In Matter of O’Connor and Son’s Home Improvement, LLC v. Acevedo, et al., the petitioner, O’Connor and Son’s Home Improvement, LLC (“Petitioner”), owns a 120-foot by 57-foot parcel of property (the “Property”) located in the City of Long Beach (the “City”) on Long Island, which it purchased in 2015. In or around June, 2016, Petitioner submitted an application to
Continue Reading Reversal of Zoning Board’s Denial of Variance Application Upheld on Appeal
Nearly-Century Old Restrictive Covenant Prevents Homeowner From Erecting Fence Along Property Line
In Dodge v. Baker, Plaintiff and Defendants are neighboring property owners of two parcels of land located in the Village of Sodus (the “Village”), in Wayne County, New York (the “Parcels”). Each parcel was created as the result of a subdivision by the original grantor, Sodus Bay Heights Land Co. (“Land Company”), at some point between 1924 and 1937.
Continue Reading Nearly-Century Old Restrictive Covenant Prevents Homeowner From Erecting Fence Along Property Line
Second Department Affirms Article 78 Reversal of Village Zoning Board Determination
Petitioner, Claude Simon (“Petitioner”), owns approximately 2.25 acres of property in the Village of Upper Nyack (the “Village”), which he sought to subdivide into two separate lots. The first lot would contain the existing dwelling and other existing improvements. The vacant second lot would be improved with a single-family dwelling. However, the Village advised Petitioner that he would need to
Continue Reading Second Department Affirms Article 78 Reversal of Village Zoning Board Determination
Appellate Division Upholds Denial of Article 78 Petition Against Zoning Board of Appeals of the Village of North Haven
Ronald A. Kaye, the property owner at 39 Actors Colony Road, Village of North Haven, sought to subdivide his 157, 241 square foot property into two residential lots. The subject property is located in the Residence R-1 Zoning District where the minimum lot size is 80,000 square feet. In October of 2016,
Continue Reading Appellate Division Upholds Denial of Article 78 Petition Against Zoning Board of Appeals of the Village of North Haven
Unique Procedural Rule Requires Transfer of Article 78 Proceeding to Appellate Division
A recent Second Department decision, Matter of Reddock v New York State Dept. of Envtl. Conservation, highlights a unique procedural quirk involving Article 78 proceedings where the challenge is based upon “substantial evidence”.
The petitioners in Reddock own a 2.07-acre parcel of property in the Town of Smithtown adjacent to the Nissequogue River (the “Property”) and within the Nissequogue
Continue Reading Unique Procedural Rule Requires Transfer of Article 78 Proceeding to Appellate Division
Municipalities Cannot Withhold Permits to Secure Infrastructure and Improvements
In Joy Builders, Inc. v. Town of Clarkstown, 2018 N.Y. Slip Op. 07110, 165 A.D.3d 1084 (2d Dept 2018), a developer (“Developer”), in connection with the development of two subdivisions, challenged a provision of the Town Code of the Town of Clarkstown (“Town”) which authorized the Town to withhold the issuance of building permits
Continue Reading Municipalities Cannot Withhold Permits to Secure Infrastructure and Improvements
Appellate Division Rules Town of Clarkson Code Provision Restricting Building Permits until Subdivision Infrastructure is Built, Null and Void
New York State Town Law § 277(9) authorizes a town Planning Board to require a developer to provide a performance bond or other security covering the cost of installation of subdivision infrastructure and improvements in case the developer fails to finish the required work. Specifically, Town Law §277(9) states: “[a]s an alternative to the installation of infrastructure and improvements, as
Continue Reading Appellate Division Rules Town of Clarkson Code Provision Restricting Building Permits until Subdivision Infrastructure is Built, Null and Void
Second Circuit Says Enough is Enough to Town that Delays Subdivision Application
In 2000, Plaintiff Steven Sherman applied to the Town of Chester Planning Board for subdivision approval while in the process of purchasing nearly 400 acres for $2.7 million dollars. According to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in its recent decision in Sherman v Town of Chester, 752 F3d 554 [2d Cir 2014], “[t]hat application marked the beginning of
Continue Reading Second Circuit Says Enough is Enough to Town that Delays Subdivision Application