IN THIS FORECLOSURE ACTION DEFENDANT’S MOTION TO VACATE THE NOTE OF ISSUE SHOULD HAVE BEEN DENIED; THE MOTION WAS UNTIMELY AND DID NOT DEMONSTRATE ANY UNANTICIPATED CIRCUMSTANCES SINCE THE FILING OF THE NOTE OF ISSUE (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined defendant’s motion to vacate the note of issue in this foreclosure action should have been dismissed as untimely:

… [S]upreme Court also should have denied the defendant’s … motion pursuant to CPLR 5015(a)(3) to vacate the note of issue filed by the plaintiff. A motion to vacate a note of issue is governed by 22 NYCRR 202.21, pursuant to which any party to an action may, within 20 days of service of the note of issue and certificate of readiness, move to vacate the note of issue upon an affidavit demonstrating that the case is not ready for trial … . Where a party’s motion to vacate a note of issue is timely, “the party is ‘required only to demonstrate why the case [is] not ready for trial'” … . However, where the motion is not timely, the party seeking relief must meet the “‘more difficult standard'” of 22 NYCRR 202.21(d) which “‘requires the movant to demonstrate unusual or unanticipated circumstances and substantial prejudice'” … .

Here, the defendant’s motion to vacate the note of issue was untimely as it was made … more than 20 days after the note of issue was filed … . Moreover, the defendant failed to demonstrate the existence of unusual or unanticipated circumstances since the filing of the note of issue warranting its vacatur … . Federal Natl. Mtge. Assn. v Cassis, 2026 NY Slip Op 05381, Second Dept 9-23-26

Practice Point: Where a motion to vacate the note of issue is made more than 20 days after the note of issue was filed it must demonstrate “the existence of unusual or unanticipated circumstances since the filing of the note of issue warranting its vacatur.” If the motion to vacate is timely made it must demonstrate only that the case is not ready for trial.