Section 10. Time of filing claims and notices of intention to file claims  


Latest version.
  • No judgment shall be granted  in  favor  of  any  claimant  unless  such
      claimant  shall  have  complied  with  the  provisions  of  this section
      applicable to his claim.
        1. A claim for the appropriation by the state of lands, or any  right,
      title or interest in or to lands shall be filed within three years after
      the  accrual  of such claim, or where title is vested by the filing of a
      description and map in the office of the county clerk or register,  then
      within  three years after personal service of a copy of such description
      and map and notice of filing thereof or if personal  service  cannot  be
      made  within  the state, then within three years after the filing of the
      description and map and the recording of notice of filing thereof.
        2. A claim by an executor or administrator of a decedent who left  him
      or  her  surviving  a  husband,  wife  or next of kin, for damages for a
      wrongful act, neglect or default, on the part of the state by which  the
      decedent's death was caused, shall be filed and served upon the attorney
      general  within  ninety  days  after the appointment of such executor or
      administrator, unless the claimant shall within such time serve upon the
      attorney general a written notice of intention to file a claim therefor,
      in which event the claim shall be filed and  served  upon  the  attorney
      general  within  two years after the death of the decedent. In any event
      such claim shall be filed and served upon the  attorney  general  within
      two years after the death of the decedent.
        3. A claim to recover damages for injuries to property or for personal
      injuries caused by the negligence or unintentional tort of an officer or
      employee of the state while acting as such officer or employee, shall be
      filed  and served upon the attorney general within ninety days after the
      accrual of such claim, unless the claimant shall within such time  serve
      upon  the attorney general a written notice of intention to file a claim
      therefor, in which event the claim shall be filed and  served  upon  the
      attorney general within two years after the accrual of such claim.
        3-a.  A  claim  to  recover  damages  for  injuries to property or for
      personal injuries caused by the negligence or unintentional  tort  of  a
      member  of  the  organized  militia or of an employee in the division of
      military and naval affairs of the executive department, shall  be  filed
      and  served  upon  the  attorney  general  within  ninety days after the
      accrual of such claim, unless the claimant shall within such time  serve
      upon  the attorney general a written notice of intention to file a claim
      therefor, in which event the claim shall be filed and  served  upon  the
      attorney general within two years after the accrual of such claim.
        3-b.  A  claim  to  recover  damages  for  injuries to property or for
      personal injuries caused by  the  intentional  tort  of  an  officer  or
      employee  of the state while acting as such officer or employee, or of a
      member of the organized militia or of an employee  in  the  division  of
      military  and  naval affairs of the executive department, shall be filed
      and served upon the  attorney  general  within  ninety  days  after  the
      accrual  of such claim, unless the claimant shall within such time serve
      upon the attorney general a written notice of intention to file a  claim
      therefor,  in  which  event the claim shall be filed and served upon the
      attorney general within one year after the accrual of such claim.
        4. A claim for breach of contract, express or implied, and  any  other
      claim   not   otherwise   provided  for  by  this  section,  over  which
      jurisdiction has been conferred upon the court of claims, shall be filed
      and served upon the attorney general within six months after the accrual
      of such claim, unless the claimant shall within such time serve upon the
      attorney general a written notice of intention to file a claim therefor,
      in which event the claim shall be filed and  served  upon  the  attorney
      general within two years after such accrual.
    
        5.  If  the claimant shall be under legal disability, the claim may be
      presented within two years after such disability is removed.
        6.  A  claimant who fails to file or serve upon the attorney general a
      claim or to serve upon the attorney general a notice  of  intention,  as
      provided  in the foregoing subdivisions, within the time limited therein
      for filing or serving upon the attorney general the claim or  notice  of
      intention,  may,  nevertheless,  in  the  discretion  of  the  court, be
      permitted to file such claim at any time before an  action  asserting  a
      like  claim  against  a  citizen  of the state would be barred under the
      provisions of article two of the civil practice law and rules.  For  the
      purpose  of  this  subdivision,  a claim against the state arising under
      subdivision one of this section  shall  be  deemed  an  action  upon  an
      implied  contractual  obligation.  The  application  for such permission
      shall be made upon motion returnable at any regular or  special  session
      of  the  court and may be heard and determined by any judge thereof. The
      claim proposed to be filed, containing all of the information set  forth
      in  section  eleven  of  this  act, shall accompany such application. In
      determining whether to permit the filing of a  claim  pursuant  to  this
      subdivision,  the court shall consider, among other factors, whether the
      delay in filing the claim was excusable; whether the state had notice of
      the essential facts constituting the claim; whether  the  state  had  an
      opportunity  to  investigate  the  circumstances  underlying  the claim;
      whether the claim appears to be meritorious; whether the failure to file
      or serve upon the attorney general a timely claim or to serve  upon  the
      attorney general a notice of intention resulted in substantial prejudice
      to the state; and whether the claimant has any other available remedy.
        7.  For  the  purposes  of  subdivision three of this section, a claim
      against the state  which  would  be  governed  by  section  two  hundred
      fourteen-c  of  the  civil  practice  law  and rules if it were asserted
      against a citizen of the state shall be deemed to have  accrued  on  the
      date  of  discovery  of  the  injury by the claimant or on the date when
      through the exercise of reasonable diligence the injury should have been
      discovered by the claimant, whichever is earlier.
        8. (a) A claimant who timely serves a  notice  of  intention  but  who
      fails  to  timely  serve or file a claim may, nevertheless, apply to the
      court for permission to treat the notice of intention as  a  claim.  The
      court  shall  not  grant such application unless: it is made upon motion
      before an action asserting a like claim against a citizen of  the  state
      would  be  barred  under  the  provisions  of  article  two of the civil
      practice law and rules; the notice of intention was timely  served,  and
      contains facts sufficient to constitute a claim; and the granting of the
      application would not prejudice the defendant.
        (b)  An  application  by  a  claimant whose time to commence an action
      against a citizen of the state would be extended or tolled by reason  of
      any of the provisions contained in article two of the civil practice law
      and  rules  shall  be considered timely if the application has been made
      prior to the expiration of the limitation period for filing as  extended
      by reason of the provisions of article two of the civil practice law and
      rules.
        * 9.  A  claim  of  any  inmate  in  the  custody of the department of
      correctional services for recovery of damages for injury to or  loss  of
      personal  property  may  not  be  filed  unless and until the inmate has
      exhausted  the   personal   property   claims   administrative   remedy,
      established  for inmates by the department. Such claim must be filed and
      served within one hundred twenty days after the date on which the inmate
      has exhausted such remedy.
        * NB Expires September 1, 2011