Summary
In Todres v. W7879, LLC, 137 A.D.3d 597, 26 N.Y.S.3d 698 (1st Dept. 2016), lv denied 28 N.Y.3d 910, 2016 WL 7364805 (2016), we considered the very building involved in this case and upheld a determination that this same landlord had not engaged in a fraudulent scheme to remove an apartment from the rent stabilization program and had not acted with willfulness.
Summary of this case from Raden v. W 7879, LLCOpinion
108934/10 408 407.
03-22-2016
Michael TODRES, as the Executor of the Estate of Sarah Carter Collyer, Plaintiff–Respondent–Appellant, v. W7879, LLC, et al., Defendants–Appellants–Respondents.
Kucker & Bruh LLP, New York (Saul D. Bruh of counsel), for appellants-respondents. Morton S. Minsley, New York, for respondent-appellant.
Kucker & Bruh LLP, New York (Saul D. Bruh of counsel), for appellants-respondents.
Morton S. Minsley, New York, for respondent-appellant.
Opinion
Judgment, Supreme Court, New York County (Arthur F. Engoron, J.), entered November 10, 2014, against defendants in plaintiff's favor, unanimously modified, on the law, to reduce the principal amount awarded to plaintiff (before the setoff from plaintiff to defendants) from $131,042.94 to $2,618, to adjust the interest calculation and total amount awarded accordingly, and otherwise affirmed, without costs. The Clerk is directed to enter an amended judgment accordingly. Appeal from decision, same court and Justice, entered October 3, 2014, unanimously dismissed, without costs, as taken from a nonappealable paper.
Plaintiff waited until his reply brief on his cross appeal to make the legal argument that the court should have precluded two defense witnesses from testifying at trial. This argument is made too late (see e.g. Schultz v. 400 Coop. Corp., 292 A.D.2d 16, 21, 736 N.Y.S.2d 9 1st Dept.2002 ). Were we to consider it, we would find that it was not an improvident exercise of the court's discretion to allow those witnesses to testify (see CPLR 3101[h] ). Unlike the precluded witness in Corso v. State of New York, 23 Misc.3d 1132 [A], 2009 N.Y. Slip Op. 51053[U], *3–4, 2009 WL 1492783 [Ct.Cl.2009], affd. 73 A.D.3d 1116, 900 N.Y.S.2d 883 2d Dept.2010, the witnesses in the case at bar were not under defendants' control.
Based on the evidence that was properly admitted, and given the deference due to the trial court (see Thoreson v. Penthouse Intl., 80 N.Y.2d 490, 495, 591 N.Y.S.2d 978, 606 N.E.2d 1369 1992 ), the court properly found that defendants did not engage in a “fraudulent deregulation scheme to remove an apartment from the protections of rent stabilization” (Matter of Grimm v. State of N.Y. Div. of Hous. & Community Renewal Off. of Rent Admin., 15 N.Y.3d 358, 367, 912 N.Y.S.2d 491, 938 N.E.2d 924 2010; see Matter of Boyd v. New York State Div. of Hous. & Community Renewal, 23 N.Y.3d 999, 992 N.Y.S.2d 764, 16 N.E.3d 1243 2014 ). Having so found, however, the court should not have looked at “the rental history of the housing accommodation prior to the four-year period immediately preceding the commencement of the action” (CPLR 213–a). In addition, the court should not have awarded treble damages (see Borden v. 400 E. 55th St. Assoc., L.P., 24 N.Y.3d 382, 398, 998 N.Y.S.2d 729, 23 N.E.3d 997 2014 ).
Neither plaintiff nor defendants are entitled to recover attorneys' fees.
We have considered the remaining arguments and find them unavailing.
MAZZARELLI, J.P., SWEENY, MANZANET–DANIELS, GISCHE, JJ., concur.