BY JOINING IN A PRE-ANSWER MOTION TO DISMISS DEFENDANT EXTENDED ITS TIME TO ANSWER UNTIL TEN DAYS AFTER NOTICE OF ENTRY OF THE ORDER DECIDING THE MOTION TO DISMISS, SINCE DEFENDANT WAS NOT IN DEFAULT, IT COULD APPEAL THE ORDER FINDING IT IN DEFAULT (FIRST DEPT).
The First Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined defendant did not default. Defendant (Advisors) had joined in a pre-answer motion to dismiss, which extended the time for serving an answer until ten days after notice of entry of the order deciding the motion to dismiss. Because defendant was not in default, it could appeal:
Defendant’s time to answer the complaint was extended by virtue of its serving a notice of motion, together with its co-defendants, seeking dismissal of the causes of action asserted against the co-defendants, pursuant to CPLR 3211(f) (see also CPLR 320[a]; 3012[a], [c]). Generally, a CPLR 3211(a) motion to dismiss made against any part of a pleading extends the time to serve a responsive pleading to all of it … . Here, Advisors did not default, but appeared by joining in defendants’ motion to dismiss the causes of action asserted against the individual named defendants, thereby extending its time to answer the complaint … . Thus, Advisors had ten days from service upon it of notice of entry of the order deciding the partial motion to dismiss, to answer the causes of action against it, pursuant to CPLR 3211(f).
Defendant’s appeal from the order granting the default motion was proper, as it appeared and contested the application for entry of a default order below … . Accordingly, CPLR 5511, which generally prohibits an appeal from an order or judgment entered upon default, is inapplicable … . Levine v Singal, 2019 NY Slip Op 03438, First Dept 5-2-19