Case Name: Maria Dolores Tanpinco et al., Appellants, v. Royal Caribbean International et al., Defendants, Corporate Travel Services et al., Respondents
Court: New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 2010-12-07
Citations: 79 A.D.3d 484
Docket Number: 
Parties: Maria Dolores Tanpinco et al., Appellants, v Royal Caribbean International et al., Defendants, Corporate Travel Services et al., Respondents.
Judges: 
Reporter: Appellate Division Reports
Volume: 79
Pages: 484–484

Head Matter:
Maria Dolores Tanpinco et al., Appellants, v Royal Caribbean International et al., Defendants, Corporate Travel Services et al., Respondents.
[911 NYS2d 625]

Opinion:
Order, Supreme Court, New York County (Milton A. Tingling, J.), entered June 16, 2009, which, upon plaintiffs motion for a default judgment against defendants Corporate Travel Services and Corporate Travel Services, Inc., and said defendants' motion to dismiss the complaint for failure to state a cause of action, directed defendants to serve their answer within 20 days, unanimously affirmed, without costs.
Defendants demonstrated a reasonable excuse for their delay in answering the complaint, i.e., that their insurance carrier failed to forward the complaint to counsel (see Heskel's W. 38th St. Corp. v Gotham Constr. Co. LLC, 14 AD3d 306, 307 [2005]). The record shows no willful default on defendants' part and no prejudice to plaintiffs as a result of the delay (see Pagan v Four Thirty Realty LLC, 50 AD3d 265 [2008]). Concur — Tom, J.P., Andrias, Sweeny, DeGrasse and Román, JJ.