Case Name: Robert Walker et al., Respondents, v. Town of Lockport et al., Defendants, and Dickinson's Equipment, Inc., et al., Appellants
Court: New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1985-03-01
Citations: 109 A.D.2d 1102
Docket Number: 
Parties: Robert Walker et al., Respondents, v Town of Lockport et al., Defendants, and Dickinson’s Equipment, Inc., et al., Appellants.
Judges: 
Reporter: Appellate Division Reports
Volume: 109
Pages: 1102–1102

Head Matter:
Robert Walker et al., Respondents, v Town of Lockport et al., Defendants, and Dickinson’s Equipment, Inc., et al., Appellants.

Opinion:
— Order unanimously reversed, without costs, and appellants' motions to dismiss granted. Memorandum: It was an abuse of discretion for Special Term to excuse plaintiffs' failure to comply with defendants' CPLR 3216 demand to file a note of issue. "In order to defeat a CPLR 3216 motion to dismiss for failure to prosecute, a party must show 'justifiable excuse for the delay and a good and meritorious cause of action' (CPLR 3216, subd [e]). The affidavit of merit must contain evidentiary facts which establish a viable cause of action; it must be 'as good as the kind of affidavit which could defeat a motion for summary judgment on the ground that there is no issue of fact' (Sortino v Fisher, 20 AD2d 25, 32)" (Jones v First Fed. Sav. & Loan Assn., 101 AD2d 1005). Inasmuch as plaintiffs filed no answering papers in response to defendants' motion, they have established neither a justifiable excuse for the delay nor that their cause of action has merit. (Appeals from order of Supreme Court, Niagara County, Cook, J. — summary judgment.) Present — Hancock, Jr., J. P., Callahan, Denman, Green and O'Donnell, JJ.