PLAINTIFF DEMONSTRATED THAT TRADITIONAL SERVICE OF PROCESS WAS “IMPRACTICABLE;” SERVICE BY PUBLICATION SHOULD HAVE BEEN ALLOWED (SECOND DEPT).
The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined plaintiff should have been allowed to serve defendants by publication. The process server made several attempts to serve Noren and Eng at addresses where they didn’t reside and attempted to learn their addresses through records searches:
The Supreme Court erred in denying, as academic, that branch of the plaintiff’s unopposed motion which was for leave to effect service on Noren and Eng by publication pursuant to CPLR 316. A court may permit service by publication, upon motion without notice, if traditional service is “impracticable” (CPLR 308[5]; see 316). “The impracticability standard does not require the applicant to satisfy the more stringent standard of due diligence under CPLR 308(4) nor make an actual showing that service has been attempted pursuant to CPLR 308(1), (2), and (4)” … . “Whether service is impracticable depends on the facts and circumstances surrounding each case” … .
Here, the Supreme Court should have permitted the plaintiff to serve Noren and Eng by publication, as the plaintiff demonstrated that it was impracticable to serve them by traditional means … . U.S. Bank Trust, N.A. v Public Admr. of Suffolk County, 2025 NY Slip Op 05009, Second Dept 9-17-25
Practice Point: Consult this decision for insight into the criteria for demonstrating traditional service of process is “impracticable” such that service by publication is appropriate.
