Court Opinion

ID: 9940678
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-02-14 21:09:49.718522+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:45:24.491334
License: Public Domain

CMCSSG 221E48, LLC v Brigette Assoc., LLC
               2024 NY Slip Op 30433(U)
                    February 9, 2024
           Supreme Court, New York County
        Docket Number: Index No. 153335/2023
             Judge: Shahabuddeen Abid Ally
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                                                                                                                    INDEX NO. 153335/2023
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 102                                                                                         RECEIVED NYSCEF: 02/09/2024

                                  SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
                                            NEW YORK COUNTY
           PRESENT:             HON. SHAHABUDDEEN ABID ALLY                                     PART                         16TR
                                                                                     Justice
           ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------X   INDEX NO.          153335/2023
            CMCSSG 221E48, LLC,
                                                                                                MOTION DATE        10/18/2023
                                                        Petitioner,
                                                                                                MOTION SEQ. NO.        002
                                               -v-
            BRIGETTE ASSOCIATES, LLC,
                                                                                                    DECISION + ORDER
                                                        Respondent.
           ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------X

           The following e-filed documents, listed by NYSCEF document number (Motion 002) 62-68, 70-76
           were read on this motion to/f9r                                   RENEW/REARGUE/RESETTLE/RECONSIDER

                     In a Decision and Order dated August 2, 2023 ("August 2 Order"), this Court granted

           petitioner's application for a license pursuant to RPAPL § 881. The August 2 Order provided,

           inter alia, for petitioner to pay a license fee and architects' fees but denied respondent's request

           for reasonable attorneys' fees. Respondent now moves pursuant to CPLR § 2221 for an order

           granting leave to reargue the portion of the August 2 Order that denied attorneys' fees and, upon

           reargument, granting respondent's request for reasonable attorneys' fees. Petitioner opposes.

           Upon the above cited papers, respondent's motion is granted to the extent set forth below.

                     A motion pursuant to CPLR § 2221 is addressed to the sound discretion of the court

           (Opton Handlier Gottlieb Feiler Landau & Hirsch v Patel, 203 AD2d 72 [1st Dept 1994];

           William P. Pahl Equipment Corp v Kassis, 182 AD2d 22 [1st Dept 1992]). A motion to reargue

           "shall be based upon matters of fact or law allegedly overlooked or misapprehended by the court

           in determining the prior motion, but shall not include any matters of fact not offered on the

           previous motion" (CPLR § 2221 [d][2]). Such motion, however, "is not to serve as a vehicle to

            153335/2023 CMCSSG 221E48, LLC V BRIGETTE ASSOCIATES, LLC
            Motion No. 002                                                                                         Page 1 of4

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  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 102                                                                      RECEIVED NYSCEF: 02/09/2024

           permit the unsuccessful party to argue once again the very questions previously decided" (Foley

           v Roche, 68 AD2d 558 [!5 1 Dept 1979]).

                  Respondent contends that in denying reasonable attorneys' fees, this Court overlooked

           the common practice in the First Department requiring petitioners to pay attorneys' fees incurred

           by respondents in connection with RP APL § 881 proceedings and related negotiations. After

           review of the case law, the Court agrees. While generally, what is known as the '·American rule"

           requires each party to litigation to be responsible for its own respective attorneys' fees, in an

           RP APL § 8 81 proceeding where the respondent has sought reasonable terms for access

           "attorneys' fees, including those incurred in opposing the petition, are not an incident of the

           litigation but rather part of the process of negotiating a license agreement" (Matter of Panasia

           Estate. Inc. v 29 W 19 Condominium, 204 AD3d 33. 38 l l st Dept 2022]). This practice is

           consistent with the general policy, observed by this Court in the August 2 Order, that because

           "the respondent to an 881 petition has not sought out the intrusion and does not derive any

           benefit from it ... Equity requires that the owner compelled to grant access should not have to

           bear any costs resulting from the access" (DDG Warren LC v Assouline Ritz I. LLC 138 AD3d

           539, 539-540 [1st Dept 2016], internal quotation marks omitted; see Mauer of Van Dorn

           Holdings, LLC v 15 2 W 58 th Owners Corp., 149 AD3d 518 [1st Dept 201 7]). Accordingly, the

           Court finds that here, where petitioner has sought not to bar all access but has rather disputed the

           terms under which access is provided. awarding such reasonable attorneys' fees is warranted.

                  Petitioner's opposition rests primarily on its position that respondent's objections to the

           license have been made in bad faith. Petitioner argues that respondent unnecessarily complicated

           this litigation by raising items outside the scope of the license or making unwarranted and

           unreasonable demands. Respondent has not, however, provided any authority that indicates an

            15333512023 CMCSSG 221E48, LLC V BRIGETTE ASSOCIATES, LLC
            Motion No. 002                                                                         Page 2 of4

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           award of reasonable attorneys' fees in this instance would not be proper. To the extent petitioner

           argues that certain fees incurred are not reasonable, and as respondent did not set forth a specific

           amount of fees sought in its moving papers, the Court finds it appropriate for the amount of

           attorneys' fees to be determined at a hearing before a Judicial Hearing Officer/Special Referee.

                  Based on the foregoing, it is hereby:

                  ORDERED that respondent's motion for leave to reargue is granted; and it is further

                  ORDERED that August 2 Order is vacated only to the extent that respondent's request

           for reasonable attorneys' fees is granted; and it is further

                  ORDERED that a Judicial Hearing Officer ("JHO") or Special Referee shall be

           designated to determine the issue ofreasonable attorneys' fees to be awarded to respondent

           pursuant to the above decision, which issue is.hereby submitted to the JHO/Special Referee to

           hear and determine; and it is further

                  ORDERED that the powers of the JHO/Special Referee shall not be limited beyond the

           limitations set forth in the CPLR; and it is further

                  ORDERED that this matter is hereby referred to the Special Referee Clerk for placement

           at the earliest possible date upon the calendar of the Special Referees Part (Part SRP), which, in

           accordance with the Rules of that Part (which are posted on the website of this court at

           www.nycourst.gov/supctmanh at the "References" link), shall assign this matter at the initial

           appearance to an available JHO/Special Referee to determine as specified above; and it is further

                  ORDERED that counsel shall immediately consult one another and counsel for

           petitioner shall, within 15 days from the date of this Order, submit to the Special Referee Clerk

           by e-mail an Information Sheet (accessible at the "References" link on the court's website)

           containing all the information called for therein and that, as soon as practical thereafter, the

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            Motion No. 002                                                                         Page 3 of 4

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           Special Referee Clerk shall advise counsel for the parties of the date fixed for the appearance of

           the matter upon the calendar of the Special Referees Part; and it is further

                   ORDERED that on the initial appearance in the Special Referees Part the parties shall

           appear for a pre-hearing conference before the assigned JHO/Special Referee and the date for the

           hearing shall be fixed at that conference; the parties need not appear at the conference with all

           witnesses and evidence; and it is further

                   ORDERED that, except as otherwise directed by the assigned JHO/special Referee for

           good cause shown, the trial of the issue(s) specified above shall proceed from day to day until

           completion and counsel must arrange their schedules and those of their witnesses accordingly;

           and it is further

                   ORDERED that counsel shall file memoranda or other documents directed to the

           assigned JHO/Special Referee in accordance with the Uniform Rules of the Judicial Hearing

           Officers and the Special Referees (available at the "References" link on the court's website) by

           filing same with the New York State Courts Electronic Filing System (see Rule 2 ofthe Uniform

           Rules); and it is further

                   ORDERED that all other aspects of the August 2 Order remain in full force and effect;

           and it is further

                   ORDERED that any requested relief not expressly granted herein is denied.

                   This constitutes the decision and order of the Court.

                    2/9/2024
                     DATE                                                  SHA
            CHECK ONE;                  CASE DISPOSED                □ NON-FINAL DISPOSITION
                                        GRANTED         □ DENIED         GRANTED IN PART          □ OTHER
            APPLICATION:                SETTLE ORDER                     SUBMIT ORDER
            CHECK IF APPROPRIATE:       INCLUDES TRANSFER/REASSIGN       FIDUCIARY APPOINTMENT    0     REFERENCE

            153335/2023 CMCSSG 221E48, LLC V BRIGETTE ASSOCIATES, LLC
            Motion No. 002                                                                            Page 4 of 4

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