Bergstol v. Town of Monroe

Citation759 N.Y.S.2d 88,305 A.D.2d 348
PartiesKENNETH BERGSTOL, Appellant,<BR>v.<BR>TOWN OF MONROE, Respondent.
Decision Date05 May 2003
CourtNew York Supreme Court — Appellate Division

Altman, J.P., Smith, McGinity and Cozier, JJ., concur.

Ordered that the order is reversed, on the law, without costs or disbursements, the complaint is reinstated, and the matter is remitted to the Supreme Court, Orange County, for further proceedings consistent herewith.

This action was commenced by Kenneth Bergstol to review the adoption by the Town of Monroe of Local Law No. 1 (2002), which effectively prohibited multiple dwelling groups in RR-1.0 and RR-1.5 zoning districts. Bergstol argued that Local Law No. 1 (2002) was illegal because it was contrary to the Town's master plan. The Supreme Court dismissed the action on the ground of collateral estoppel.

The Supreme Court's dismissal of this action was based upon a prior action which had been commenced by Bergstol challenging the adoption by the Town of Local Law No. 2 (2001), which was virtually identical to Local Law No. 1 (2002). The Supreme Court dismissed that prior action. During the pendency of the appeal, the Town repealed Local Law No. 2 (2001) and reenacted identical provisions as Local Law No. 1 (2002). The appeal in the prior action was dismissed as academic on motion by the Town (see Bergstol v Town of Monroe, 296 AD2d 431 [2002]).

We conclude that the Town is barred by the doctrine of judicial estoppel from claiming that this action is barred by collateral estoppel. The appeal in the first action was dismissed as a result of the Town's motion claiming that the appeal was academic because Local Law No. 2 (2001) had been repealed and replaced by Local Law No. 1 (2002). The doctrine of judicial estoppel, which is also known as the doctrine of estoppel against inconsistent positions, precludes a party from setting forth pleadings which are inconsistent with a position it took in a prior judicial proceeding (see Secured Equities Invs. v McFarland, 300 AD2d 1137, 1138 [2002]). Here, the Town's claim that this action is barred by collateral estoppel based on a Supreme Court determination in the earlier action is inconsistent with its claim in the prior action that the appeal from the Supreme Court's determination was academic.

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6 cases
  • Seneca Meadows, Inc. v. Town of Seneca Falls
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • August 26, 2021
    ...2017 Law rendered the first proceeding moot, and it was properly discontinued by petitioner (see generally Bergstol v. Town of Monroe , 305 A.D.2d 348, 348-349, 759 N.Y.S.2d 88 [2d Dept. 2003] ; Bergstol v. Town of Monroe , 296 A.D.2d 431, 431, 744 N.Y.S.2d 712 [2d Dept. 2002], lv denied 98......
  • N.Y. Tel. Co. v. Supervisor of Town of North Hempstead
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • August 3, 2010
    ...not properly before this Court ( see generally DeNaro v. Rosalia, 59 A.D.3d 584, 587, 873 N.Y.S.2d 697; cf. Bergstol v. Town of Monroe, 305 A.D.2d 348, 349, 759 N.Y.S.2d 88). The order is reversed, on the law, and the motion of the defendants third-party plaintiffs for summary judgment on t......
  • Seneca Meadows, Inc. v. Town of Seneca Falls
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court
    • August 26, 2021
    ...the 2017 Law rendered the first proceeding moot, and it was properly discontinued by petitioner (see generally Bergstol v Town of Monroe, 305 A.D.2d 348, 348-349 [2d Dept 2003]; Bergstol v Town of Monroe, 296 A.D.2d 431, 431 [2d Dept 2002], lv denied 98 N.Y.2d 614 [2002]). When the 2016 Law......
  • Seneca Meadows, Inc. v. Town of Seneca Falls
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court
    • August 26, 2021
    ...the 2017 Law rendered the first proceeding moot, and it was properly discontinued by petitioner (see generally Bergstol v Town of Monroe, 305 A.D.2d 348, 348-349 [2d Dept 2003]; Bergstol v Town of Monroe, 296 A.D.2d 431, 431 [2d Dept 2002], lv denied 98 N.Y.2d 614 [2002]). When the 2016 Law......
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