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ALTHOUGH DEFENDANT IN THIS FORECLOSURE ACTION DID NOT ASSERT THE AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSES OF LACK OF STANDING AND LACK OF PERSONAL JURISDICTION IN THE ANSWER, THE DEFENSES WERE NOT WAIVED AND THE MOTION TO AMEND THE ANSWER SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED; EVEN THOUGH THE STATUTE PROVIDING THAT THE LACK OF STANDING DEFENSE WAS NOT WAIVED WAS NOT ENACTED AT THE TIME THE MOTION WAS DECIDED, THE APPELLATE COURT CAN APPLY THE LAW AS IT EXISTS AT THE TIME OF THE APPELLATE DECISION (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court in this foreclosure action, determined the defendant’s failure to assert the plaintiff’s lack of standing and lack of personal jurisdiction in the answer did not waive those affirmative defenses, Defendant’s motion to amend the answer should have been granted. The court noted that even though RPAPL 1302-a, which provides that the failure to assert plaintiff’s lack of standing in the answer does not waive the defense, had not been enacted at the time the motion below was decided, the statute can be applied on appeal:

RPAPL 1302-a … provides that, notwithstanding the provisions of CPLR 3211(e), “any objection or defense based on the plaintiff’s lack of standing in a foreclosure proceeding related to a home loan, as defined in [RPAPL 1304(6)(a)], shall not be waived if a defendant fails to raise the objection or defense in a responsive pleading or pre-answer motion to dismiss.” “‘The general rule holds that an appellate court must apply the law as it exists at the time of its decision'” … . Accordingly, RPAPL 1302-a may be considered in connection with the present appeal, even though that statute had not been enacted at the time the relevant orders in this action were decided by the Supreme Court … .

… Although the defendant did not assert lack of personal jurisdiction in her answer and thereby waived this defense under CPLR 3211(e), such a defense can nevertheless be interposed in an answer amended by leave of court pursuant to CPLR 3025(b) … . Deutsche Bank Natl. Trust Co. v Groder, 2023 NY Slip Op 03768, Second Dept 7-12-23

Practice Point: Although defendant in this foreclosure action did not assert the affirmative defenses of lack of standing and lack of personal jurisdiction in the answer, the defenses were not waived and defendant should have been allowed to amend the answer accordingly.

Practice Point: An appellate court can apply the law as it exists at the time of the appellate decision, even where, as here, the relevant statute had not been enacted when the lower court issued its decision.

 

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