20 Misc. 2d 119 | N.Y. Sup. Ct. | 1959
By this proceeding under article 78 of the Civil Practice Act, the petitioner seeks to annul a determination of the Board of Zoning Appeals of the Town of Hempstead which refused his application for an area variance.
In 1956, the owner at that time made an application for a similar variance, which being unopposed was granted; but not having been acted upon within the necessary time, it became void and the present application was necessary. In the meantime, the neighborhood has been built up, and, on the present application, neighbors in some numbers objected to the granting of the variance. The Zoning Board of Appeals rejected the application, apparently feeling that the fact that the lots with adjoining property had at one time been in common ownership of the county prevented the granting of relief as a matter of law.
Ownership of land by a county arising from purchase at a tax sale differs in some aspects from other types of ownership. For instance, the purchase of land at a tax sale does not operate to relieve the property purchased of the burden of an easement (Wilkinson v. Nassau Shores, 1 Misc 2d 917, affd. 278 App. Div. 970, mod. 304 N. Y. 614); or of a restrictive covenant (Halpin v. Poushter, 59 N. Y. S. 2d 338). The county, having been compelled to assume the tax title, is hardly in the position of the voluntary purchaser who knowingly acquires abutting parcels; and should not be hampered or penalized in its duty of returning the land to private hands by being compelled to assume the further burden of disposing of the property in plots reassembled to conform to a zoning ordinance from the provisions of which the property would have been free in the hands of its defaulting former owner.
The determination under review will accordingly be annulled and the matter remitted to the Zoning Board of Appeals to
No costs.
Settle order on notice.