Inner View Inc. v Circle Press, Inc.
2012 NY Slip Op 31029(U)
April 17, 2012
Supreme Court, New York County
Docket Number: 601152/10
Judge: Judith J. Gische
Republished from New York State Unified Court
System's E-Courts Service.
Search E-Courts (http://www.nycourts.gov/ecourts) for
any additional information on this case.
This opinion is uncorrected and not selected for official
publication.
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NNED ON411812012
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DEcllK3NIoRDER
MsxNo.: 801162/10
Seq. No.:
003
Inner VIM Inc. and Tzelan, LLC
Plaintm (s),
-agalmb
PRESENT:
J.S.C.
Clrds Preas, Inc., One 2 One on Varick, LLC,
Next Printing & Design, Inc.,
1 800 Postaatds, he., and P r w Access, LLC,
Defendant (s).
Recitation, as requfrd by CPLR 5 2219 [a] of the papers considwad in the mvlsw of
thla (hssa) motion($):
F1LE
j$M3*m
Qumknd
k s
p n
Defsâ OSC (consolldatlon) wMJK affirm, DM affid, Qxha .......................
1
........ 2
Pttfsâ opp w/BB afflm, TC a ,exhs ...................
m
Defeâ reply wMJK affirm .............................
................ 3
Thls b dabndantaâ motion for an order ccrnsolldatlng dhls eass with the cas8 now
pendlng M o m H a . Rkhard Braun -LC
v. 121 V&k Street. Corp., S u p m a
Court, N.Y. Co., 1057W11)(YheVarick actlonâ)on Ute basb that DavM Mow1
(âMoyal*) b the president of defendants In thh ectlon and 121 Varlck Street Cow., the
defendant in the VarM actlon. Tammy Chou (Thouâ), the presldsnt of lnnw View, Inc.
(*Inner Viewâ) and Tzelan, Inc. (%elan?, plaintiffs In thh action, provides her affldavlt
in oppoafflon. Tzelan 4~a k the plainttffin the Varlck action. Hsrsindbr, unlme
othe-
pmklsd, plalnttffa in both actlono will b rsfarred to as âChouâ and the
-Page 1 of 7-
â
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defendand in both acbions a8 "Moyal."Other rolidaough In Moyal's mown is: 1) a
-
pmtectlve odor on tha bash that Chou I harassing him with ~IIVOIOUS
s
demands and
engaging In naumpUtiou8"
discovery, 2) legal fass for the coat o thh motion and 3) Part
f
130 randions.
The action at bar Is for a prhrets nubance. Chou Is the cornmedal proprhtary
kuoe of spa-
on the 9floor oftha buildlng located at 121 Varluk Stteat, New Yo&,
New York. Moyal has cornmarcia1space on the 6" lloor, dlrsctly above Chou. Chou
claims that M w l is operating 8 printing p m end other heavy equipmant that Chou
claims is noisy, diaruptiva and oauses w e 8 e vlbmtions, whiuh acmrdhg to Chou,
cmb
mndera It difflcutt fc# her t get work done. Not only la 121 Verlek tha defendant In the
o
Varlck actlon, it is altm the commerdal coop corporation that owns the building. 121
Varick is 8 prindpal ahareholder whereas Tzelan ia a minow shareholder.
Moyal harc senred Chou with B 3CbDay Ndca to Cum dabad April 18,2011 ("30
Day Notice'), alleging that Tzelan is illegally uaing it6
a1
l
floor space. The Violation
16 that the space must ba used aa commercial space, not ofilce space.
The Varick action WEIS
commenced May 201 1, whems the a d o n at ber w88
commsnoed in May 2010. The Varlck action is for, among other things, a Yellowetone
Injunction. Justice Braun Issued a temporary mtmjning order, tolling the time to cure
the default alleged In the 30-Day Notlce and subsequently, Tzslan and 121 Varldc
sntersd into a stipulation dated Septembsr 30,201 1 prwidlng that 121 Veri&
*drawing
that noflcB,
WBS
prejudkm. In that etlpulation, Tzelan a b withdrew b la,
2? 3a and 4* eause#r of action, m h of which Involved the 3O-Dsry Notim. Wll
c
-page 2 Qf7-
[* 4]
mmalning In the Varick actlon are: Tzslanâs 9 and 6â CBU-
of aebion (â,COAl).
The 5ââ COA b for Injunctive mlbf, ordering 121 Varick (the coop) to snbres tha
proprietaary lema againat Maya1 and dechring him t be i default o his @ floor lease
o n
f
bemum of the ownsrshlp/opration of the printhg praas, etc. The ernCOA b for 0
dedamtlon that an emergency exists on the 6â floor h u s e r lt i in partlal danger of a
s
collapse and there am toxic chemicals M n g down to the
floor.
Mop1 contends that consolIdation is warranted rrincm 1) the parties arc) basically
the same sin-
he ia a principal of defendants in both c~868,2) 1 no prejudicet
there 8
o
Chou, 3) Chou Is judge shopping and, 4) the relief sought Is the same and involve
common bsuea of fact and law.
Chou alpues that the two umus are completely warate bemuse In the &on at
bar she seeks relfef Pgairmt the lessees of the 8â floor whereas In the Varlck action ahe
seeks an order mquidng the coop to enforce the proprietmry iaaw by, H necamary,
proaxidfngto svlct Moyal. Chou eontend8 that Moyal, In brlnging thls motion, Is
blurring the line betwwn himself a8 prindpal ofthe 6ââ floor tmants vetmu hImwY as
the owner/ principal of the coop. According to Chou, this is ala0 Moyaro way o getting
f
havlng her pay for legal and other feee because Tzeian, ma minority eharehoider, is
s
obllqated to pay 9.08% o the wopâr axpen-,
f
induding legal fees and expen-.
Thu, Chou dalrns Moyal I using the coop wrpomtion t fund hie personal battles wtth
s
o
hsr and ather shareholders in the building with whom hs may have dk3putes. In
response to the# dalma, Moyal contends that court a n fashfon an a p p r o p w
which can avoid any confile&.
-Page 3 of 7-
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D1.-uulon
Regadless of the undsrlylng dlsputes betwleen these shuleholdera, Moyal has
pmsmtad a eogant, rational and pernuashre mamn why both these e8869 belong
before the same judge, even If they are not consoUdated far joint ml. fhe Issum$ In the
Varick actlon clearly bear upon the Imues in the c m at bar. h m s In the adbn at
a
bar, the dispute Is between tenants/lesaees, the 121 Varick a c t h s#ks actlon by the
board which, according to Chou, is dominated by MopI. Under those drcumtmcw,
true consolldation (Le.for all purposes) would be too wnfwing and mate a potsntlal
conflict bacauss, a8 Chou oorrectly ststeo, Moyal would be In the porttbn o having t
f
o
snfom the Bm floor proprietery k a s cyahst himself.
The court win, however, transfer to b I f the, Varick adon and cowlldaPs the
two eases for joint dlscxlvery only. In &is way, both cases will travel together In Part 10,
for the most part appearing the mms day on the calendar, unleas otherwlae provided.
Moyal has R M concam8 about dkovory In them clwt bacomlng duplieabhrs
I vaUd
and prsaantly the partles appear unable t work out the loglatiat of s a m
o
independently. By having both cases In thls part, dlacovery ann ba stssarnllned and
harmonized.
Ths court has alao considered that by having them acthns M o r e dlfbrent
judges thb ia not only burdensome to already 8tmfned judidal moutc88, but there Is
a b the very Ma! pwrsiblllty of inharmonlour tf not Inconslatent dd8lona. Thu8 the
salutary goal of CPLR 802, which h to avoid unnect#laaryc s and delay in trying
ob
=-a,
would be -wed by cansolldatlng these two R Q ~ ~ Ofor thh limited pup~M
Go.. Inc. v. Frusen G
,-
172 AD2d 208 [ "
I Dept 18811).
-Page 4 of 7-
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Havlng granted consolMaUon for Johtdbcovsry only. Ths new caption ahaH be as
SUPREME
cou#r or THE STATE NEWY~RK
OF
C w o r NEWYORK: PART
IAS
10
Index No.:
60115UlO
Index No.:
Inner vlsw Ino. and Tzelan, U C .
1057W11
P a n H (e),
lltT
-agalnrtCircle Pres@,
IN., Om, 2 One an Verldr, LLC,
Next Prlntlng & b u n , IN., 1 800
Poacards, Inc, and Prom Accrsss,UC,
hf0ndant (8).
Trslen, LLC.
PiaintllT (a),
-agahttl
121 Vakk 8trwt Corp.,
DsfsndWlt (I).
Defendanta shall serve a copy o t i order wtth Ndce of Entry on the Clerk In
f hs
Offlcs of Trial Support M) the court's m r d s a n be so marked. If
81 further or dfflbmnt
order i nscsuory to effectuatethe I l m M consolidation hereby ordmmd, defendant8
s
may, on notlce, presant the appropriate order for the court's signaturn.
Pmmntty the 121 Varick uase Is on for an appearance before Judge Braun on
April 24,2012. bbre thia caw was mnsolldetad, a mtus conferonce m a scheduled
for June 7,2012 In Part 10. Defendantsshall sewa a copy o thh order (even tf It la not
f
ymt sntsrsd) upon the Clerk In Judge Braun's part in advanos ofthe Aprll24" appearanw
-Page 5 of 7-
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80
that the appearance In that part can be dr l n.
Given the complicated dlswvery l s that have adsan, the oourt hereby
6m
rdvrncsr the compllancm conference in Part 10 t May 10,2012 at B:30 8.m.
o
Conclwlon
In accordance 4 t h the foregoing,
It Is hereby
ORWR~P the mown by defendants to consolidate thb c8$ewith the a s s
that
before Judge Bmun I grantsd only t ths extent that the am8 are conrolMated for jolnf
s
o
Inner View Inc. and Trslan, U C .
Index No.:
Plalntltr (a),
-8gmlnstChcb P m , Inc;., O m 2 Ons on Vorlck, LLC,
Next PrlnClng & M a n , Inc., 1 800
~oacPrd6,
he, and IâW8 ACCSU, LLC,
W n d m n t (e).
P h f M (a),
-agalnr&
Defendant ( )
I.
X
-Page 8 of 7-
801152/10
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ORDERED defendanb shall ~ b l avcopy ofthis order wtth N o t b of Entry on
that
~
the Clark In 0
-
of Trfal Support $0 the court's recotdo ean be 80 markad. If a further
or different order b
nmessary to affectuate the Iimbd eonsolidation hereby ordered,
defendanla may, on notke, pressnt the approprlata order fw the eoUrYs signaturn; and
tt la further
ORDERED that d d n d s n k shall also m m a oopy of thls order (even if H Is not yet
n
sntard) upon the Clerk In Judge Braun's part In advance of the April 24'happearance so
that tha appearance In that part can be eliminated; and it is further
OROER~D the court hereby advnneos the mpllanee confenrnce In Part 10
that
to May 10,2012 mt 9 3 am; and it la further
:0
ORPEW that any rollsf luque8M but not addmwmd Is harmby dsnisd; and It t
s
further
ORDEW that thb conetitutm the dscision and order of the court.
Dated:
New York, New York
April 17,2012
so Ordered:
3!YHon. Jud
-Pags 7 of 7-
Qlschs, JJSC
