Case Name: Austen Ugweches, Appellant, v. Tatjana Nehhozina Ugweches, Respondent
Court: New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 2010-11-23
Citations: 78 A.D.3d 558
Docket Number: 
Parties: Austen Ugweches, Appellant, v Tatjana Nehhozina Ugweches, Respondent.
Judges: 
Reporter: Appellate Division Reports
Volume: 78
Pages: 558–559

Head Matter:
Austen Ugweches, Appellant, v Tatjana Nehhozina Ugweches, Respondent.
[911 NYS2d 350]

Opinion:
Order, Supreme Court, New York County (Laura E. Drager, J.), entered January 21, 2010, which denied plaintiffs motion to vacate or modify a judgment of divorce entered following his default, unanimously affirmed, without costs.
While a liberal approach toward vacating defaults in matrimonial proceedings is warranted because of the important public policy of determining those actions on their merits, "it is still incumbent upon a party seeking vacatur to establish both a reasonable excuse for the default and a meritorious defense" (Estate of Allen v Allen, 258 AD2d 423 [1999]; see also Gass v Gass, 42 AD3d 393, 396 [2007]). Plaintiffs explanation for his decision to flee the country after being convicted of a felony, which resulted in his defaulting in the instant action, is not reasonable. Nor did he present a meritorious defense to defendant's counterclaim for divorce, or evidence otherwise warranting modification of the judgment. Accordingly, his motion was properly denied. Concur — Gonzalez, P.J., Tom, Sweeny, Richter and ManzanetDaniels, JJ.