Court Opinion

ID: 9945562
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-02-27 21:11:07.824837+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:25:31.625929
License: Public Domain

Whitman v City of New York
               2024 NY Slip Op 30562(U)
                   February 16, 2024
           Supreme Court, New York County
        Docket Number: Index No. 150362/2020
               Judge: Nicholas W. Moyne
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                                                                                                 INDEX NO. 150362/2020
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 52                                                                      RECEIVED NYSCEF: 02/22/2024

                             SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
                                       NEW YORK COUNTY
            PRESENT:        HON. NICHOLAS W. MOYNE                            PART                              52
                                                                    Justice
            --~----------------X                                              INDEX NO.          150362/2020
              JACQUELINE WHITMAN,
                                                                                                  07/18/2023,
                                                                              MOTION DATE         07/18/2023
                                              Plaintiff,

                                        -v-                                   MOTION SEQ. NO.
                                                                                                - -003
                                                                                                    -- 003
                                                                                                         --
             THE CITY OF NEW YORK, THE LONG ISLAND
             RAILROAD, METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION
                                                                                DECISION + ORDER ON
             AUTHORITY, METRO-NORTH RAILROAD COMPANY
                                                                                      MOTION
                                              Defendant.

            -------------------X
            The following e-filed documents, listed by NYSCEF document number (Motion 003) 33, 34, 35, 36, 37,
            38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51
            were read on this motion to/for                                     DISMISS

            The following e-filed documents, listed by NYSCEF document number (Motion 003) 33, 34, 35, 36, 37,
            38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51
            were read on this motion to/for                               JUDGMENT-SUMMARY
            Upon the foregoing documents, it is

                    Defendant The City of New York ("City") moves to dismiss the complaint and cross-

            claims against if for failure to state a claim pursuant to CPLR § 321 l(a)(7). The plaintiff

           . opposes the motion:.

                    Plaintiff contends that she was injured on October 16, 2018, when she tripped and fell

            due to a hazardous condition in Pen Station (the premises). Specifically, she alleges that she

            tripped on the last step of the staircase leading to Track 20 of the Long Island Railroad. The

            City's motion to dismiss is based upon the affidavits of David Schloss, a Senior Title Examiner

            in the New York City Law Department, who states that he conducted a title search for the

            premises, and that, on the date of the accident, the record title holder was National Railroad

            Passenger Corporation. A copy of the deed is attached to Mr. Schloss' affidavit. The City's

             150362/2020 WHITMAN, JACQUELINE vs. CITY OF NEW YORK                                 Page 1 of4
             Motion No. 003 003

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                                                                                                  INDEX NO. 150362/2020
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 52                                                                       RECEIVED NYSCEF: 02/22/2024

            motion is also supported by the affidavit of Callista Nazaire, an Administrative City Planner for

            the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services ("DCAS"). She performed

            a search of City Records and found no records indicating that the premises was "owned,

            occupied, maintained, or controlled by the City of New York, either directly as owner or by

            means of a license or lease in effect on October 16, 2018." "Liability for a dangerous or

            defective condition on real property must be predicated upon ownership, occupancy, control, or

            special use of that property" (Karpovich v City of New York, 162 AD3d 996, 997 [2d Dept

            2018]). A deed conclusively establishes that the City did not own the premises. The affidavit of

            Callista Nazaire establishes that the City did not occupy, control, or make special use of the

            premises. Accordingly, the City has made a prima facie showing of entitlement to dismissal of

            the complaint against it. Plaintiffs contention that dismissal is premature because discovery has

            not been completed, and facts essential to justify opposition may exist but cannot be stated, is

            unwarranted because plaintiff does not make a sufficient showing that facts essential to justify

            opposition to the motion could be yielded during discovery (see Karpovich v City ofNew York,

            162 AD3d 996,998 [2d Dept 2018]; see also Cioe v Petrocelli Elec. Co., Inc., 33 AD3d 377,378

            [1st Dept 2006] ["claimed need for discovery without some evidentiary basis suggesting that

            discovery may lead to relevant evidence is insufficient to avoid the grant of summary

            judgment"]). Therefore, it is hereby

                   ORDERED that the motion of defendant The City of New York to dismiss the complaint

            herein is granted and the complaint is dismissed in its entirety as against said defendant, with costs

            and disbursements to said defendant 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

             150362/2020 WHITMAN, JACQUELINE vs. CITY OF NEW YORK                                   Page 2 of4
             Motion No; 003 003

[* 2]                                                     2 of 4
                                                                                                            INDEX NO. 150362/2020
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 52                                                                               RECEIVED NYSCEF: 02/22/2024

                    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 the caption shall hereafter read:

                            ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------X
                            .JACQUELINE WHITMAN,
                                                                                                   Plaintiff,
                                                                  -v-
                            THE LONG ISLAND RAILROAD, METROPOLITAN
                            TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY, METRO-NORTH
                            RAILROAD COMPANY
                                                                                               Defendants.
                            ----------------------------------------------·----------------------------------X
            and it is further

                    ORDERED that as the City of New York is no longer a party to the action, and no

            remaining party is represented by Corporation Counsel (the New York City Law Department), this

            matter remitted to the General Clerk's Office for reassignment to Part 21, the Transit Part; 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

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

            Filing" page on the court's website).

             150362/2020 WHITMAN, JACQUELINE vs. CITY OF NEW YORK                                           . Page 3 of4
             Motion No. 003 003

[* 3]                                                         3 of 4
                                                                                                     INDEX NO. 150362/2020
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 52                                                                           RECEIVED NYSCEF: 02/22/2024

                    This constitutes the decision and order of the court.

                    2/16/2024
                      DATE                                                       NICHOLAS W. MOYNE, J.S.C.
             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   □ REFERENCE

             150362/2020 WHITMAN, JACQUELINE vs. CITY OF NEW YORK                                    Page 4 of 4
             Motion No. 003 003

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