Castaways Motel v. Schuyler

Petitioner-appellant Castaways is a business partnership of three men who operate a motel on land beside the Niagara River. In 1964 petitioner applied for a grant of land under the river adjacent to its property.

The circumstances which brought about this application were these. Castaways’ neighbor downstream was the La Salle Yacht Club. Some time in the early 1960’s, after the completion of the New York State Power Authority’s Niagara power project, the yacht club began to sustain costly winter ice damage to its docks and facilities and contemplated bringing an action against the New York…