Opinion
2012-01-3
Joseph SWEENEY, Plaintiff–Respondent, v. NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND MENTAL HYGIENE, Defendant–Appellant.
Michael A. Cardozo, Corporation Counsel, New York (Janet L. Zaleon of counsel), for appellant. Casella & Casella, LLP, Staten Island (Ralph P. Casella of counsel), for respondent.
Michael A. Cardozo, Corporation Counsel, New York (Janet L. Zaleon of counsel), for appellant. Casella & Casella, LLP, Staten Island (Ralph P. Casella of counsel), for respondent.
Order, Supreme Court, New York County (Jane S. Solomon, J.), entered September 27, 2010, which denied defendant's motion to dismiss the complaint as barred by the doctrines of collateral estoppel and res judicata, unanimously reversed, on the law, without costs, and the motion granted to the extent of dismissing the action on res judicata grounds. The Clerk is directed to enter judgment dismissing the complaint.
This action is barred by the doctrine of res judicata. Plaintiff's fraud claim, based upon the same harm and arising out of the same facts presented in a prior article 78 proceeding, could and should have been asserted in the prior proceeding ( see generally Parker v. Blauvelt Volunteer Fire Co., 93 N.Y.2d 343, 347–348, 690 N.Y.S.2d 478, 712 N.E.2d 647 [1999]; Brooklyn Welding Corp. v. City of New York, 198 A.D.2d 189, 604 N.Y.S.2d 87 [1993], lv. dismissed 83 N.Y.2d 795, 611 N.Y.S.2d 128, 633 N.E.2d 482 [1994] ). Further, the relief sought in this action (i.e., lost civil servant benefits) could have been claimed and awarded in the article 78 proceeding as “incidental to the primary relief sought” (CPLR 7806; see Pauk v. Board of Trustees of City Univ. of N.Y., 68 N.Y.2d 702, 704–705, 506 N.Y.S.2d 308, 497 N.E.2d 675 [1986]; Parker, 93 N.Y.2d at 348, 690 N.Y.S.2d 478, 712 N.E.2d 647).