An Issue Raised for the First Time on Appeal Will Not Be Considered Where the Defect Could Have Been Cured If Raised Below/Trial Court Can Grant Summary Judgment Based on an Unpleaded Defense

The Fourth Department noted that it can not consider an argument raised for the first time on appeal where the defect could have been remedied it been raised below and explained when summary judgment can be granted (by the trial court) on the basis of an unpleaded defense:

…[W]e do not address plaintiff’s contention, raised for the first time on appeal, that Supreme Court erred in granting summary judgment in defendant’s favor because defendant failed to plead the defense of failure to comply with a condition precedent with sufficient specificity (see CPLR 3015 [a]). “An issue may not be raised for the first time on appeal . . . where it ‘could have been obviated or cured by factual showings or legal countersteps’ in the trial court” …. Here, defendant could have attempted to cure that alleged deficiency by seeking leave to amend the answer … . In any event, defendant’s failure to plead that defense in its answer with sufficient specificity does not preclude an award of summary judgment based on that defense. “ ‘[A] court may grant summary judgment based upon an unpleaded defense where[, as here,] reliance upon that defense neither surprises nor prejudices the plaintiff’ ” Accadia Site Contracting Inc v Erie County Water Authority, 325, 4th Dept 3-28-14