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IN THE FACE OF EVIDENCE PLAINTIFF DID NOT INTEND TO ABANDON THE ACTION, IT WAS AN ABUSE OF DISCRETION TO DISMISS THE COMPLAINT FOR FAILURE TO MEET THE DEADLINE FOR FILING A NOTE OF ISSUE (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined the dismissal of the complaint because plaintiff failed to timely file a note of issue was an abuse of discretion. Plaintiff had communicated with defendant within the 90-day period about discovery owed plaintiff. If defendant had complied with the discovery requests, plaintiff could have timely filed:

“[A] plaintiff [who] has been served with a 90-day notice pursuant to CPLR 3216(b)(3) . . . must comply with the notice by filing a note of issue or by moving, before the default date, either to vacate the 90-day notice or to extend the 90-day period” … . “In general, if a plaintiff fails to comply with the demand, to avoid the sanction of dismissal, the plaintiff is required to demonstrate a justifiable excuse for the delay and the existence of a potentially meritorious cause of action” … . However, CPLR 3216 is “extremely forgiving, and, [w]hile the statute prohibits the Supreme Court from dismissing an action based on neglect to proceed whenever the plaintiff has shown a justifiable excuse for his or her delay, and a meritorious cause of action[,] such a dual showing is not strictly necessary in order for the plaintiff to escape such a dismissal” … .

Here, there was no evidence that the defendant was prejudiced by the plaintiff’s delay in filing the note of issue after expiration of the 90-day period, that there was a pattern of persistent neglect and delay in prosecuting the action, or that there was any intent by the plaintiff to decline to proceed with discovery or otherwise abandon the action … . * * *

Had the defendant complied with either of the plaintiff’s first two emailed requests for outstanding discovery, the plaintiff could have timely filed the note of issue. This evidence negated any inference that the plaintiff intended to abandon the action and, inasmuch as the defendant contributed to the plaintiff’s inability to timely file a note of issue, the defendant’s assertion of prejudice from the delay was disingenuous … . Salik v Atlantis Operating, LLC, 2026 NY Slip Op 04970, Seccond Dept 8-12-26

Practice Point: CPLR 3216 is “extremely forgiving.” Here it was an abuse of discretion to dismiss the complaint for failure to meet the deadline for filing a note of issue.

 

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