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Lawless v. City of Buffalo

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Fourth Department
Nov 15, 1991
177 A.D.2d 1007 (N.Y. App. Div. 1991)

Opinion

November 15, 1991

Appeal from the Supreme Court, Erie County, Dadd, J.

Present — Doerr, J.P., Denman, Boomer, Green and Davis, JJ.


Order unanimously reversed on the law without costs and motion granted. Memorandum: Supreme Court erred by denying plaintiff's motion to amend his complaint to add a cause of action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 on the ground that plaintiff had failed to comply with the notice of claim requirements of General Municipal Law §§ 50-e and 50-i. The Supreme Court of the United States has held that notice of claim requirements do not apply to causes of action brought pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 in State courts (Felder v Casey, 487 U.S. 131; see also, Meiselman v. Richardson, 743 F. Supp. 143; Matter of Rattner v. Planning Commn., 156 A.D.2d 521, 525, lv dismissed 75 N.Y.2d 897; Matter of Zurat v. Town of Stockport, 142 A.D.2d 1, 3).

Plaintiff's claim pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 was not time-barred. Plaintiff's original complaint gave notice of the transactions and occurrences to be proved pursuant to the amended pleading (CPLR 203 [e]). Plaintiff sought to add only a new theory of recovery based upon the same facts alleged in his original complaint. That is permissible (see, Bilhorn v. Farlow, 60 A.D.2d 755; Luisi v. JWT Group, 128 Misc.2d 291, 295).


Summaries of

Lawless v. City of Buffalo

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Fourth Department
Nov 15, 1991
177 A.D.2d 1007 (N.Y. App. Div. 1991)
Case details for

Lawless v. City of Buffalo

Case Details

Full title:WILLIAM B. LAWLESS, III, Appellant, v. CITY OF BUFFALO, Respondent

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

Date published: Nov 15, 1991

Citations

177 A.D.2d 1007 (N.Y. App. Div. 1991)
578 N.Y.S.2d 27

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