From Casetext: Smarter Legal Research

Place v. Ginsburg

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Feb 26, 2001
280 A.D.2d 656 (N.Y. App. Div. 2001)

Opinion

Argued January 25, 2001

February 26, 2001.

In an action, inter alia, to recover damages for breach of contract and fraud, the plaintiff appeals, as limited by his brief, from so much of an order of the Supreme Court, Putnam County (Hickman, J.), dated November 15, 1999, as granted the defendants' motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint.

Daniel Donnelly, Garrison, N.Y., for appellant.

Keane Beane, P.C., White Plains, N. Y. (Richard L. O'Rourke, Ronald A. Longo, and Stephanie M. Roebuck on the brief), for respondents.

Before: GOLDSTEIN, J.P., FLORIO, LUCIANO and H. MILLER, JJ., concur.


DECISION ORDER

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

The plaintiff claims that an agreement to pay him additional executive compensation constituted meaningful participation in the defendants' real property development projects. However, there was no agreement concerning what would constitute meaningful participation. Even if there was such an agreement, it constituted an unenforceable agreement to agree (see, Martin Delicatessen v. Schumacher, 52 N.Y.2d 105; Lazard Freres Co. v. First Natl. Bank, 268 A.D.2d 294; Parkway Group v. Modell's Sporting Goods, 254 A.D.2d 338).

The causes of action to recover in quantum meruit and to recover a brokerage commission were properly dismissed. The plaintiff did not present sufficient evidence to raise a material issue of fact concerning the reasonableness of his belief that he was entitled to additional compensation above and beyond his $95,000 salary or that there was an agreement, express or implied, that he would be paid a brokerage commission (see, Zuckerman v. City of New York, 49 N.Y.2d 557; Ormond Park Realty v. Round Hill Dev. Corp., 266 A.D.2d 523; Umscheid v. Simnacher, 106 A.D.2d 380; see also, Reisner v. Recco Temporary Servs., 136 A.D.2d 686).

The cause of action to recover damages for fraud was properly dismissed. General allegations that a defendant entered into a contract while lacking the intent to perform it are insufficient to state a cause of action for fraud (see, New York Univ. v. Continental Ins. Co., 87 N.Y.2d 308, 318; Jim Longo, Inc. v. Rutigliano, 251 A.D.2d 547).

The plaintiff's remaining contentions are without merit.


Summaries of

Place v. Ginsburg

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Feb 26, 2001
280 A.D.2d 656 (N.Y. App. Div. 2001)
Case details for

Place v. Ginsburg

Case Details

Full title:CHARLES H. PLACE, APPELLANT, v. SAMUEL GINSBURG, ET AL., RESPONDENTS

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

Date published: Feb 26, 2001

Citations

280 A.D.2d 656 (N.Y. App. Div. 2001)
721 N.Y.S.2d 243

Citing Cases

Sokol v. Addison

A cause of action to recover damages for fraud does not lie where, as here, the only fraud claimed relates to…

Rocchio v. Biondi

A cause of action to recover damages for fraud does not lie where, as here, the only fraud claimed relates to…