PLAINTIFFS’ COUNSEL’S GOOD-FAITH AFFIRMATION DID NOT INCLUDE DETAILS OF ANY EFFORTS TO RESOLVE THE DISCOVERY ISSUE AND WAS THEREFORE INADEQUATE; PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION TO COMPEL DEFENDANT TO SUBMIT TO A DEPOSITION UNDER THREAT OF PRECLUSION SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GRANTED (SECOND DEPT).

​The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined the motion compelling defendant to appear for a deposition under threat of preclusion should not have been granted because plaintiffs’ counsel’s good-faith affirmation was inadequate:

Pursuant to 22 NYCRR 202.7(a) and (c), a motion relating to disclosure must be accompanied by an affirmation from moving counsel attesting to a good faith effort to resolve the issues raised in the motion, including the time, place, and nature of the consultation as well as the issues discussed. Here, the affirmation of good faith submitted by the plaintiffs’ counsel in support of their motion to compel disclosure and for other related relief failed to provide any detail of their efforts to resolve the issues. Therefore, the plaintiffs’ motion should have been denied … . Muchnik v Mendez Trucking, Inc., 2023 NY Slip Op 00100, Second Dept 1-11-23

Practice Pont: Here the affidavit plaintiffs’ counsel submitted did not detail the efforts made to resolve the discovery issue and was therefore inadequate. Therefore Supreme Court should not have granted plaintiffs’ motion to compel defendant’s deposition under threat of preclusion.