Opinion
2012-02-23
Issac AINETCHI, et al., Plaintiffs–Respondents, v. 500 WEST END LLC, Defendant–Appellant.
Franklin R. Kaiman, New York, for appellant. Cuddy & Feder LLP, White Plains (Joshua E. Kimerling of counsel), and Connors and Sullivan, P.C., Brooklyn (Edward R. Dorney of counsel), for respondents.
Franklin R. Kaiman, New York, for appellant. Cuddy & Feder LLP, White Plains (Joshua E. Kimerling of counsel), and Connors and Sullivan, P.C., Brooklyn (Edward R. Dorney of counsel), for respondents.
MAZZARELLI, J.P., CATTERSON, RENWICK, ABDUS–SALAAM, MANZANET–DANIELS, JJ.
Supplemental judgment, Supreme Court, New York County (Debra A. James, J.), entered March 9, 2011, after a nonjury trial, awarding plaintiffs possession of a mechanical room situated between two residential condominiums at 500 West End Avenue in Manhattan, unanimously reversed, on the facts, with costs, the judgment vacated, and possession of the mechanical room awarded to the owner of Penthouse East. The Clerk is directed to enter judgment accordingly.
The weight of the evidence did not support the trial court's fact-finding determination that the mechanical room at issue belonged to Penthouse West, the unit purchased by plaintiffs ( see Green v. William Penn Life Ins. Co. of N.Y., 74 A.D.3d 570, 571, 902 N.Y.S.2d 542 [2010] ). Pursuant to the Offering Plan Floor Plans and the Tax Lot Floor Plans, the mechanical room at issue was contained within Penthouse East. Although the plans drafted by defendant's architect (the BKS Plans) labeled the mechanical room “W212,” this information conflicted with the Door and Finish Schedule also included within the BKS Plans, thereby rendering this document ambiguous ( see Ainetchi v. 500 W. End LLC, 51 A.D.3d 513, 859 N.Y.S.2d 121 [2008] ). Since the BKS Plans are ambiguous, the parties were required to go outside the documents to establish the ownership of the mechanical room ( see NAB Constr. Corp. v. City of New York, 276 A.D.2d 388, 390, 714 N.Y.S.2d 279 [2000] ).
Taking defendant's testimony with the relevant documents, i.e., the Offering Plan, the Tax Lot Plan, and the discrepancies within the BKS Plans ( see Kralik v. 239 E. 79th St. Owners Corp., 5 N.Y.3d 54, 57, 799 N.Y.S.2d 433, 832 N.E.2d 707 [2005]; Sassi–Lehner v. Charlton Tenants Corp., 55 A.D.3d 74, 78, 863 N.Y.S.2d 20 [2008] ), the evidence supports a fact-finding determination that the mechanical room was initially contemplated within the space attributed to Penthouse East, that the designation of the mechanical room as “W212” was a typographical error, that the mechanical room was, in fact, part of Penthouse East, and that the mechanical room was connected to Penthouse West because it was easier to do so while the parties settled their dispute as to ownership of this room.