Owner Exempt From Liability for Accident During Renovation of Mixed-Use Property

A New York appellate court ruled that an owner was exempt from liability for a worker's injuries sustained on the portion of the property that served as her personal residence. Case: Ovalle v. Buckwalter, No. 20677/15E, 10/20/2020, published. Facts: Osvaldo Ovalle worked for WM Dorvillier & Co. Inc. Dorvillier was a subcontractor on a renovation project at 184 Berkeley Place in Brooklyn. The property was a four-floor, two-family brownstone owned by Jane Buckwalter. The top floor residence was occupied by a tenant couple, and Buckwalter resided on the middle two floors. The...