Opinion
No. 2012–174WC.
2013-04-4
Michael MAROM, Respondent, v. Mark GORDON and Audrey Pioret, Appellants.
Present: IANNACCI, J.P., MARANO and TOLBERT, JJ.
Appeal from a judgment of the City Court of White Plains, Westchester County (Barbara A. Leak, J.), entered July 21, 2011. The judgment, after a nonjury trial, awarded plaintiff the principal sum of $1,464 and dismissed defendants' counterclaim.
ORDERED that the judgment is modified by providing that plaintiff's cause of action is dismissed; as so modified, the judgment is affirmed, without costs.
Plaintiff commenced this small claims action against his neighbors, alleging that they had vandalized survey markers on specified property and had caused construction delays by deliberately parking their car in such a way as to block access to that property. Defendants interposed a counterclaim, alleging that plaintiff had damaged and vandalized their property, in addition to causing damage to their car. After a nonjury trial, the City Court awarded plaintiffs the principal sum of $1,464 and dismissed defendants' counterclaim.
Upon a review of the record, we find that the judgment, insofar as it awarded plaintiff the sum of $1,464 upon his cause of action, did not provide substantial justice between the parties in accordance with the rules and principles of substantive law (UCCA 1807). A review of the record reveals that, with respect to plaintiff's cause of action, plaintiff is not the real party in interest, as the property that had allegedly been affected was owned by a corporation, not plaintiff ( see82 N.Y. Jur 2d, Parties § 25). Consequently, plaintiff's cause of action must be dismissed. On the other hand, the City Court's dismissal of defendants' counterclaim, which appears to have been properly interposed against plaintiff, was supported by the record.
Accordingly, the judgment is modified by providing that plaintiff's cause of action is dismissed.