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Entries by Bruce Freeman

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ALTHOUGH DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE IS ADMISSIBLE NOTWITHSTANDING THE DEAD MAN’S STATUTE, HERE THE DECEDENT’S SIGNATURE ON THE GUARANTY WAS NOT AUTHENTICATED BY SOMEONE OTHER THAN AN INTERESTED WITNESS; THEREFORE PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT ON THE GUARANTY SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GRANTED (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, reversing (modifying) Supreme Court, determined the personal guaranty signed by decedent was not authenticated. Therefore plaintiff was not entitled to summary judgment on the guaranty: We modify, however, with respect to the cause of action under the personal guaranty purportedly signed by the decedent, because although documentary evidence is admissible notwithstanding the […]

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DESPITE THE BRAKE-FAILURE ALLEGATION IN THIS REAR-END COLLISION CASE, PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED; DEFENDANT DID NOT PRESENT SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE TO RAISE A QUESTION OF FACT ABOUT BRAKE FAILURE (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined the plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment in this rear-end traffic accident case should have been granted. Defendant did not raise a question of fact about the brake-failure allegation: ” … [D]efendants’ contention that their vehicle’s brake failure was the cause of the accident was insufficient to raise a […]

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ALTHOUGH PLAINTIFF BANK DID NOT PROVE COMPLIANCE WITH THE NOTICE REQUIREMENTS OF RPAPL 1304, THE DEFENDANT DID NOT PROVE PLAINTIFF DID NOT COMPLY WITH THE NOTICE REQUIREMENTS OF RPAPL 1304 (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department determined that, although plaintiff bank did not prove compliance with the notice requirements of RPAPL 1304, defendant did not prove plaintiff failed to comply with the notice requirements of RPAPL 1304: “Even in the face of a plaintiff’s failure to establish, prima facie, that a notice was properly mailed on a motion […]

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MOTION TO EXTEND THE TIME TO SERVE DEFENDANT SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED, DESPITE THE FACTS THAT THE FORECLOSURE ACTION HAD BEEN DISMISSED AND THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS HAD RUN (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, in an extensive opinion by Justice Leventhal, over a two-justice dissent, reversing Supreme Court, determined Supreme Court should have granted plaintiff’s motion to extend the time to serve defendant pursuant to CPLR 306-b, despite the facts that the action had been dismissed and the statute of limitations had run. The action had been […]

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WIFE’S MOTION TO BE SUBSTITUTED FOR HER DECEASED HUSBAND TO ENFORCE THE PAYMENT OF THE SETTLEMENT IN HER HUSBAND’S SLIP AND FALL CASE SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined that plaintiff’s wife’s (Jesenia’s) motion pursuant to CPLR 1015 for leave to substitute herself for her deceased husband in this slip and fall case should have been granted. Defendant had settled the case and Jesenia was seeking payment: Contrary to the Supreme Court’s determination, the settlement of the […]

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ALTHOUGH THE EXCUSE WAS NOT ADEQUATE PETITIONER’S APPLICATION FOR LEAVE TO FILE A LATE NOTICE OF CLAIM SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED; RESPONDENTS HAD TIMELY NOTICE OF THE INCIDENT AND DEMONSTRATED NO PREJUDICE FROM THE DELAY (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined petitioner’s application for leave to file a late notice of claim should have been granted. Although the excuse was inadequate, the respondents had timely notice of the incident and were not prejudiced by the delay: In determining whether to grant an extension, the key factors to consider are: […]

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PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT AND IRRELEVANT MOLINEUX EVIDENCE REQUIRED REVERSAL (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing defendant’s conviction, determined that prosecutorial misconduct and the admission of irrelevant evidence of another crime required reversal: “[O]n summation, a prosecutor may not improperly encourage[ ] inferences of guilt based on facts not in evidence’” …  As we determined in People v Ramirez (150 AD3d at 899-900), the prosecutor here improperly suggested that the […]

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VERDICT AWARDING $0 DAMAGES FOR FUTURE AND PAIN SUFFERING SHOULD HAVE BEEN SET ASIDE, $100,000 WOULD BE REASONABLE COMPENSATION (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined the damages verdict awarding $0 for future pain and suffering should have been set aside: The jury’s award of damages for past pain and suffering deviates materially from what would be reasonable compensation (see CPLR 5501[c]). Plaintiff sustained a bimalleolar ankle fracture and underwent two surgeries, the first involving […]

DEFENDANT, ALTHOUGH CONVICTED OF AN ARMED FELONY, SHOULD HAVE BEEN ACCORDED YOUTHFUL OFFENDER STATUS, CRITERIA EXPLAINED (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing County Court, determined defendant should have been accorded youthful offender status, despite the armed felony conviction: As the defendant was convicted of an armed felony (see CPL 1.20[41]), he was eligible to have this conviction replaced with a youthful offender adjudication only if, inter alia, there were “mitigating circumstances that [bore] directly […]

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CONDEMNEE WAS ENTITLED TO ADDITIONAL ALLOWANCES (ATTORNEY’S FEES AND COSTS) BASED UPON THE DIFFERENCE IN COMPENSATION BETWEEN THAT OFFERED BY THE VILLAGE AND THE AWARD BY THE COURT IN THIS EMINENT DOMAIN PROCEEDING; THE STATUTORY INTEREST RATE OF 6%, NOT 9%, SHOULD HAVE BEEN APPLIED (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing (modifying) Supreme Court, determined that some of the additional allowances for fees and costs (pursuant to Eminent Domain Procedure Law (EDPL) 701) should not have been granted and the statutory interest rate of 6%, not 9%, should have been applied. The additional allowances were sought based upon because the court awarded […]

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