Case ID: ad3d_68/html/0723-01.html
Source: Caselaw Access Project
Author: {"author": "", "license": "Public Domain", "url": "https://static.case.law/"}
Date Created: 2024-08-24T03:29:51.129683

Naum Itskov et al., Respondents, v Menorah Home and Hospital for the Aged and Infirm, Appellant.
    [890 NYS2d 105]
   CPLR 3216 permits a court to dismiss an action for want of prosecution only after the court or the defendant has served the plaintiff with a written notice demanding that the plaintiff resume prosecution of the action and serve and file a note of issue within 90 days after receipt of the demand, and also stating that the failure to comply with the demand will serve as the basis for a motion to dismiss the action (see Rose v Aziz, 60 AD3d 925, 926 [2009]). Since CPLR 3216 is a legislative creation and not part of a court’s inherent power (see Cohn v Borchard Affiliations, 25 NY2d 237, 248 [1969]), the failure to serve a written notice that conforms to the provisions of CPLR 3216 is the failure of a condition precedent to dismissal of the action (see Airmont Homes v Town of Ramapo, 69 NY2d 901, 902 [1987]; Rose v Aziz, 60 AD3d at 926; Harrison v Good Samaritan Hosp. Med. Ctr., 43 AD3d 996, 997 [2007]; Schuering v Stella, 243 AD2d 623, 624 [1997]).

Here, the defendant’s notice dated November 5, 2007 demanding that the plaintiffs serve and file a note of issue cannot be deemed a notice pursuant to CPLR 3216 because it failed to notify the plaintiffs that they were “to resume prosecution of the action and to serve and file a note of issue within ninety days after receipt of such demand” (CPLR 3216 [b] [3] [emphasis added]; cf. Johnson v Minskoff & Sons, 287 AD2d 233, 238 [2001]). Since no proper notice was received by the plaintiffs prior to the defendant’s motion, the Supreme Court was not authorized to dismiss the complaint pursuant to CPLR 3216 (see Rose v Aziz, 60 AD3d at 926; Harrison v Good Samaritan Hosp. Med. Ctr., 43 AD3d at 997; Schuering v Stella, 243 AD2d at 624). Skelos, J.P., Covello, Santucci, Chambers and Austin, JJ., concur.