STATE OF NEW YORK

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL

ALBANY, May 16, 1916.

Before the Commissioners of the Land Office.

In the Matter of the Petition of CHARLES RILEY for a Release of the State's Interest in Premises known as No. 82 Hopkins Avenue, Long Island City, Queens County, which Escheated to the State upon the Death of his Stepmother, FAnnie Riley.

To the Commissioners of the Land Office:

Gentlemen.

The petition herein and corroborative affidavits and abstract of title show that Fannie Riley purchased Lot No. 338 on map of property at Ravenswood, in the vicinity of Hallock's Cove, L. I., on the west side of Jay street (now Hopkins avenue), in 1883. At that time she was the wife of Thomas Riley, the father of the petitioner, his mother having previously died, and said Fannie Riley being his stepmother. The said premises are said to have been purchased with funds belonging to petitioner's father. Fannie Riley died intestate in February, 1890, at Long Island City, leaving no known heirs, but leaving her said husband her surviving, and seized of said premises, which are said to be of the value of $1,500. Thomas Riley, the husband of Fannie Riley, died intestate in Long Island City in or about the year 1899, leaving the petitioner, his son and only heir, the petitioner claiming as the only heir-at-law of his father, the husband of said Fannie Riley, and by reason of over twenty years' possession, erected a substantial building on said premises in the belief that he had a valid title thereto. He has also paid many years' taxes and assessments upon the said premises.

The petitioner also claims that he is equitably entitled to said property by reason of an instrument in writing signed by Fannie Riley and endorsed on the original deed to her, whereby she assigned and transferred to Charles Riley, the petitioner, all her right, title and interest in said premises. The assignment was not, however, duly acknowledged, although a notary public's name was attached to said transfer. The petitioner is now advised by his

counsel that said assignment is void because of defects of form and execution and therefore prays that the Commissioners of the Land Office will release to him the State's interest in the said lands.

Section 62 of the Public Lands Law provides that the Commissioners may release the State's interest in a case of this kind and that a conveyance so made to any petitioner who is the heir-at-law of a surviving husband, shall be without consideration when the value of the property sought to be released does not exceed $10,000. The petitioner further shows that the premises in question are all the land that Fannie Riley died seized of.

Your honorable body have full power to grant the relief prayed for in the petition.

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL

ALBANY, July 12, 1916.

Before the Standing Committee on the Hearing of Remonstrances of the Commissioners of the Land Office.

In the Matter of the Application of HENRY MEYER, Hempstead Turnpike and Two Hundred and Twenty-second Street, Borough of Queens, New York City; JOHN H. MAHNKEN, Freeport, N. Y., and PATRICK J. CARLIN, 270 Washington Avenue, Borough of Brooklyn, New York City, for a Grant of Land under the Waters of Arthur Kill, at Rossville, County of Richmond, for the purposes of beneficial enjoyment.

To the Commissioners of the Land Office:

Gentlemen. A remonstrance to this application was filed by the American Title and Trust Company of Wilmington, Delaware, claiming to be the owners under letters patent granted to Lancaster Symes in the year 1708 of all vacant and unappropriated land on Staten Island.

A communication was also received from Edward P. Doyle, representing the Realty Notice Corporation, asking for an opportunity to be heard on this application. On July 11, 1916, a second letter was received from Mr. Doyle stating that he had no objection to the grant being made to the applicants.

The matter has been heard by your committee, no appearance being made by the American Title and Trust Company.

No abstracts of title have been presented. The applicants, however submitted copies of nineteen deeds duly certified by the county clerk of Richmond county as having been recorded in his office, which show record chain of title in the applicants to the uplands in front of the premises for which the patent is applied for, for a period of over thirty years; and also by sworn testimony proved occupation of the property for a period of over twenty years.

The office of the corporation counsel of the city of New York states that "the City of New York makes no claim of title to the lands under water applied for but requests that in any letters patent that may be issued, the usual terms and conditions be inserted."

It is the judgment of your committee that the remonstrance should be overruled and that the application take the usual course of uncontested applications.

Respectfully submitted,

E. E. WOODBURY,

Attorney-General.

FRANK S. WILLIAMS,

State Engineer.

JAMES L. WELLS,

State Treasurer.

STATE OF NEW YORK

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL

ALBANY, July 12, 1916.

Before the Standing Committee on the Hearing of Remonstrances of the Commissioners of the Land Office.

In the Matter of the Application of the CRUCIBLE STEEL COMPANY OF AMERICA for Grant of Abandoned Erie Canal Lands in the City of Syracuse, New York.

To the Commissioners of the Land Office:

Gentlemen.

On December 11, 1914, the Canal Board aban

doned the lands applied for in this application.

On December 23, 1914, the Mutual Pipe Line Company duly applied to the Commissioners of the Land Office for a grant of these abandoned lands.

On November 30, 1915, the Canal Board rescinded the action of the Canal Board of December 11, 1915, abandoning the lands in question.

Thereafter and on April 11, 1916, the Canal Board abandoned said lands and on May 11, 1916, the Crucible Steel Company of America, the applicant herein, applied to the Commissioners of the Land Office, under article 4 of chapter 50 of the Laws of 1909, for a grant or conveyance of said abandoned lands.

On May 25, 1916, the Mutual Pipe Line Company filed a protest against the granting of the petition herein, claiming that the action of the Canal Board of November 30, 1915, rescinding the resolution of abandonment of December 11, 1914, was illegal and void and inoperative because the said lands had already been abandoned and could not again be abandoned against the rights of the protestant.

The matter has been heard by your committee, no appearance being made by the Mutual Pipe Line Company.

It is the judgment of your committee that the remonstrance should be overruled and that the application take the usual course of uncontested applications.

Respectfully submitted,

E. E. WOODBURY,

Attorney-General.

FRANK M. WILLIAMS,

State Engineer and Surveyor.

JAMES L. WELLS,

State Treasurer.

STATE OF NEW YORK

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL

ALBANY, July 25, 1916.

In the Matter of the Application of THE MIDLAND BEACH COMPANY for a Determination of the "High-Water Line" at Midland Beach, Staten Island, N. Y.

The Commissioners of the Land Office, Albany, N. Y.:

Gentlemen. It appears that in 1902 the Commissioners of the Land Office granted to The Midland Railroad Terminal Company lands under water and between "high and low-water line" at Midland Beach, Staten Island, N. Y., for the purposes specified in the grant, making reservations for the benefit of the public for use of the foreshore "between the line of high and low water as they now exist or hereafter shall exist." The applicant has succeeded to the title of the Midland Railroad Terminal Company and makes this application to have the high-water line which marks the shoreward line of this grant surveyed and determined by the State Engineer and Surveyor.

The matter was referred to the State Engineer and Surveyor for investigation and report. The State Engineer and Surveyor made his report to this board, under date of October 25, 1915, as follows: