Court Opinion

ID: 9929962
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-02-05 20:07:27.649191+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T10:57:39.626758
License: Public Domain

Modeste v 606 W. 57 LLC
               2024 NY Slip Op 30351(U)
                    January 30, 2024
             Supreme Court, Kings County
        Docket Number: Index No. 518782/2018
                Judge: Francois A. Rivera
Cases posted with a "30000" identifier, i.e., 2013 NY Slip
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                       publication.
  FILED: KINGS COUNTY CLERK 01/30/2024 01:00 PM                                                    INDEX NO. 518782/2018
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 107                                                                       RECEIVED NYSCEF: 01/30/2024

                                                                                     At an IAS Term, Part 52 of
                                                                                     the Supreme Court of the
                                                                                     State of New York, held in
                                                                                     and for the County of
                                                                                     Kings, at the Courthouse,
                                                                                     at Civic Center, Brooklyn,
                                                                                     New York, on the 30th day
                                                                                     of January 2024

            HONORABLE FRANCOIS A. RIVERA
            ---------------------------------------------------------------------X
            JOSEPH MODESTE                                                           DECISION & ORDER

                                    Plaintiff,                                       Index No.: 518782/2018

                            -against-

            606 WEST 57 LLC, TFC WEST 57 GC LLC, FOUR
            PLUS CORPORATION, GE 57TH STREET SOUTH
            HOLDINGS LLC, EE 57TH STREET SOUTH
            HOLDINGS LLC, FADLING II LLC, SWALLOW II,
            LLC, APPLEBY-SOUTH HOLDINGS, LLC,
            606 WEST 57TH STREET (LlHTC) LLC,

                                     Defendants.
            ---------------------------------------------------------------------X
                    Recitation in accordance with CPLR 2219 of the notice of motion filed by 606
            West 57 LLC, TFC West 57 GC LLC, Four Plus Corporation, GE 57th Street South
            Holdings LLC, EE 57th Street South Holdings LLC, Fadling II LLC, Swallow II, LLC,
            Appleby-South Holdings, LLC, 606 West 57th Street (LlHTC) LLC (hereinafter the
            movants) on February 27, 2020, under motion sequence number one for an order: (1)
            pursuant to CPLR §§ 3126 (3) and 3042 (d) dismissing the verified complaint of Joseph
            Modeste (hereinafter the plaintiff); or, in the alternative, (2) pursuant to CPLR § 3126
            (2), precluding plaintiff from offering evidence at trial against defendants; or, in the
            alternative, (3) pursuant to CPLR § 3124, compelling production of all outstanding
            discovery within ten (10) days and precluding any discovery not timely produced.

            -Notice of motion
            -Affirmation of good faith
                   Exhibits A-F
            -Affirmation in support
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  FILED: KINGS COUNTY CLERK 01/30/2024 01:00 PM                                             INDEX NO. 518782/2018
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 107                                                                RECEIVED NYSCEF: 01/30/2024

            -Affirmation in opposition

            BACKGROUND

                   On September 17, 2018, plaintiff commenced this negligence action by the filing

            of a summons and verified complaint.

                   On October 15, 2018, defendants EE 57th Street South Holdings LLC, GE 57th

            Street South Holdings LLC, 606 West 57 (LIHTC) LLC i/p/h as “606 West 57th street

            (LIHTC) LLC, Appelby-South Holdings, LLC i/p/h as “Appleby South LLC,” and TFC

            West 57 GC LLC i/p/h as TFC West 57th GC LLC interposed and filed a verified

            answer.

                   On May 28, 2020, plaintiff filed a motion under sequence two seeking an

            extension of time to file the note of issue.

                   On July 14, 2020, plaintiff filed a motion under sequence three seeking leave to

            amend the verified complaint.

                   By order dated November 17, 2020, and filed on February 8, 2021, the Court

            granted plaintiff’s motion filed: (1) under sequence number two for an order extending

            the time to file a note of issue, and (3) under sequence three, for an order pursuant to

            CPLR 3025(b) amending the verified complaint.

                   The order dated November 17, 2020, granted an extension of the date to file a note

            of issue to April 30, 2021. The order also granted leave to change the verified complaint.

            The caption of the amended complaint would now read as follows: 606 West 57 LLC,

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  FILED: KINGS COUNTY CLERK 01/30/2024 01:00 PM                                             INDEX NO. 518782/2018
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 107                                                               RECEIVED NYSCEF: 01/30/2024

            TFC West 57 GC LLC, Four Plus Corporation, GE 57th Street South Holdings LLC, EE

            57th Street South Holdings LLC, Fadling II LLC, Swallow II, LLC, Appleby-South

            Holdings, LLC, 606 West 57th Street (LlHTC) LLC.

                   On December 16, 2021, plaintiff filed a motion under sequence four seeking an

            order: (1) pursuant to CPLR 2004 extending the time to file the note of issue, and (2)

            pursuant to CPLR 3124 & 3126 compelling plaintiff to comply with the discovery

            schedule agreed to by the parties in the December 15, 2021’s proposed stipulation by the

            new Note of Issue date of June 17, 2022; or, in (3) If the Court does not extend the Note

            of Issue deadline, directing the parties to conduct post-Note of Issue discovery according

            to the schedule delineated in the December 15, 2021’s proposed stipulation.

                   By order dated January 11, 2022, the Court granted motion sequence number four

            and directed the following among other things. Plaintiff is to file the note of issue by

            November 11, 2022. The parties are to complete discovery pursuant to the Final Pre-note

            order on July 26, 2021. Plaintiff shall respond to defendants’ post EBT demands dated

            July 6, 2021, on or before February 11, 2022. Defendants are to appear for EBTs on or

            before January 28, 2022. Plaintiff is to attend IME on or before March 11, 2022.

            LAW AND APPLICATION

                   Pursuant to CPLR 3126, a court may impose discovery sanctions, including the

            striking of a pleading or preclusion of evidence, where a party refuses to obey an order

            for disclosure or willfully fails to disclose information which the court finds ought to

            have been disclosed (Aha Sales, Inc. v. Creative Bath Prods. Inc., 110 A.D.3d 1019, 1019
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  FILED: KINGS COUNTY CLERK 01/30/2024 01:00 PM                                          INDEX NO. 518782/2018
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 107                                                             RECEIVED NYSCEF: 01/30/2024

            [2nd 2013], quoting CPLR 3126; see Gorbatov v. Tsirelman, 206 A.D.3d 887, 889 [2nd

            2022]). The nature and degree of the penalty to be imposed pursuant to CPLR 3126 is a

            matter within the discretion of the court” (Gorbatov v. Tsirelman, 206 A.D.3d at 889. To

            invoke the drastic remedy of preclusion, the court must determine that the offending

            party's lack of cooperation with disclosure was willful, deliberate, and contumacious

            (Aha Sales, Inc. v. Creative Bath Products, Inc., 110 A.D.3d at 1019. The willful or

            contumacious character of a party's conduct can be inferred from the party's repeated

            failure to comply with discovery demands or orders without a reasonable excuse (Aha

            Sales, Inc. v. Creative Bath Products, Inc., 110 A.D.3d at 1019).

                  On February 27, 2020, the movants filed the instant motion under sequence

            number one seeking an order CPLR §§ 3126 (3) and 3042 (d) dismissing the verified

            complaint of Joseph Modeste or precluding him from offering evidence at trial against

            the movants. In the alternative the movants sought an order pursuant to CPLR § 3124,

            compelling the plaintiff to produce all outstanding discovery within ten (10) days and

            precluding any discovery not timely produced.

                  There has been no court order deciding the movants’ instant motion under motion

            sequence number one. However, it is apparent from the motion that followed under

            motion sequence number two, three and four, and the decisions and orders that were

            issued deciding motions sequence number two, three and four, that motion sequence

            number one has been resolved and is rendered academic. There is, therefore, no longer a

            need for a separate decision and order under motion sequence number one.

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  FILED: KINGS COUNTY CLERK 01/30/2024 01:00 PM                                           INDEX NO. 518782/2018
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 107                                                               RECEIVED NYSCEF: 01/30/2024

            CONCLUSION

                  The instant motion by 606 West 57 LLC, TFC West 57 GC LLC, Four Plus

            Corporation, GE 57th Street South Holdings LLC, EE 57th Street South Holdings LLC,

            Fadling II LLC, Swallow II, LLC, Appleby-South Holdings, LLC, 606 West 57th Street

            (LlHTC) LLC seeking an order pursuant to CPLR §§ 3126 (3), 3042 (d) and CPLR

            CPLR § 3124 has been resolved and rendered academic by the decisions and orders

            issued on the motion filed under sequence number two, three and four.

                  The foregoing constitutes the decision and order of this Court.

            ENTER:                                            ________________________________x
                                                                          J.S.C.

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