MACRIS v. MATTA (2012)

Mary Lynn MACRIS, et al., appellants, v. Paula Seoud MATTA, et al., respondents.

Decided: December 19, 2012

WILLIAM F. MASTRO, J.P., REINALDO E. RIVERA, CHERYL E. CHAMBERS, and PLUMMER E. LOTT, JJ.

Levine & Vaysberg, P.C., Brooklyn, N.Y. (Alexander Levine of counsel), for appellants. Young/Sommer LLC, Albany, N.Y. (Kristin Laviolette Pratt and Dean S. Sommer of counsel), for respondents.

In an action to recover damages for private nuisance and trespass, the plaintiffs appeal from an order of the Supreme Court, Putnam County (Lubell, J.), dated August 25, 2011, which granted the defendants' motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint.

ORDERED that the order is affirmed, with costs.

The Supreme Court properly granted the defendants' motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint. The defendants established their prima facie entitlement to judgment as a matter of law, as they have no affirmative duty to remedy a natural condition on their property such as the beaver dam at issue here (see Vanderwiele v. Taylor, 65 N.Y. 341; Frank v. Garrison, 184 A.D.2d 852; Lichtman v. Nadler, 74 A.D.2d 66). In response to this showing, the plaintiffs failed to raise a triable issue of fact (see Hilltop Nyack Corp. v. TRMI Holdings, 272 A.D.2d 521; cf. Higgins v. Village of Orchard Park, 277 A.D.2d 989).

The parties' remaining contentions are without merit.

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