Court Should Have Allowed Service of an Order to Show Cause by Means Other than Personal Delivery after Plaintiff Failed to Effect Personal Delivery Despite Due Diligence
The Second Department determined plaintiff’s motion for leave to serve an order to show cause by means other than personal delivery should have been granted. The plaintiff had been unable to effect personal delivery despite due diligence:
As a general matter, an order to show cause must be served at a time and in the manner specified therein (see CPLR 403[d]; 2214[d]…). However, under the particular circumstances of this case, the Supreme Court improvidently exercised its discretion in denying that branch of the plaintiff’s motion which was, in effect, for leave to serve … by a method of personal service pursuant to CPLR 308 other than personal delivery. The plaintiff demonstrated that personal delivery … pursuant to CPLR 308(1), as required by the order to show cause, could not be effected despite the exercise of due diligence. Moreover, service pursuant to the other means set forth in CPLR 308 constitutes personal service, and is sufficient here for notice of an application to punish for contempt … . Koyachman v Paige Mgt & Consulting LLC, 2014 NY Slip Op -7130, 2nd Dept 10-22-14
