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LAW OFFICE FAILURE WARRANTED VACATING THE DISMISSAL OF THE FORECLOSURE ACTION STEMMING FROM PLAINTIFF BANK’S FAILURE TO APPEAR AT A SCHEDULED CONFERENCE (THIRD DEPT).

The Third Department determined Supreme Court properly exercised its discretion and vacated the dismissal of this foreclosure action for plaintiff bank’s failure to appear at a scheduled conference (22 NYCRR 202.27): “22 NYCRR 202.27 gives a court the discretion to dismiss an action where [a] plaintiff fails to appear at any scheduled call of a […]

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THE 1896 DEED FROM THE PLAINTIFF WHICH TRANSFERRED THE PROPERTY TO DEFENDANT DIOCESE WITH THE LIMITATION THAT IT BE USED AS A CHURCH CREATED A POSSIBILITY OF REVERTER WHICH TRANSFERRED THE PROPERTY BACK TO THE PLAINTIFF WHEN THE PROPERTY STOPPED BEING USED AS A CHURCH IN 2015 (THIRD DEPT).

The Third Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined the 1896 deed to defendant Catholic diocese, which limited the use of the property to serving as a church, conveyed a fee on limitation with a possibility of reverter, which transferred the property to back to plaintiff when the diocese stopped using the property as a church in […]

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QUESTION OF FACT WHETHER DEFENDANT PROPERTY OWNER HAD NOTICE OF THE ALLEGED ELEVATOR MISALIGNMENT PROBLEM WHICH ALLEGEDLY CAUSED PLAINTIFF’S SLIP AND FALL; SUPREME COURT REVERSED (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined there was a question of fact whether the elevator was functioning properly and whether defendant had actual or constructive knowledge of the misalignment which allegedly caused plaintiff’s slip and fall: … [T]he property defendants demonstrated their prima facie entitlement to judgment as a matter of law by establishing, […]

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APPELLANT’S REQUEST FOR AN ADJOURNMENT TO FIND NEW COUNSEL SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED; THE NEARLY $800,000 JUDGMENT AGAINST THE APPELLANT REVERSED (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined appellant’s request for an adjournment to find new counsel should have been granted. The appellant’s attorney had also represented other respondents and had drawn up a settlement agreement. The appellant declined to sign settlement and the court entered a judgment against the appellant for nearly $800,000: The granting of […]

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PETITION FOR LEAVE TO FILE A LATE NOTICE OF CLAIM AGAINST THE CITY OF NEW YORK SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GRANTED IN THIS LEAD-PAINT EXPOSURE CASE; THE PLAINTIFF WAS EXPOSED TO LEAD IN AN APARTMENT OWNED BY THE NEW YORK CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY (NYCHA), AN ENTITY SEPARATE FROM THE CITY; THEREFORE THE UNDERLYING CLAIM WAS PATENTLY MERITLESS (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined the motion for leave to file a late notice of claim in this lead-paint exposure case should not have been granted with respect to the defendant City of New York. Plaintiff alleged exposure to lead in an apartment owned by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) which […]

A JUDGMENT SUBMITTED AFTER THE 60-DAY DEADLINE IMPOSED BY 22 NYCRR 202.48 (WHERE THE DECISION DIRECTS SUBMISSION OF THE JUDGMENT) CAN BE ACCEPTED BY THE COURT IN THE EXERCISE OF DISCRETION (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department determined Supreme Court properly accepted a judgment submitted after the 60-day deadline, rather than deeming the judgment abandoned: 22 NYCRR 202.48 requires, inter alia, that a judgment be submitted within 60 days after the filing of the decision directing its submission, and failure to timely submit the judgment shall be deemed an […]

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THE FACT THAT THE DEFENDANT IN THIS FORECLOSURE ACTION FILED FOR BANKRUPTCY DID NOT RELIEVE THE PLAINTIFF OF THE OBLIGATION TO COMPLY WITH THE NOTICE REQUIREMENTS OF REAL PROPERTY ACTIONS AND PROCEEDINGS LAW (RPAPL) 1304; PLAINTIFF’S SUMMARY JUDGMENT MOTION SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GRANTED (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined the fact that defendant had filed for bankruptcy did not relieve the plaintiff in this foreclosure action from the obligation to comply with the notice requirements of Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law (RPAPL) 1304: … [T]he plaintiff submitted, among other things, the affidavit of Kyle Lukas, a […]

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LAW-OFFICE-FAILURE ALLEGATIONS WERE INSUFFICIENT; PLAINTIFF’S MOTION TO ENTER A DEFAULT JUDGMENT IN THIS PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENT CASE SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined plaintiff’s motion to enter a default judgment in this pedestrian accident case should have granted. The law-office-failure allegations were deemed insufficient: In order to successfully oppose a motion for leave to enter a default judgment, a defendant who has failed to timely appear or answer the complaint must […]

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ALTHOUGH THE MOTION TO VACATE THE JUDGMENT OF FORECLOSURE FOR LACK OF PERSONAL JURISDICTION WAS PROPERLY GRANTED FOR THE MOVING DEFENDANT, THE JUDGE SHOULD NOT HAVE, SUA SPONTE, GRANTED THE SAME RELIEF TO DEFENDANTS WHO DID NOT SO MOVE (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing (modifying) Supreme Court, noted that the judge should not have, sua sponte, vacated the judgment of foreclosure as against those defendants who did not move for that relief: “A court’s power to dismiss a complaint, sua sponte, is to be used sparingly and only when extraordinary circumstances exist to warrant dismissal” … […]

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CAUSES OF ACTION FOR UNJUST ENRICHMENT, BREACH OF FIDUCIARY DUTY AND AN ACCOUNTING SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DISMISSED; FAILURE TO TRANSFER ASSETS ALLEGED A CONTINUING WRONG AND PAYMENTS WHICH ALLEGEDLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE DURING THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS PERIOD WERE ACTIONABLE (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined plaintiff stated causes of action for unjust enrichment, breach of fiduciary duty and an accounting against her sister (Weisel), the sole manager of A & Z, of which plaintiff is also a member. The court noted that the allegation that Weisel did not transfer assets to A & […]

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