“Labor or Services” Complaint Not Specific Enough to Trigger Specific-Answer Requirement Under CPLR 3016
The Fourth Department determined plaintiff nursing home’s motion for summary judgment pursuant to CPLR 3016 was properly denied. Defendant’s late husband was in plaintiff nursing home for the last 15 months of his life. Plaintiff sued for $125,265.54 in unpaid invoices. The court determined the complaint did not set forth with sufficient specificity the reasonable value and agreed price of each service provided. Therefore the statutory requirement for a specific answer to each allegation of service was not triggered:
CPLR 3016 (f) provides that, in an action involving the -2- 205 CA 13-01681 “performing of labor or services,” the plaintiff “may set forth and number in his verified complaint the items of his claim and the reasonable value or agreed price of each.” If the plaintiff does so, “the defendant by his verified answer shall indicate specifically those items he disputes and whether in respect of delivery or performance, reasonable value or agreed price.” “To meet the requirements of CPLR 3016 (f), a complaint must contain a listing of the goods or services provided, with enough detail that it may readily be examined and its correctness tested entry by entry” … . If the complaint lacks sufficient specificity, the defendant may serve a general denial answer … .Here, we conclude that the complaint failed to meet the specificity standards of CPLR 3016 (f) and thus “did not trigger a duty on defendant[’]s part to dispute each item specifically” … . Waterfront Operations Associates LLC… v Candido, 205, 4th Dept 3-28-14
