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THE DEATH OF A DEFENDANT IN THIS FORECLOSURE PROCEEDING AFFECTED THE MERITS OF THE ACTION; THEREFORE THE DEATH TRIGGERED A STAY OF THE PROCEEDINGS PENDING SUBSTITUTION OF A REPRESENTATIVE; HERE ALL THE DETERMINATIONS OF SUPREME COURT MADE AFTER DEFENDANT’S DEATH WERE A NULLITY (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court in this foreclosure action, determined the death of a defendant affected the merits of the action triggering a stay of all proceedings. Therefore the determinations made by Supreme Court after defendant’s death were a nullity:

“Generally, the death of a party divests a court of jurisdiction to act, and automatically stays proceedings in the action pending the substitution of a personal representative for the decedent” … . “Any determination rendered without such a substitution is ordinarily deemed a nullity” … . However, “if a party’s death does not affect the merits of a case, there is no need for strict adherence to the requirement that the proceedings be stayed pending substitution” … . “A judgment of foreclosure and sale entered against a defendant is final as to all questions at issue between the parties, and concludes all matters of defense which were or might have been litigated in the foreclosure action” … . However, “[a] judgment of foreclosure and sale does not divest the mortgagor of its title and interest in the property until the sale is actually conducted” … .

Here, the decedent answered the complaint and was entitled to service of all papers in the action, including any motions to extend the time in which to conduct the foreclosure sale and any notice of sale (see CPLR 2103 …). … [T]he decedent’s death did affect the merits of this action and triggered a stay of all proceedings in the action pending substitution of a legal representative … . Any determinations made by the Supreme Court after the decedent’s death were a nullity, including the amended order and judgment of foreclosure and sale and the orders appealed from … . Real Estate Mtge. Network, Inc. v Perez, 2026 NY Slip Op 05562, Second Dept 9-30-26

Practice Point: Where a defendant’s death affects the merits of the action, the action is stayed pending substitution of a representative.

Practice Point: All rulings made while the action was stayed were a nullity.

Practice Point: A judgment of foreclosure and sale does not divest a mortgagor of title to and interest in the property until the sale is conducted.

 

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MOTHER WAS ENTITLED TO VACATION OF THE NEGLECT FINDING, CRITERIA EXPLAINED (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Family Court in this neglect proceeding, determined mother was entitled to modification of the order of fact-finding and disposition granting a suspended judgment and vacating the finding of neglect. The neglect finding stemmed from mother’s failure to take medication to treat her mental illness:

Family Court Act § 1061 provides that for good cause shown, a court may set aside, modify, or vacate any order issued in the course of a child protective proceeding … . As with an initial order, the modified order must reflect a resolution consistent with the best interests of the child after consideration of all relevant facts and circumstances, and must be supported by a sound and substantial basis in the record … . “Courts have identified four factors to consider when determining whether to vacate a finding of neglect: ‘(1) respondent’s prior child protective history; (2) the seriousness of the offense; (3) respondent’s remorse and acknowledgment of the abusive/neglectful nature of his or her act; and (4) respondent’s amenability to correction, including compliance with court-ordered services and treatment'” … .

Here, the mother had no prior child protective history; the record demonstrates the mother’s compliance with services, medication, and therapy; and the mother’s therapist reported that the mother “shows good insight about the need for treatment.” Further, a suspended judgment leading to vacatur of the neglect finding was in the child’s best interests because the mother would have access to employment opportunities in childcare … . Matter of Naila P. (Althea P.), 2026 NY Slip Op 05540, Second Dept 9-30-26

Practice Point: Here mother’s neglect finding was vacated based upon her compliance with mental health services, medication and therapy. The neglect finding stemmed from her failure to take medication to treat her mental illness.

 

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THE PARTIES IN THIS FAMILY OFFENSE PROCEEDING HAD NO DIRECT RELATIONSHIP, DEPRIVING FAMILY COURT OF JURISDICTION; THERE MUST BE AN “INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP” BETWEEN THE PARTIES TO CONFER JURISDICTION (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Family Court in this family offense proceeding, determined the petitioner and the appellant (the mother of petitioner’s boyfriend) have no direct relationship. Therefore Family Court did not have jurisdiction over the family offense proceeding (which requires an “intimate relationship”):

Pursuant to Family Court Act § 812(1), the Family Court’s jurisdiction in family offense proceedings is limited to certain prescribed acts that occur “between spouses or former spouses, or between parent and child or between members of the same family or household” … . “[M]embers of the same family or household” include, among others, “persons who are not related by consanguinity or affinity and who are or have been in an intimate relationship regardless of whether such persons have lived together at any time” … . Expressly excluded from the ambit of “intimate relationship” are “casual acquaintance[s]” and “ordinary fraternization between two individuals in business or social contexts” … . Beyond those delineated exclusions, what qualifies as an intimate relationship within the meaning of Family Court Act § 812(1)(e) is determined on a case-by-case basis, and the factors a court may consider include “the nature or type of relationship, regardless of whether the relationship is sexual in nature; the frequency of interaction between the persons; and the duration of the relationship” … .

Here, the parties have no direct relationship and are connected only through a third party, who is the petitioner’s former boyfriend and the appellant’s son … . Additionally, the parties never resided together and their contact with one another was minimal and related only to a few visits between the appellant and the petitioner’s daughter … . Matter of Monahan v Zindman, 2026 NY Slip Op 05538, Second Dept 9-30-26

Practice Point: Here the parties in this family offense proceeding, petitioner and petitioner’s boyfriend’s mother, had no direct relationship. To confer jurisdiction to Family Court in a family offense matter, the parties must have an “intimate relationship.”

 

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DEFENDANT IN THIS SLIP AND FALL CASE WAS PUT ON NOTICE TO PRESERVE SURVEILLANCE VIDEO AS OF AUGUST 19; DEFENDANT’S EMPLOYEE AVERRED THAT THE VIDEO COULD HAVE BEEN AUTOMATICALLY DESTROYED BEFORE OR AFTER AUGUST 19; THEREFORE THE SPOLIATION ISSUE MUST BE DECIDED BY THE TRIER OF FACT (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined there was a question of fact whether defendant (Jet Blue) destroyed video evidence of plaintiff’s slip and fall. Therefore, whether there was spoliation of evidence is to be decided by the trier of fact:

… [T]he plaintiff demonstrated that Jet Blue was on notice as of August 19, 2021, that it had an obligation to preserve the video surveillance footage … . Moreover, the affidavit of Jet Blue’s employee raised an issue of fact as to whether the video surveillance footage was destroyed before or after Jet Blue’s obligation to preserve it arose on August 19, 2021. Under these circumstances, a triable issue of fact exists as to whether spoliation of evidence occurred, which issue should be determined by the trier of fact … . The appropriate sanction for any such spoliation of evidence would be an adverse inference charge against Jet Blue, as the destruction of any video surveillance footage of the incident did not deprive the plaintiff of the opportunity to prove her case … . Fernandez v Port Auth. of N.Y. & N.J., 2026 NY Slip Op 05518, Second Dept 9-30-26

Practice Point: Sometimes spoliation of evidence is a jury question.​

 

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THE EVIDENCE PRESENTED BY DEFENDANT WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TO REBUT THE PRIMA FACIE PROOF OF PROPER SERVICE PRESENTED IN THE PROCESS SERVER’S AFFIDAVIT (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined defendant’s affidavit was not sufficient to rebut the prima facie demonstration of proper service in the process server’s affidavit:

… [T]he affidavit of service constituted prima facie evidence of valid service pursuant to CPLR 308(1) … . The process server alleged therein that on July 24, 2010, at 8:50 a.m., at the premises, he served the summons and complaint and RPAPL 1303 notice on the defendant by delivery to the defendant personally.

… [T]he defendant failed to rebut the presumption of proper service established by the affidavit of service. In her affidavit submitted in support of the motion, the defendant generally denied receipt of service but failed to specifically address the alleged service at the premises on July 24, 2010 … , or aver that she did not meet the description included in the affidavit of service … . The defendant further provided a letter from the New York City Police Department, Human Resources Division. Although the defendant averred that she was at work at the time she allegedly was served, the evidence submitted failed to establish that she was not at the premises at the time of service … . Rather, the letter merely established that she was employed as a “Police Comm Tech” from July 20, 1987, to January 26, 2018, and that she worked 35 hours per week. Wilmington Sav. Fund Socy., FSB v Bryant, 2026 NY Slip Op 05570, Second Dept 9-30-26

Practice Point: Consult this decision for insight into the nature of the evidence necessary to rebut the prima facie proof of proper service presented in a process server’s affidavit. Here, defendant failed to rebut the presumption of proper service.​

 

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THE CONDITION WHICH CAUSED PLAINTIFF’S SLIP AND FALL WAS “OPEN AND OBVIOUS AND NOT INHERENTLY DANGEROUS” AS A MATTER OF LAW (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined the condition which caused plaintiff’s slip and fall was “open and obvious and not inherently dangerous:”

While the owner or possessor of real property may have a duty to maintain its premises in a reasonably safe condition … , “there is no duty to protect or warn against an open and obvious condition which, as a matter of law, is not inherently dangerous” … . “A condition is open and obvious if it is readily observable by those employing the reasonable use of their senses, given the conditions at the time of the accident” … .

Here, the evidence submitted by the defendants established, among other things, that the lighting condition was good at the time of the accident, that the colors of the wooden pallet and the white containers were in contrast to the surrounding floor, that the plaintiff observed the containers of cleaning supplies as she approached the area, and that there was sufficient space to navigate the hallway without incident. Thus, the defendants demonstrated, prima facie, that the condition was open and obvious and not inherently dangerous … . Scamardella v A. Duie Pyle, Inc., 2026 NY Slip Op 05565, Second Dept 9-30-26

Practice Point: Consult this “slip and fall” decision for another example of a condition deemed “open and obvious and not inherently dangerous” as a matter of law.

 

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IN DENYING THE STATE POLICE’S REQUEST FOR AN EXTREME RISK PROTECTION ORDER (ERPO) AGAINST THE 18-YEAR-OLD RESPONDENT, THE JUDGE FOCUSED ON THE ABSENCE OF EVIDENCE RESPONDENT HAD ACCESS TO FIREARMS TO THE EXCLUSION OF EVIDENCE RESPONDENT POSED A RISK OF SERIOUS HARM TO HIMSELF OR OTHERS; NEW HEARING ORDERED (THIRD DEPT). ​

The Third Department, reversing Supreme Court and remitting the matter for a new hearing, determined the judge hearing the State Police’s application for an “extreme risk protection order (ERPO) against the 18-year-old respondent did not apply the correct criteria in denying the request. Supreme Court erroneously focused on the lack of evidence the respondent had access to a firearm to the exclusion of evidence respondent posed a risk of serious harm to himself or others:

… CPLR article 63-A establishes a procedure by which a court may temporarily restrict a person’s access to firearms where that person has been judicially determined to pose a risk of serious harm to themself or others (see CPLR 6340 [1]; 6342, 6343). The purpose of the statutory scheme is “to prevent individuals from accessing firearms, rifles, and shotguns who have been deemed, through judicial process, likely to engage in conduct that would result in serious harm to themselves or others” … . Upon application, the court may first issue a temporary ERPO upon a finding of probable cause to believe that “the respondent is likely to engage in conduct that would result in serious harm to himself, herself or others” (CPLR 6342 [1]). Where, as here, a temporary ERPO is denied, the court must nevertheless conduct a hearing on the application for a final ERPO (see CPLR 6342 [5]). At that hearing, the petitioner bears the burden to establish, by clear and convincing evidence, “that the respondent is likely to engage in conduct that would result in serious harm to himself, herself or others,” as defined in Mental Hygiene Law § 9.39 (a) (CPLR 6343 [2]). 

In making that determination, the court must consider the eight factors enumerated in CPLR 6342 (2), together with any other relevant circumstances (see CPLR 6343 [2] …). The statutory factors include, among other things, acts of the respondent involving “a threat or act of violence or use of physical force directed toward self, the petitioner, or another person” (CPLR 6342 [2] [a]). Significantly, only three of the eight enumerated factors expressly concern a weapon or firearm (see CPLR 6342 [2] [c], [d], [g]). Thus, nothing in the statutory framework requires proof that the threatened or anticipated physical harm will be accomplished with a firearm, nor does it make a respondent’s existing possession of or access to a firearm a prerequisite to issuance of an ERPO. Indeed, the Legislature’s express reference to firearms in certain statutory factors, while omitting any such limitation from the governing likelihood-of-serious-harm standard and the general threat-of-violence factor, demonstrates that no such additional requirement may properly be engrafted onto the statute … .

The record reflects that Supreme Court nevertheless imposed such a requirement. Matter of New York State Police v Owen WW., 2026 NY Slip Op 05452, Third Dept 9-24-26

Practice Point: Consult this decision for insight into the procedure and criteria for determining an application for an extreme risk protection order (ERPO).

 

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HERE THE FORECLOSURE SALE TOOK PLACE ABOUT AN HOUR BEFORE DEFENDANTS CLOSED WITH ANOTHER BUYER; THE FORECLOSURE SALE EXTINGUISHED DEFENDANTS’ RIGHT TO REDEEM THE MORTGAGE; THE SUCCESSFUL BIDDER AT THE FORECLOSURE SALE THEREFORE PREVAILED (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined the foreclosure sale to the successful bidder, Pekich, took place before the purported sale of the same property by defendants to Ore on the same day. Therefore defendants’ right to redeem the property was extinguished by the foreclosure sale:

“‘A mortgagor or other owner of the equity of redemption of a property subject to a judgment of foreclosure and sale may redeem the mortgage at any time prior to the foreclosure sale'” … . However, “[t]he right to redeem is extinguished as a matter of law upon the foreclosure sale, whether or not the deed has been delivered, and once the right to redeem is lost, it cannot be revived, even by court order” … .

Here, the record demonstrates that the foreclosure sale of the property at which Pekich was the successful bidder concluded at 3:15 p.m. on June 21, 2024, and that the payoff sum was wired to the plaintiff during Ore and the [defendants’] closing more than one hour later, at 4:23 p.m. on June 21, 2024. Under these circumstances, Pekich became the equitable owner of the property upon the completion of the foreclosure sale, and any right to redeem the mortgage had already been extinguished by the time Ore and the [defendants] purported to close on the property … . JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. v Gezlev, 2026 NY Slip Op 05387, Second Dept 9-23-26

Practice Point: A foreclosure sale to a successful bidder extinguishes a mortgagor’s right to redeem the mortgage. Here the foreclosure sale took place one hour before defendants attempted to redeem the mortgage with proceeds from another purported sale of the property. The successful bidder prevailed.

 

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PLAINTIFF STRUCK HER HEAD ON A WINDOW AIR CONDITIONING UNIT WHICH PROTRUDED FROM A SCHOOL BUILDING INTO A COURTYARD; THE PROTRUDING AIR CONDITIONER WAS DEEMED “OPEN AND OBVIOUS AND NOT INHERENTLY DANGEROUS,” PRECLUDING LIABILITY (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined the window air conditioner on which plaintiff struck her head was “open and obvious and not inherently dangerous:”

… [T]he plaintiff … allegedly was injured when she struck her head on an air conditioning unit protruding from a window in a courtyard of a school. * * *

A property owner has a duty to maintain its premises in a reasonably safe condition … . “In a premises liability case, a defendant property owner . . . who moves for summary judgment has the initial burden of making a prima facie showing that it neither created the alleged defective condition nor had actual or constructive notice of its existence” … . However, a property owner has no duty to protect or warn against conditions that are open and obvious and not inherently dangerous … . A condition is open and obvious if it is readily observable by those employing the reasonable use of their senses, given the conditions at the time of the accident … . Hoefler v Shoreham-Wading Riv. Cent. Sch. Dist., 2026 NY Slip Op 05384, Second Dept 9-23-26

Practice Point: Consult this decision for an example of a condition deemed “open and obvious and not inherently dangerous” as a matter of law.

 

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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.

 

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