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DEFENDANT’S UNTIMELY ANSWER WAS REJECTED BY PLAINTIFF BUT PLAINTIFF DEEMED THE ANSWER TO BE A NOTICE OF APPEARANCE; DEFENDANT DID NOT OBJECT; AN APPEARANCE IS THE EQUIVALENT OF SERVICE OF A SUMMONS; THEREFORE DEFENDANT WAIVED THE LACK-OF-PERSONAL-JURISDICTION DEFENSE (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined defendant waived any claim of a lack of personal jurisdiction. The plaintiff, rejecting defendant’s answer as untimely, indicated the answer was deemed to be a notice of appearance, which is the equivalent of personal service of the summons:

An appearance of the defendant is equivalent to personal service of the summons upon him or her, unless an objection to jurisdiction pursuant to CPLR 3211(a)(8) is asserted by motion or in the answer … . Here, the plaintiff submitted evidence that the defendant served an answer upon it on or about January 20, 2015. That answer did not assert the defense of lack of personal jurisdiction. The plaintiff rejected the answer as untimely and advised the defendant that it would deem the untimely answer a notice of appearance by the defendant. The defendant did not object to the plaintiff treating her untimely answer as a notice of appearance . The defendant did not assert lack of personal jurisdiction until moving, inter alia, pursuant to CPLR 3211(a)(8) to dismiss the complaint more than two years later … . Therefore, she waived the defense of lack of personal jurisdiction … . Deutsche Bank Natl. Trust Co. v Muzac, 2022 NY Slip Op 02978, Second Dept 5-4-22

Practice Point: Here defendant’s late answer was rejected but plaintiff informed defendant it considered the answer to be a notice of appearance. Defendant did not object. An appearance is equivalent to service of a summons. Therefore defendant waived the lack-of-personal-jurisdiction defense.

 

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