From Casetext: Smarter Legal Research

Clarke v. New York City Housing Authority

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, First Department
Apr 3, 2001
282 A.D.2d 202 (N.Y. App. Div. 2001)

Opinion

April 3, 2001.

Order, Supreme Court, New York County (Harold Tompkins, J.), entered November 4, 1999, which, in an action for personal injuries sustained when a branch from a tree located on defendant's property fell on plaintiff's head, granted defendant's motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint, unanimously affirmed, without costs.

James K. Greenberg, for plaintiff-appellant.

Caryn L. Lilling, for defendant-respondent.

Before: Sullivan, P.J., Rosenberger, Mazzarelli, Wallach, Buckley, JJ.


The action was properly dismissed in absence of evidence sufficient to raise an issue of fact as to whether defendant failed to properly maintain the trees on its property, or created or had actual or constructive notice of the danger posed by the branch that fell on plaintiff (see, Gordon v. American Museum of Natural History, 67 N.Y.2d 836). While plaintiff's expert states that a close inspection revealed small scars at the base of the tree indicative of decay, there is no indication that such scars were readily observable, or other basis for inferring that defendant should have realized that a potentially dangerous condition existed (see, Ivancic v. Olmstead, 66 N.Y.2d 349, 351-352).

We have considered plaintiff' s other arguments and find them unavailing.

THIS CONSTITUTES THE DECISION AND ORDER OF SUPREME COURT, APPELLATE DIVISION, FIRST DEPARTMENT.


Summaries of

Clarke v. New York City Housing Authority

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, First Department
Apr 3, 2001
282 A.D.2d 202 (N.Y. App. Div. 2001)
Case details for

Clarke v. New York City Housing Authority

Case Details

Full title:ERALDO CLARKE, PLAINTIFF-APPELLANT, v. THE NEW YORK CITY HOUSING…

Court:Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, First Department

Date published: Apr 3, 2001

Citations

282 A.D.2d 202 (N.Y. App. Div. 2001)
724 N.Y.S.2d 22

Citing Cases

Louallen v. N.Y.C. Hous. Auth.

The conclusion of NYCHA's tree expert, based on examination nearly three years after the accident, that the…

Handwerker v. City of New York

Dismissal of the complaint was not warranted since the record presents triable issues of fact as to whether…