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Groom v. Cliff

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Apr 29, 2008
50 A.D.3d 1094 (N.Y. App. Div. 2008)

Opinion

No. 2007-02365.

April 29, 2008.

In an action to recover damages for personal injuries, the plaintiff appeals, as limited by the brief, from so much of an order of the Supreme Court, Nassau County (McCarty, J.), entered February 8, 2007, as granted the defendants' motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint.

Spence Davis, LLP, Garden City, N.Y. (Robert J. Spence and John Lehr of counsel), for appellant.

Morris Duffy Alonso Faley, New York, N.Y. (Anna J. Ervolina and Andrea M. Alonzo of counsel), for respondents.

Before: Mastro, J.P., Ritter, Carni and Eng, JJ.


Ordered that the order is affirmed insofar as appealed from, with costs.

The plaintiffs minor child climbed on to a moss-covered portion of a concrete groin at the Sea Cliff Beach and fell. "A landowner has a duty to exercise reasonable care in maintaining [its] property in a safe condition under all of the circumstances, including the likelihood of injury to others, the seriousness of the potential injuries, the burden of avoiding the risk, and the foreseeability of a potential plaintiff's presence on the property" ( Kurshals v Connetquot Cent. School Dist., 227 AD2d 593, 593; see Basso v Miller, 40 NY2d 233; Doyle v State of New York, 271 AD2d 394). However, a landowner has no duty to protect or warn against an open and obvious condition that is inherent or incidental to the nature of the property, and that could be reasonably anticipated by those using it ( see Progressive Northeastern Ins. Co. v Town of Oyster Bay, 40 AD3d 612; Stanton v Town of Oyster Bay, 2 AD3d 835; Nardi v Crowley Mar Assoc, 292 AD2d 577; see also Mazzola v Mazzola, 16 AD3d 629; DeLaurentis v Marx Realty Improvement, 300 AD2d 343; Moriello v Stormville Airport Antique Show Flea Mkt., 271 AD2d 664). Here, the defendants established their entitlement to summary judgment by demonstrating that the allegedly slippery condition of the concrete groin was open and obvious and inherent or incidental to the nature of the property and could be reasonably anticipated by those using it ( see Progressive Northeastern Ins. Co. v Town of Oyster Bay, 40 AD3d 612; Stanton v Town of Oyster Bay, 2 AD3d 835; Nardi v Crowley Mar. Assoc, 292 AD2d 577). In opposition, the plaintiff failed to submit evidence sufficient to raise a triable issue of fact. Accordingly, the Supreme Court properly granted the defendants' motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint.


Summaries of

Groom v. Cliff

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Apr 29, 2008
50 A.D.3d 1094 (N.Y. App. Div. 2008)
Case details for

Groom v. Cliff

Case Details

Full title:JACKSON R. GROOM, Appellant, v. VILLAGE OF SEA CLIFF et al., Respondents

Court:Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department

Date published: Apr 29, 2008

Citations

50 A.D.3d 1094 (N.Y. App. Div. 2008)
2008 N.Y. Slip Op. 4056
857 N.Y.S.2d 646

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