Matter of Lent v. City of New York

<div>Matter of Lent v City of New York - 2026 NY Slip Op 03269 <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> <header> <div> <img src="/reporter/images/nys-logo-white.svg" alt=""> </div> <div> <span>Thomas J.K. Smith, State Reporter</span> <nav> Court Decisions Resources About </nav> </div> <div> <img src="/reporter/images/lrb-seal.png" alt=""> </div> </header> </div> <nav> <ol> <li>Home</li> <li>All Court Decisions</li> <li>Decisions</li> </ol> </nav> <div> <div> <h1>Matter of Lent v City of New York</h1> <p>2026 NY Slip Op 03269</p> <p>May 26, 2026</p> <p>Appellate Division, First Department</p> <p>This decision is uncorrected and subject to revision before publication in the Official Reports.</p> </div> <div> <p>In the Matter of Thomas Lent, Petitioner-Appellant,</p> <p>v</p> <p>The City of New York et al., Respondents-Respondents.</p> </div> <p>Decided and Entered: May 26, 2026</p> <p>Index No. 158624/24|Appeal No. 6716|Case No. 2025-02225|</p> <p>Before: Manzanet-Daniels, J.P., Friedman, Kapnick, Shulman, Higgitt, JJ. </p> <div> <p>Ballon Stoll P.C., New York (Avram Turkel of counsel), for appellant.</p> <p>Steven Banks, Corporation Counsel, New York (Bo Malin-Mayor of counsel), for respondent.</p> </div> <span>[*1]</span> <p>Judgment (denominated an order), Supreme Court, New York County (Alexander M. Tisch, J.), entered on or about January 10, 2025, which denied the petition to annul a determination of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) not to issue petitioner his badge and firearm upon his retirement on April 29, 2021, granted respondent's cross-motion to dismiss the petition as time-barred, and dismissed this proceeding brought pursuant to CPLR article 78, unanimously affirmed, without costs.</p> <p>Upon petitioner's April 29, 2021 retirement, NYPD did not issue petitioner, who was on modified duty at the time, his firearm, badge, or a "good guy letter" affirming his right to carry a firearm. Petitioner later applied for a retiree handgun license, which NYPD denied on March 15, 2022, citing petitioner's lack of a good guy letter. Because NYPD's written denial of the application was a "final and binding" determination (CPLR 217[1]), "the four-month statute of limitations began to run, at the latest, upon [petitioner's] receipt of the" denial (<i>Matter of Baloy v Kelly</i>, 92 AD3d 521, 522 [1st Dept 2012]; <i>see also Matter of MacPherson v O'Neill</i>, 201 AD3d 549, 550 [1st Dept 2022]; <i>Matter of Jones v O'Neill</i>, 197 AD3d 1067, 1068 [1st Dept 2021]). The "possibility of obtaining administrative relief had been exhausted when petitioner retired without a change in his [modified] duty status" (<i>Baloy</i>, 92 AD3d at 522).</p> <p>Petitioner's May 1, 2024 letter, to which NYPD did not respond, "was a request for reconsideration of the agency's determination, and thus did not extend the statute of limitations" (<i>id.</i>). Nor did the May 1, 2024 letter give rise to a proceeding for mandamus to compel NYPD "to perform its duty" (CPLR 217 [1]). Petitioner asserts no "clear legal right" to a good guy letter (<i>Matter of Anonymous v Commissioner of Health</i>, 21 AD3d 841, 842 [1st Dept 2005]), which NYPD declined to issue in its discretion. Petitioner "cannot circumvent the statute of limitations by demanding that [NYPD] change its determination and seeking mandamus to compel when that demand is refused" (<i>Matter of Stewart v New York City Dept. of Educ.</i>, 173 AD3d 585, 585 [1st Dept 2019] [internal quotation marks omitted]).</p> <p>We have considered petitioner's remaining contentions and find them unavailing.</p> <p>THIS CONSTITUTES THE DECISION AND ORDER OF THE SUPREME COURT, APPELLATE DIVISION, FIRST DEPARTMENT.</p> <p>ENTERED: May 26, 2026</p> </div> <div> <footer> <div> <p>Court Decisions</p> All Court Decisions Official Reports Service Bound Volumes Decision Search </div> <div> <p>Resources</p> RSS Feeds Style Manual Citation Tools Opinion Formatting &amp; Privacy Guidelines Opinion Selection Criteria Legal Research Portal Site Index </div> <div> <p>About</p> About our Operations Contact Us Twitter </div> <div> <p>Quick Contact Info</p> <p>17 Lodge Street</p> <p>Albany, NY 12207</p> <p>Phone: (518) 453-6900</p> </div> </footer> </div> <div> <p>Links to or from other sites do not signify endorsement or relationship with them.</p> </div> </div>