Nevertheless, even assuming that Katz influenced the Town Planner's decision, it would not have been unreasonable for him to have given his opinion on whether a discretionary application should have been granted. Accordingly, we find that Katz is entitled to qualified immunity with regard to liability arising from the denial of the property swap.