Bill Text: NY S05015 | 2015-2016 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relates to the liability of land owners, lessees and occupants to trespassers; provides liability in certain instances of injury to children.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-01-06 - REFERRED TO JUDICIARY [S05015 Detail]

Download: New_York-2015-S05015-Introduced.html

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                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         5015
                              2015-2016 Regular Sessions
                                   I N  S E N A T E
                                    April 28, 2015
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  Sen.  SEWARD -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
         printed to be committed to the Committee on Judiciary
       AN ACT to amend the real property law, in relation to the duty  of  land
         possessors to those who trespass
         THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1. The real property law is amended by adding a new article 11
    2  to read as follows:
    3                                 ARTICLE 11
    4                   LAND POSSESSOR LIABILITY TO TRESPASSERS
    5    SECTION 350. LIABILITY OF LAND POSSESSOR TO TRESPASSER; EXCEPTIONS.
    6    S 350.  LIABILITY OF LAND POSSESSOR TO TRESPASSER;  EXCEPTIONS.  1.  A
    7  POSSESSOR  OF LAND, INCLUDING AN OWNER, LESSEE, OR OTHER OCCUPANT, OR AN
    8  AGENT OF SUCH PERSON OR ENTITY, OWES NO DUTY OF  CARE  TO  A  TRESPASSER
    9  EXCEPT  TO  REFRAIN FROM HARMING THE TRESPASSER BY AN INTENTIONAL, WILL-
   10  FUL, OR WANTON ACT. A LAND POSSESSOR MAY USE JUSTIFIABLE FORCE TO  REPEL
   11  A  CRIMINAL  TRESPASSER  AS  PROVIDED BY SECTIONS 35.20 AND 35.25 OF THE
   12  PENAL LAW.
   13    2. NOTWITHSTANDING SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS  SECTION,  A  POSSESSOR  OF
   14  LAND MAY BE SUBJECT TO LIABILITY FOR PHYSICAL INJURY OR DEATH TO A TRES-
   15  PASSER IF:
   16    (A)  THE PHYSICAL INJURY OR DEATH IS TO A CHILD TRESPASSER AND RESULTS
   17  FROM AN ARTIFICIAL CONDITION WHERE:
   18    (1) THE POSSESSOR KNEW OR HAD REASON TO KNOW THAT CHILDREN WERE LIKELY
   19  TO TRESPASS AT THE LOCATION OF THE CONDITION;
   20    (2) THE CONDITION IS ONE THE POSSESSOR KNEW OR REASONABLY SHOULD  HAVE
   21  KNOWN  INVOLVED  AN UNREASONABLE RISK OF DEATH OR SERIOUS BODILY HARM TO
   22  SUCH CHILDREN;
   23    (3) THE INJURED CHILD DID NOT DISCOVER THE CONDITION  OR  REALIZE  THE
   24  RISK  INVOLVED IN THE CONDITION OR COMING WITHIN THE AREA MADE DANGEROUS
   25  BY IT;
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD05508-01-5
       S. 5015                             2
    1    (4) THE UTILITY TO THE POSSESSOR OF MAINTAINING THE CONDITION AND  THE
    2  BURDEN  OF  ELIMINATING THE DANGER WERE SLIGHT AS COMPARED WITH THE RISK
    3  TO THE CHILD INVOLVED; AND
    4    (5)  THE POSSESSOR FAILED TO EXERCISE REASONABLE CARE TO ELIMINATE THE
    5  DANGER OR OTHERWISE PROTECT THE INJURED CHILD;
    6    (B) THE POSSESSOR KNEW OR SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT TRESPASSERS CONSTANT-
    7  LY INTRUDED UPON THE LIMITED AREA OF  THE  POSSESSOR'S  LAND  WHERE  THE
    8  TRESPASSER WAS HARMED, THE HARM RESULTED FROM AN ARTIFICIAL CONDITION ON
    9  THE LAND, AND:
   10    (1)  THE POSSESSOR CREATED OR MAINTAINED THE CONDITION THAT CAUSED THE
   11  INJURY;
   12    (2) THE POSSESSOR KNEW THAT THE CONDITION WAS LIKELY TO CAUSE DEATH OR
   13  SERIOUS BODILY HARM TO TRESPASSERS;
   14    (3) THE POSSESSOR KNEW OR SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT THE CONDITION WAS  OF
   15  SUCH A NATURE THAT TRESPASSERS WOULD NOT DISCOVER IT; AND
   16    (4) THE POSSESSOR FAILED TO EXERCISE ORDINARY CARE TO WARN TRESPASSERS
   17  OF THE CONDITION AND THE RISK INVOLVED; OR
   18    (C) THE POSSESSOR KNEW OF THE TRESPASSER'S PRESENCE AND:
   19    (1)  FAILED  TO CARRY ON A DANGEROUS ACTIVITY ON THE LAND WITH REASON-
   20  ABLE CARE FOR THE TRESPASSER'S SAFETY;
   21    (2) FAILED TO EXERCISE REASONABLE CARE TO WARN THE TRESPASSER ABOUT AN
   22  ARTIFICIAL CONDITION MAINTAINED BY THE POSSESSOR THAT INVOLVED A RISK OF
   23  DEATH OR SERIOUS BODILY INJURY AND WAS OF SUCH A NATURE THAT THE POSSES-
   24  SOR HAD REASON TO BELIEVE THE TRESPASSER WOULD NOT DISCOVER  THE  CONDI-
   25  TION OR REALIZE THE RISK INVOLVED; OR
   26    (3)  (I) KNEW OR HAD REASON TO KNOW THAT THE TRESPASSER WAS IN DANGER-
   27  OUS PROXIMITY TO A MOVING FORCE IN  THE  POSSESSOR'S  IMMEDIATE  CONTROL
   28  JUST BEFORE THE HARM OCCURRED; AND
   29    (II)  THE TRESPASSER WAS HARMED AS A RESULT OF THE POSSESSOR'S FAILURE
   30  TO EXERCISE REASONABLE CARE SO AS TO PREVENT THE FORCE FROM HARMING  THE
   31  TRESPASSER  OR  FAILED  TO EXERCISE REASONABLE CARE TO PROVIDE A WARNING
   32  THAT WAS REASONABLY ADEQUATE TO ALLOW THE TRESPASSER TO AVOID THE HARM.
   33    3. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION: (A) "TRESPASSER" MEANS  A  PERSON
   34  WHO  ENTERS ON THE PROPERTY OF ANOTHER WITHOUT PERMISSION AND WITHOUT AN
   35  INVITATION, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED; AND (B) "CHILD" MEANS A PERSON UNDER THE
   36  AGE OF EIGHTEEN YEARS.
   37    4. THIS SECTION DOES NOT CREATE  OR  INCREASE  THE  LIABILITY  OF  ANY
   38  PERSON OR ENTITY.
   39    S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.