Court Opinion

ID: 9947038
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-03-01 21:09:05.072735+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:25:45.951528
License: Public Domain

Velentzas v 685 First Realty Co. LLC
               2024 NY Slip Op 30611(U)
                   February 27, 2024
           Supreme Court, New York County
        Docket Number: Index No. 161081/2018
                  Judge: Paul A. Goetz
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.
  FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 02/27/2024 02:31 PM                                                                   INDEX NO. 161081/2018
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 723                                                                                          RECEIVED NYSCEF: 02/27/2024

                                   SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
                                             NEW YORK COUNTY
            PRESENT:             HON. PAUL A. GOETZ                                              PART                              47
                                                                                      Justice
            ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------X   INDEX NO.          161081/2018
             FOTIOS VELENTZAS,
                                                                                                 MOTION DATE         05/23/2023
                                                         Plaintiff,
                                                                                                 MOTION SEQ. NO.         017
                                                 -v-
             685 FIRST REALTY COMPANY LLC,EAST RIVER REALTY
             COMPANY LLC,SOLOW REALTY & DEVELOPMENT
                                                                                                   DECISION + ORDER ON
             COMPANY LLC,SECOND AVE. SOLOW DEVELOPMENT
             CORP.,                                                                                      MOTION

                                                         Defendants.
            ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------X

             685 FIRST REALTY COMPANY LLC, SOLOW REALTY &                                                   Third-Party
             DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LLC, SECOND AVE. SOLOW                                               Index No. 595539/2021
             DEVELOPMENT CORP.

                                                          Plaintiffs,

                                                 -against-

             LIBERTY MECHANICAL CONTRACTORS, LLC, PAR
             PLUMBING CO., INC.

                                                          Defendants.
             --------------------------------------------------------------------------------X

             685 FIRST REALTY COMPANY LLC                                                               Second Third-Party
                                                                                                      Index No. 595642/2021
                                                          Plaintiff,

                                                 -against-

                                                          Defendant.
             --------------------------------------------------------------------------------X

             LIBERTY MECHANICAL CONTRACTORS, LLC                                                         Third Third-Party
                                                                                                      Index No. 595642/2021
                                                          Plaintiff,

                                                 -against-

             161081/2018 VELENTZAS, FOTIOS vs. 685 FIRST REALTY COMPANY LLC                                          Page 1 of 4
             Motion No. 017

                                                                           1 of 4
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  FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 02/27/2024 02:31 PM                                                                INDEX NO. 161081/2018
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 723                                                                                      RECEIVED NYSCEF: 02/27/2024

                                                          Defendant.
             --------------------------------------------------------------------------------X

             SOLOW REALTY & DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LLC,                                                   Fourth Third-Party
             SECOND AVE. SOLOW DEVELOPMENT CORP.                                                    Index No. 595642/2021

                                                         Plaintiffs,

                                                 -against-

             R & J CARPENTRY INC.

                                                          Defendant.
             --------------------------------------------------------------------------------X

            The following e-filed documents, listed by NYSCEF document number (Motion 017) 573, 574, 575, 576,
            577, 578, 579, 580, 581, 582, 583, 584, 621, 623, 630, 631, 632, 633, 634, 652, 653, 654, 655, 659, 660,
            661, 662, 663, 664, 665, 666, 667, 668, 669
            were read on this motion to/for                                                  JUDGMENT - SUMMARY                 .

            Upon the foregoing documents, it is

                     ORDERDED that the portion of second third-party defendant Site Safety, LLC’s (“Site

            Safety”) motion for summary judgment on the contractual indemnity, common-law indemnity,

            and contribution, claims made against it by defendants/second third-party plaintiffs 685 First

            Realty Company LLC, Solow Realty & Development Company LLC, and Second Ave. Solow

            Development Corp. (collectively “Developers”) and cross-claims made against it by third-party

            defendants Liberty Mechanical Contractors’ LLC, and Par Plumbing Co. is granted since “in its

            limited role as a safety consultant for the construction project, the company could not be held

            liable” (Cappabianca v Skanska USA Bldg. Inc., 99 AD3d 139, 148 [1st Dept 2012] [A

            “[C]ontractual obligation to ensure compliance with safety regulations at a work site does not

            constitute a sufficient basis for liability under the Labor Law or a theory of negligence”]; and it

            is further

             161081/2018 VELENTZAS, FOTIOS vs. 685 FIRST REALTY COMPANY LLC                                       Page 2 of 4
             Motion No. 017

                                                                          2 of 4
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  FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 02/27/2024 02:31 PM                                                 INDEX NO. 161081/2018
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 723                                                                       RECEIVED NYSCEF: 02/27/2024

                    ORDERED that the portion of Site Safety’s motion for summary judgment on

            Developer’s breach of contract claim as against it is granted for Developers’ “failure to identify

            which, if any, contractual provisions were breached” (Manipal Educ. Americas, LLC v Taufiq,

            203 AD3d 662 [1st Dept 2022]); and it is further

                    ORDERED that the portion of Site Safety’s motion for summary judgment on

            Developers’ failure to procure insurance claim is granted as the contract between Site Safety and

            Developers only required Site Safety to maintain insurance for itself which it did (see DiBuono v

            Abbey, LLC. 83 AD3d 650 [2d Dept 2011]); and it is further

                    ORDERED that Developer’s cross motion for summary judgment is denied in its

            entirety; and it is further

                    ORDERED that the motion of Site Saftey to dismiss the complaint herein is granted and

            the complaint is dismissed in its entirety as against Site Safety, with costs and disbursements to

            Site Safety as taxed by the Clerk of the Court, and the Clerk is directed to enter judgment

            accordingly in favor of said defendant; and it is further

                    ORDERED that the action is severed and continued against the remaining defendants; and

            it is further

                    ORDERED that the caption be amended to reflect the dismissal and that all future papers

            filed with the court bear the amended caption; and it is further

                    ORDERED that counsel for the moving party shall serve a copy of this order with notice

            of entry upon the Clerk of the Court and the Clerk of the General Clerk’s Office, who are directed

            to mark the court’s records to reflect the change in the caption herein; and it is further

                    ORDERED that such service upon the Clerk of the Court and the Clerk of the General

            Clerk’s Office shall be made in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Protocol on

             161081/2018 VELENTZAS, FOTIOS vs. 685 FIRST REALTY COMPANY LLC                         Page 3 of 4
             Motion No. 017

                                                           3 of 4
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  FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 02/27/2024 02:31 PM                                                  INDEX NO. 161081/2018
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 723                                                                         RECEIVED NYSCEF: 02/27/2024

            Courthouse and County Clerk Procedures for Electronically Filed Cases (accessible at the “E-

            Filing” page on the court’s website)].

                    2/27/2024
                      DATE                                                         PAUL A. GOETZ, J.S.C.
             CHECK ONE:                  CASE DISPOSED                X   NON-FINAL DISPOSITION

                                         GRANTED             DENIED   X   GRANTED IN PART             OTHER

             APPLICATION:                SETTLE ORDER                     SUBMIT ORDER

             CHECK IF APPROPRIATE:       INCLUDES TRANSFER/REASSIGN       FIDUCIARY APPOINTMENT       REFERENCE

             161081/2018 VELENTZAS, FOTIOS vs. 685 FIRST REALTY COMPANY LLC                         Page 4 of 4
             Motion No. 017

                                                           4 of 4
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