Opinion
No. 5317N.
May 26, 2011.
Judgment, Supreme Court, New York County (Cynthia S. Kern, J.), entered January 19, 2011, denying plaintiffs' motion for a preliminary injunction requiring defendants to fund health insurance benefits for retirees of the New York City Off-Track Betting Corporation (NYC OTB) pending determination of plaintiffs' plenary action for the same relief, unanimously affirmed, without costs.
Stroock Stroock Lavan LLP, New York (Ernst H. Rosenberger of counsel), for appellants.
Eric T. Schneiderman, Attorney General, New York (Laura R. Johnson of counsel), for David A. Paterson, respondent.
Michael A. Cardozo, Corporation Counsel, New York (Sharyn Rootenberg of counsel), for municipal respondents.
Before: Concur — Gonzalez, P.J., Tom, Friedman, Catterson and Richter, JJ.
The City and the State are precluded by NY Constitution, article X, § 5, and Racing, Pari-Mutuel Wagering and Breeding Law § 614 from assuming the legal obligation to pay the NYC OTB retirees' health insurance benefits. Thus, plaintiffs cannot show a probability of success on the merits or otherwise meet the "heightened standard" governing their application for a mandatory preliminary injunction ( see Second on Second Cafe, Inc. v Hing Sing Trading, Inc., 66 AD3d 255, 264, 273).
[Prior Case History: 2011 NY Slip Op 30096(U).]