Chia v. City of N.Y.

Decision Date18 September 2013
Citation971 N.Y.S.2d 460,109 A.D.3d 865,2013 N.Y. Slip Op. 05873
PartiesEdward CHIA, also known as Eddie Chia, respondent, v. CITY OF NEW YORK, et al., appellants.
CourtNew York Supreme Court — Appellate Division

OPINION TEXT STARTS HERE

Michael A. Cardozo, Corporation Counsel, New York, N.Y. (Larry A. Sonnenshein and Kathy H. Chang of counsel), for appellants.

Connors and Sullivan, Brooklyn, N.Y. (Elizabeth J. Becker of counsel), for respondent.

In an action to recover damages for personal injuries, the defendants appeal from an order of the Supreme Court, Kings County (Velasquez, J.), dated December 8, 2011, which denied their motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint.

ORDERED that the order is affirmed, with costs.

The plaintiff allegedly sustained personal injuries when the bicycle that he was riding came into contact with a pothole, causing him to fall. As a result, the plaintiff commenced this action against the defendants City of New York and the New York City Department of Transportation. The defendants moved for summary judgment dismissing the complaint, contending that they did not have prior written notice of the alleged defect. The plaintiff opposed the motion, contending, inter alia, that the most recent map submitted to the Department of Transportation by the Big Apple Pothole and Sidewalk Protection Corporation (hereinafter Big Apple) provided prior written notice of the subject pothole. The Supreme Court denied the motion.

Subject to two exceptions which we need not address in connection with this appeal, “where a municipality has enacted a prior written notice statute such as Administrative Code of the City of New York § 7–201(c)(2), it may not be subjected to liability for injuries arising from a defective roadway unless it has received timely prior written notice of the defective condition” ( Burwell v. City of New York, 97 A.D.3d 617, 618, 948 N.Y.S.2d 401;see Levy v. City of New York, 94 A.D.3d 1060, 943 N.Y.S.2d 187;De La Reguera v. City of Mount Vernon, 74 A.D.3d 1127, 904 N.Y.S.2d 108;Cendales v. City of New York, 25 A.D.3d 579, 807 N.Y.S.2d 414). A Big Apple map submitted to the Department of Transportation may serve as prior written notice of a defective condition ( see Adamson v. City of New York, 87 A.D.3d 1088, 930 N.Y.S.2d 232;Vertsberger v. City of New York, 34 A.D.3d 453, 824 N.Y.S.2d 346;Cassuto v. City of New York, 23 A.D.3d 423, 805 N.Y.S.2d 580).

Here, the defendants failed to establish, prima facie, that they did not have prior written notice of the alleged defect. Where, as here, “there are factual disputes regarding the precise location of the defect that allegedly caused a plaintiff's fall, and whether the alleged defect is designated on the map, the question should be resolved by the jury” ( Cassuto v. City of New York, 23 A.D.3d at 424, 805 N.Y.S.2d 580;see Brown v. City of New York, 90 A.D.3d 591, 933 N.Y.S.2d 895;Vertsberger v. City of New York, 34 A.D.3d at 455–456, 824 N.Y.S.2d 346;Quinn v. City of New York, 305 A.D.2d 570, 761 N.Y.S.2d 231). Since the...

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8 cases
  • Buonviaggio v. Parkside Assocs., L.P.
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • 6 Agosto 2014
    ...concerning the applicability of, inter alia, 34 RCNY § 2–07(b), are not properly before this Court ( see Chia v. City of New York, 109 A.D.3d 865, 971 N.Y.S.2d 460;Tobias v. DiFazio Elec., 288 A.D.2d 209, 732 N.Y.S.2d 441). In light of the foregoing, we need not reach the plaintiff's remain......
  • Ghumann v. City of N.Y.
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • 2 Marzo 2022
    ...Surf Avenue and 22nd Street, is raised for the first time on appeal and is not properly before this Court (see Chia v. City of New York, 109 A.D.3d 865, 866, 971 N.Y.S.2d 460 ).Accordingly, the Supreme Court, in effect, properly denied that branch of the defendants’ renewed motion which was......
  • Vargas v. Crown Container Co.
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • 13 Febrero 2014
    ...v. Magee, 146 A.D.2d 730, 537 N.Y.S.2d 215). Therefore, this issue is not properly before this Court ( see Chia v. City of New York, 109 A.D.3d 865, 866, 971 N.Y.S.2d 460;Matter of Matarrese v. New York City Health & Hosps. Corp., 247 A.D.2d 475, 476, 668 N.Y.S.2d 686). Cross motion by the ......
  • Walker v. Jenkins
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • 16 Marzo 2016
    ...question should be resolved by a jury (see Cassuto v. City of New York, 23 A.D.3d 423, 805 N.Y.S.2d 580 ; see also Chia v. City of New York, 109 A.D.3d 865, 971 N.Y.S.2d 460 ; Brown v. City of New York, 90 A.D.3d 591, 933 N.Y.S.2d 895 ; Vertsberger v. City of New York, 34 A.D.3d 453, 824 N.......
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