Case Name: Leona Underwood, Appellant, v. Maurice Grey et al., Respondents
Court: New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1992-11-24
Citations: 187 A.D.2d 390
Docket Number: 
Parties: Leona Underwood, Appellant, v Maurice Grey et al., Respondents.
Judges: 
Reporter: Appellate Division Reports
Volume: 187
Pages: 390–390

Head Matter:
Leona Underwood, Appellant, v Maurice Grey et al., Respondents.

Opinion:
Order, Supreme Court, New York County (Herman Cahn, J.), dated October 7, 1991, which granted plaintiff's motion for a default judgment unless defendants served an answer by October 10, 1991, unanimously affirmed, without costs.
The court properly exercised its discretion to extend defendants' time to answer the complaint, since their refusal to answer was based upon a reasonable misapprehension that plaintiff was required to seek leave to amend her original complaint pursuant to CPLR 3025. Under the unusual circumstances of this case, the court could conclude that defendants' misapprehension constituted a reasonable excuse for the default (CPLR 3012 [d]). Concur — Murphy, P. J., Sullivan, Rosenberger, Kassal and Rubin, JJ.