Opinion
# 2012-049-046 Claim No. 121293 Motion No. M-81718
09-05-2012
ROLDAN v. CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AND STATE OF NEW YORK
Synopsis
The Court granted defendant's unopposed pre-answer motion to dismiss. Court of Claims does not have jurisdiction over community colleges of the City University of New York. Case information
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ ¦UID: ¦2012-049-046 ¦ +-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------¦ ¦Claimant(s): ¦LISSETTE ROLDAN ¦ +-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------¦ ¦Claimant short name: ¦ROLDAN ¦ +-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------¦ ¦Footnote (claimant name) : ¦ ¦ +-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------¦ ¦Defendant(s): ¦CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AND STATE OF NEW ¦ ¦ ¦YORK ¦ +-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------¦ ¦Footnote (defendant name) : ¦ ¦ +-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------¦ ¦Third-party claimant(s): ¦ ¦ +-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------¦ ¦Third-party defendant(s): ¦ ¦ +-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------¦ ¦Claim number(s): ¦121293 ¦ +-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------¦ ¦Motion number(s): ¦M-81718 ¦ +-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------¦ ¦Cross-motion number(s): ¦ ¦ +-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------¦ ¦Judge: ¦David A. Weinstein ¦ +-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------¦ ¦ ¦Ziegler & Robinson ¦ ¦Claimant's attorney: ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦By: No Appearance ¦ +-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------¦ ¦ ¦Eric Schneiderman, NYS Attorney General ¦ ¦Defendant's attorney: ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦By: Joseph L. Paterno, Assistant Attorney ¦ ¦ ¦General ¦ +-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------¦ ¦Third-party defendant's ¦ ¦ ¦attorney: ¦ ¦ +-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------¦ ¦Signature date: ¦September 5, 2012 ¦ +-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------¦ ¦City: ¦Albany ¦ +-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------¦ ¦Comments: ¦ ¦ +-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------¦ ¦Official citation: ¦ ¦ +-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------¦ ¦Appellate results: ¦ ¦ +-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------¦ ¦See also (multicaptioned case) ¦ ¦ +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ Decision
In a claim filed May 14, 2012, claimant Lissette Roldan alleges that she was injured when she stepped into a hole on a walkway adjacent to the campus of Manhattan Community College ("MCC"). In this pre-answer motion, defendants State of New York and City University of New York ("CUNY") move to dismiss the claim on the ground that the Court of Claims lacks jurisdiction over actions involving a community college of CUNY. Claimant has submitted no opposition to the motion.
The Court of Claims has jurisdiction only over claims against the State of New York and a limited number of other entities specifically enumerated by statute (see Court of Claims Act § 9; NY Const, art VI, § 9). CUNY is one such entity, but only as to its senior colleges. Thus, Education Law § 6224(4) provides that the Court of Claims has exclusive jurisdiction to hear tort claims (and certain other claims not relevant here) against the "senior colleges" at CUNY, while in regard to actions against CUNY community colleges, section 6224(1) provides that the provisions of General Municipal Law §§ 50-e and 50-i apply, and the "provisions of subdivision[ ] four . . . of this section shall not apply to such actions and proceedings." The referenced provisions of the General Municipal Law concern lawsuits brought against municipalities in courts of general jurisdiction, not the Court of Claims.
Education Law § 6202(5) defines the term "senior college" as "not including a community college." MCC is a community college, and therefore is subject to suit only in a court of general jurisdiction pursuant to the notice of claim procedures of the General Municipal Law (see Matter of Apollon v Giuliani, 168 Misc 2d 363, 364 [Sup Ct, New York County 1995] [MCC one of six CUNY community colleges]).
The claim presents no other basis for jurisdiction over CUNY, or over the State of New York.
Defendants also argue that the State of New York is an improper defendant in an action arising out of claims against CUNY. For reasons noted above, the Court need not address this contention, as there is no basis in any case for jurisdiction over either the State or CUNY in this matter.
In view of the foregoing, it is
ORDERED that motion no. M-81718 be granted and that claim no. 121293 be dismissed.
September 5, 2012
Albany, New York
David A. Weinstein
Judge of the Court of Claims
Papers Considered:
1. Defendants' Notice of Motion, Affirmation in Support, and annexed Exhibit.