Evidence Not Sufficient to Demonstrate Spanish Document Was an Enforceable Judgment; In Motion for Summary Judgment in Lieu of Complaint (CPLR 3213) There Is No Impediment to Plaintiff’s Supplementing Its Papers After Defendant’s Response

The First Department determined Supreme Court should not have decided, as a matter of law, a Spanish document was a judgment enforceable in New York. Only differing expert affidavits were provided and the operative statutes were not translated and submitted to the court. In addition, the court noted that the plaintiff’s submission of papers after defendant responded to the motion for summary judgment in lieu of complaint was properly allowed. Defendant was able to respond to the additional documents:

CPLR 5302 provides that New York will recognize foreign decrees that are “final, conclusive and enforceable where rendered even though an appeal therefrom is pending.” * * * The motion court was provided with the affidavits of the experts whose opinions differed, but was not provided with translated copies of the [statutes] cited by both experts. Thus, the court was not provided adequate information to determine as a matter of law that the document is a final judgment under Spanish law and ripe for enforcement in New York. * * *

There is no absolute rule that in a CPLR 3213 motion, a plaintiff cannot supplement its papers in response to a defendant’s arguments, so as to establish its entitlement to summary judgment in lieu of complaint. “Nothing that is curable by the mere addition of papers should result in a denial of the motion, unless it is a denial with leave to renew on proper papers” (David D. Siegel, Practice Commentaries, McKinney’s Cons Laws of NY, Book 7B, CPLR C3213:8). “Mere omissions from the affidavits” that can be rectified by filing and serving additional affidavits should be cured by a continuance or adjournment in order for the additional affidavits to be served and filed (id.). * * * Here, defendant had an opportunity to address the merits of the later-submitted documents, in the form of a reply in the cross motion, and therefore plaintiff’s failure initially to include all the documents did not result in prejudice to defendant and require denial of the motion… .  Sea Trade Mar Corp v Coutsodontis, 2013 NY Slip Op 07560, 1st Dept 11-14-13