Williamsburg warehouse burned to the ground just minutes after FDNY left the scene. A Williamsburg warehouse owned by Recall Corporation and located on the Brooklyn waterfront at 5 North 11th Street burned to the ground in the early hours of the morning on January 31, 2015. The New York City Fire Department had responded to a fire alarm at approximately 4:36 a.m. and found a fire ablaze on storage shelves inside the warehouse. The FDNY, … <Read More>
CityLaw
NYC Property Tax System Upheld
An organization challenged New York City’s property tax system as unfair, unconstitutional and discriminatory. Tax Equity Now NY LLC, an association of property owners and renters, filed a lawsuit challenging the New York City property tax system. The owners and renters alleged that the City’s property tax system was unfair and results in racial discrimination. The association made several claims: the owners of one-, two- and three-family homes pay too little in taxes as a … <Read More>
Public urination violation sustained
Individual claimed medical condition as a defense for public urination violation. A subway rider stepped off the subway car at 12:30 a.m. when he felt the sudden need to use a restroom. The rider proceeded to the station’s restroom, but found it to be locked. When the rider could not locate another public restroom, he walked to Lippmann Plaza and urinated on the tree bed in front of a McDonald’s at 136-61 Roosevelt Avenue, Queens. … <Read More>
Tort claim against HPD advances
HPD performed an emergency excavation without giving owner time to comply. The Trustee of a family Trust hired three workers to excavate soil on the Trust’s Brooklyn property to fix an emergency condition at 146 Wilson Street, Brooklyn. The three workers were trapped when the excavation collapsed. The City Department of Buildings issued a full stop order to the Trustee for excavations without a permit. The Housing Preservation & Development Department then advised the Trustee … <Read More>
Prior Notice Claim Advances
Pedestrian injured on a defect in the sidewalk owned by the City. Pedestrian Luis Sanchez was injured when he tripped and fell on a defect in the sidewalk located on Westchester Avenue between St. Ann’s Avenue and Brook Avenue in the Bronx. Sanchez sued the City. The City, citing the generality of the mark on a Big Apple Map, moved to dismiss the complaint for lack of prior notice.
NYC tree damage claim upheld
New York City has general capacity to sue for negligent destruction of trees. A private property owner hired Tri-Rail Construction company to perform sidewalk repairs for a property adjacent to City property. During the course of the sidewalk repairs, Tri-Rail damaged City trees.