EVEN THOUGH THE BREACH OF CONTRACT ACTION WAS TIME-BARRED, THE EXISTENCE OF A VALID CONTRACT PRECLUDED AN ACTION IN QUANTUM MERUIT OR QUASI CONTRACT (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined defendant’s motion to dismiss the breach of contract cause of action should have been granted because it was time-barred. In addition, the quantum meruit cause of action should have been dismissed because a valid contract precludes recovery in quasi contract:

The defendants established, prima facie, that this action was not commenced within the limitations period set forth in the contract for breach of contract claims … . In opposition, the plaintiff failed to raise a question of fact as to whether the statute of limitations was tolled or otherwise inapplicable, or whether the action was actually commenced within the period propounded by the defendants.

… [T]o the extent that the complaint seeks recovery in quantum meruit, it should have been dismissed since “the existence of a valid contract governing the subject matter generally precludes recovery in quasi contract for events arising out of the same subject matter” … . D. Gangi Contr. Corp. v City of New York, 2020 NY Slip Op 04378, Second Dept 8-5-20