Opinion
10605-10606-10607-10608-10609-10610-10611 Index 29773/18E, 29758/18E, 29579/18E, 31436/18E, 29529/18E, 29483/18E, 29794/18E
12-19-2019
ROSA A., etc., et al., E Plaintiffs–Respondents, v. D & E EQUITIES, INC., et al., Defendants–Respondents, Consolidated Edison of New York, Inc., et al., Defendants, The City of New York, Defendant–Appellant. Gawayne Blake, etc., et al., Plaintiffs–Respondents, v. D & E Equities, Inc., et al., Defendants–Respondents, Consolidated Edison of New York, Inc., et al., Defendants, The City of New York, Defendant–Appellant. Ethel Stewart Hall, et al., Plaintiffs–Respondents, v. D & E Equities, Inc., et al., Defendants–Respondents, Consolidated Edison of New York, Inc., et al., Defendants, The City of New York, Defendant–Appellant. Isadora Nembhard, et al., Plaintiffs–Respondents, v. Consolidated Edison of New York, Inc., et al., Defendants, The City of New York, Defendant–Appellant. Hilda Ohmteng, etc., Plaintiff–Respondent, v. D & E Equities, Inc., et al., Defendants–Respondents, Consolidated Edison of New York, Inc., et al., Defendants, The City of New York, Defendant–Appellant. Ramdhanie Rajkumar, et al., Plaintiffs–Respondents, v. D & E Equities, Inc., et al., Defendants–Respondents, Consolidated Edison of New York, Inc., et al., Defendants, The City of New York, Defendant–Appellant. Carmaleta H.S., etc., et al., Plaintiffs–Respondents, v. D & E Equities, Inc., et al., Defendants–Respondents, Consolidated Edison of New York, Inc., et al., Defendants, The City of New York, Defendant–Appellant.
Zachary W. Carter, New York (Jeremy W. Shweder of counsel), for appellant. Lisa M. Comeau, Garden City, for Rosa A., Christian Moto, Catalina Santiago Sanchez, Luz H., Milka G., Noel Martinez, Enoc Martinez, Nana Y., Emelia Acheampong, Yadriana K., Gawayne B., Kadian B., Ethel Stewart Hall, Sasha A., Isadora Nembhard, Steven Kay, Hilda O., Ramdhanie Rajkumar, Janet Lockhart, Joel Rodriguez, Betty Rodriguez, Albert Bryant, Cynthia Bryant, Allen Cannon, Matthew Igbinedion, Ester Sakyl, Thiermo Diallo, Seydou Diabate, Fauta Kande, Diana Reyes, Natalyn Negron, Robert Mensah, Michael Morgan, Kenneth Owusu Kodsa, James Addo, Carmaleta H.S. and Ernesto S., respondents. Faust Goetz Schenker & Blee, New York (Jeffrey Rubinstein of counsel), for D & E Equities, Inc., and Annal Management Company, Ltd. respondents.
Zachary W. Carter, New York (Jeremy W. Shweder of counsel), for appellant.
Lisa M. Comeau, Garden City, for Rosa A., Christian Moto, Catalina Santiago Sanchez, Luz H., Milka G., Noel Martinez, Enoc Martinez, Nana Y., Emelia Acheampong, Yadriana K., Gawayne B., Kadian B., Ethel Stewart Hall, Sasha A., Isadora Nembhard, Steven Kay, Hilda O., Ramdhanie Rajkumar, Janet Lockhart, Joel Rodriguez, Betty Rodriguez, Albert Bryant, Cynthia Bryant, Allen Cannon, Matthew Igbinedion, Ester Sakyl, Thiermo Diallo, Seydou Diabate, Fauta Kande, Diana Reyes, Natalyn Negron, Robert Mensah, Michael Morgan, Kenneth Owusu Kodsa, James Addo, Carmaleta H.S. and Ernesto S., respondents.
Faust Goetz Schenker & Blee, New York (Jeffrey Rubinstein of counsel), for D & E Equities, Inc., and Annal Management Company, Ltd. respondents.
Acosta, P.J., Renwick, Manzanet–Daniels, Kapnick, Gonza´lez, JJ.
At issue on these related appeals is whether the complaint in each of the actions alleges defendant City had a special relationship with plaintiffs such that it may be held liable to them for its alleged negligence in failing to inspect or correct safety violations, failure to ensure a fire hydrant was operable, failing to investigate or remove the child who allegedly started the fire, and/or failing to properly combat the fire (see generally Applewhite v. Accuhealth, Inc. , 21 N.Y.3d 420, 425–426, 972 N.Y.S.2d 169, 995 N.E.2d 131 [2013] ). The complaints "allege[ ] no facts sufficient to show a special duty owed by the City defendants," requiring dismissal such claims ( Green v. City of New York, 150 A.D.3d 439, 439, 57 N.Y.S.3d 1 [1st Dept. 2017] ). Furthermore, the spoliation of evidence claims against the City must also be dismissed as New York does not recognize an independent tort for either first- or third-party negligent spoliation of evidence (see Wood v. NYU Hosps. Ctr. , 116 A.D.3d 590, 591, 984 N.Y.S.2d 342 [1st Dept. 2014], lv denied 24 N.Y.3d 914, 2015 WL 233391 [2015] ).