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August 28, 2015

New York Law Journal: The Condemnation Expert’s File: Minefield for Cross-Examination

Michael Rikon recently authored a column published in the New York Law Journal titled The Condemnation Expert’s File: Minefield for Cross-Examination. In condemnation cases, each side hires an expert to prepare an opinion on the value of the property. As Mr. Rikon explains in the article, once that expert testifies at trial, his or her work file becomes discoverable by the opposing side, and is often rife with material for cross-examination. This material can range from inaccurate data or the use of a faulty valuation method, to evidence of coaching,… read more

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Posted in Appraisers, Lawyers, Offer & Compensation, Recent cases, Sandbagging, Trial Preparation, USPAP
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August 24, 2015

Harlem Urban Renewal, the Statute of Limitations, and the Doctrine of Stare Decisis

The Supreme Court, New York County recently issued an interesting  decision by the Hon. Shlomo S. Hagler. The case was in the Matter of City of New York, Fifteenth Amended Harlem-E. Harlem Urban Renewal Plan (East 125th Street), Stage 1. The Decision and Order was issued August 13, 2015 and dealt with several motions by the respondent condemnees, which will be discussed herein. The condemnees collectively included City Lights Properties Three LLC, 2305-07 Third Avenue LLC, 2017 East 125th Street LLC, and 205 East 125th Street LLC. The procedural background of… read more

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Posted in Challenging condemnation, Condemnation Procedures, Harlem Urban Renewal Project, New York, Recent cases, Statute of Limitations
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July 31, 2015

Emil Realty, Co. v State of New York

A recent decision by the Court of Claims (Hon. Thomas H. Scuccimarra) approved  the Claimant Emil Realty’s request for an additional three months to file its appraisal report valuing the subject property (530 Gardner Avenue, and a permanent easement over 518 Gardner Avenue). The parties had previously stipulated to other extensions, however the State refused to consent to a further extension beyond the February 15, 2015 deadline as it had already filed its appraisal, and argued it would be prejudiced by the imposition of additional statutory interest at 9% from… read more

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Posted in Appraisers, Lawyers, Litigation, New York, Recent cases
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July 17, 2015

Appellate Division Decides Mazur Brothers v State: Verified Petition Issue

The Appellate Division Second Department issued a decision on July 15, 2015 where it reversed the order of the Court of Claims (Ruderman, J.,) dated November 13, 2013, which dismissed Mazur Brother’s Petition for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. The Appellate Division reinstated the Petition as it concluded that service of the Petition without a verification did not constitute an incurable “jurisdictional” defect. The background of the matter is as follows: Claimant Mazur Brothers Realty, Inc. filed a Verified Petition seeking to recover money owed from New York State’s appropriation… read more

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Posted in Eminent Domain, New York, Recent cases
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June 29, 2015

Horne v Dept of Agriculture: A Possible Aid to Obtaining Compensation for Trade Fixtures

On Monday June 22, 2015, the United States Supreme Court handed down the long-awaited decision in Horne, et al. v Department of Agriculture. The Court held that the Agriculture Marketing Agreement Act (“AMA”)’s requirement that raisin growers set aside a certain percentage of their crop for the government, free of charge, constituted an unconstitutional taking under the takings clause of the 5th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. This case presented a unique set of facts. Under the AMA, the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to promulgate “marketing orders” that help… read more

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Posted in Eminent Domain, Future of the law, Personal Property, Recent cases, Trade fixtures, US Supreme Court cases
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