FRAUD CAUSE OF ACTION PROPERLY DISMISSED BECAUSE (1) IT WAS DUPLICATIVE OF THE BREACH OF CONTRACT CAUSE OF ACTION AND (2) PLAINTIFF, AS A SOPHISTICATED BUSINESS ENTITY, COULD NOT ARGUE IT RELIED ON ORAL REPRESENTATIONS WHICH CONTRADICTED THE WRITTEN CONTRACT; STRICT REQUIREMENTS FOR ATTACHMENT NOT MET.
The Third Department, affirming Supreme Court, determined plaintiff’s fraud cause of action was properly dismissed because (1) it was duplicative of the breach of contract cause of action, and (2), plaintiff, a sophisticated business entity, could not be heard to rely upon alleged oral representations which contradicted the written contract. In addition, the Third Department determined the requirements for attachment pursuant to CPLR 6201 (3) were not met by plaintiff. There was insufficient proof defendant was secreting assets of frustrate a potential judgment:
A cause of action for fraud does not exist where the alleged fraudulent act is premised upon a breach of a contractual obligation … . * * * … [A] sophisticated business entity cannot justifiably rely on oral representations when it thereafter enters into a contract containing terms that directly contradict those oral representations … . Accordingly, plaintiff’s fraud cause of action is subject to dismissal, either as duplicative of the contract cause of action or, in the alternative, based on plaintiff’s own allegations that it relied on oral representations that were contradicted by the terms of the contract that it thereafter entered into. Northeast United Corp. v Lewis, 2016 NY Slip Op 01713, 3rd Dept 3-10-16
CONTRACT LAW (SOPHISTICATED BUSINESS ENTITY CAN NOT ARGUE IT RELIED ON ORAL MISREPRESENTATIONS WHICH CONTRADICTED THE WRITTEN CONTRACT)/FRAUD (FRAUD CAUSE OF ACTION PROPERLY DISMISSED AS DUPLICATIVE OF BREACH OF CONTRACT CAUSE OF ACTION AND BECAUSE PLAINTIFF, A SOPHISTICATED BUSINESS ENTITY, COULD NOT BE HEARID TO HAVE RELIED UPON ORAL MISREPRESENTATIONS WHICH CONTRADICTED THE WRITTEN CONTRACT)/ATTACHMENT (STRICT REQUIREMENTS FOR ATTACHMENT PURSUANT TO CPLR 6201 (3) NOT MET)/CIVIL PROCEDURE (STRICT REQUIREMENTS FOR ATTACHMENT PURSUANT TO CPLR 6201 (3) NOT MET)