Matter of Manhattan Gold & Silver, Inc. v Hynes
2008 NY Slip Op 04351 [51 AD3d 671]
May 6, 2008
Appellate Division, Second Department
As corrected through Wednesday, July 16, 2008


In the Matter of Manhattan Gold & Silver, Inc.,Petitioner,
v
Charles J. Hynes et al., Respondents.

[*1]Berkman, Henoch, Peterson & Peddy, P.C., Garden City, N.Y. (Joseph E. Macy ofcounsel), for petitioner.

Charles J. Hynes, District Attorney, Brooklyn, N.Y. (Michael Morelli of counsel), respondentpro se.

Andrew M. Cuomo, Attorney General, New York, N.Y. (Roberta L. Martin of counsel), forrespondent Guy Mangano, Jr.

Michael A. Cardozo, Corporation Counsel, New York, N.Y. (Pamela Seider Dolgow ofcounsel), for respondent City of New York (no answer filed).

Proceeding pursuant to CPLR article 78 in the nature of mandamus to compel therespondents to return the sum of $675,840.03 seized from the petitioner's bank account pursuantto a search warrant.

Adjudged that the petition is denied and the proceeding is dismissed, without costs ordisbursements.

The extraordinary remedy of mandamus is available only to compel the performance of aministerial act, and only when the petitioner has a clear legal right to the relief sought (seeMatter of Crain Communications v Hughes, 74 NY2d 626 [1989]; Matter of Kevilly vHonorof, 287 AD2d 504 [2001]). Here, the petitioner failed to establish a clear legal right tothe return of its property (see Matter ofMoss v Spitzer, 19 AD3d 599 [2005]; Matter of D'Agnese v Scher, 306 AD2d408 [2003]). Therefore, the petition must be denied and the proceeding dismissed. Rivera, J.P.,Ritter, Miller and Dillon, JJ., concur.


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