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PLAINTIFF’S MOTION TO AMEND THE COMPLAINT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GRANTED; THE WAS NO ALLEGATION THE PARTY TO BE ADDED AS A DEFENDANT HAD ANY INTEREST IN THE PROPERTY IN DISPUTE; AND THE CIVIL CONSPIRACY CAUSE OF ACTION PLAINTIFF SOUGHT TO ADD IS NOT RECOGNIZED IN NEW YORK; THEREFORE THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS WERE PATENTLY DEVOID OF MERIT (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department, reversing (modifying) Supreme Court, determined the motion to amend the complaint to add a defendant (Fu) and a cause of action for civil conspiracy should not have been granted. Plaintiff did not allege that Fu had any interest in the property in dispute. And New York does not recognize civil conspiracy as a tort:

It is well settled that leave to amend a pleading shall be freely given, provided the amendment is not palpably insufficient, does not prejudice or surprise the opposing party, and is not patently devoid of merit . . . , and the decision to permit an amendment is within the sound discretion of the court” … . Initially, plaintiff clarified in the amended complaint that the first cause of action, which is asserted against all defendants and seeks to set aside the deed and mortgage, was brought under RPAPL article 15. Pursuant to RPAPL article 15, an action may be maintained against any “person [who] . . . may have an . . . interest in the real property which may in any manner be affected by the judgment” (RPAPL 1511 [2]). Here, plaintiff failed to allege in the amended complaint any interest that Fu may have in the property and, thus, she is not a proper party to that cause of action … . Furthermore, New York does not recognize civil conspiracy to commit a tort, such as fraud or conversion, as an independent cause of action … . Therefore, the proposed amendments with respect to Fu are patently devoid of merit. Landco H & L, Inc. v 377 Main Realty, Inc., 2022 NY Slip Op 01695, Fourth Dept 3-11-22

Practice Point: New York does not recognize civil conspiracy as a tort. This case is an example of what it means to find proposed amendments to a complaint “patently devoid of merit.”

 

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