Court Opinion

ID: 9916489
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-01-10 01:07:58.550658+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:25:30.077441
License: Public Domain

Herszdorfer v Goldberg
               2024 NY Slip Op 30010(U)
                     January 2, 2024
             Supreme Court, Kings County
          Docket Number: Index No. 26187/92
               Judge: Genine D. Edwards
Cases posted with a "30000" identifier, i.e., 2013 NY Slip
 Op 30001(U), are republished from various New York
 State and local government sources, including the New
  York State Unified Court System's eCourts Service.
 This opinion is uncorrected and not selected for official
                       publication.
 [FILED: KINGS COUNTY CLERK 01/02/2024 04: 35 PMI                                                                INDEX NO. 26187/1992
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 97                                                                                    RECEIVED NYSCEF: 01/02/2024

                                                                                     At an IAS Tenn, Part 80 of the Supreme
                                                                                     Court of the State of New York. held in and
                                                                                     for the County of Kings, at the Courthouse,
                                                                                     at Civic Center, Brooklvn, New York, on the
                                                                                     zml day of January 2024.              .

        PRESEN

        HON. GENINE D. EDWARDS,

                                                 Justice.
        - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -X
        PAUL HERSZDORFER. as Executor of the Estate of
        LILLIAN HERSZDORFER, Deceased, and
        PAUL HERSZDORFER, Individually,

                                                Plaintiffs,                                 DECISION, ORDER, AND Jt 1DGMENT

                           - against -                                                      Index No. 26187/92 (converted toe-filing)

        BARRY GOLDBERG, M.D.,                                                               Mot. Seq. No. 7; Inquest on Damages
                                                 Defendant.
        - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -X
        The following e-filed papers read herein:                                           NYSCEF Doc No.:

        Order to Show Cause. Affimrntions, and Exhibits Annexed .. .                        86. 76-83
        Memorandum of Law in Opposition and Exhibits Annexed .. .                           88-94
        Post-Argument Letter Submission ...................... .                            96

                       In this action to recover damages for medical malpractice and wrongfu] death,

             plaintiff Paul Herszdorfer ('"plaintiff'), individually and as the executor of the estate of

             his late mother, Lillian Herszdorfer (the ''decedent"), moves, by order to show cause,

             dated August 24, 2023 (NYSCEF Doc No. 86), for an order restraining and staying

             defendant Barry Goldberg. M.D. ("defendant"). from disposing of, encumbering,

             pledging, mortgaging, transferring, or in any way affecting the alienability of premises at

             517 Deer Park Avenue, Dix Hills, New York 11746 (the "Suffolk County property"),

             until further order of the court.

                       On September 18, 2023, the Court heard oral argument on plaintiffs motion and

             concurrent1y held an inquest on damages in accordance with the Decision and Order,

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 [FILED: KINGS COUNTY CLERK 01/02/2024 04:35 P~                                               INDEX NO. 26187/1992
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 97                                                                 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 01/02/2024

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           dated June 25, 2023. The Court reserved decision on both the motion and the inquest on

           damages. Defendant opposed both categories of relief.

                                Determination of Plaintiff's Motion (Seq. No. 7)

                   CPLR § 6301 provides, in relevant part, that ··[a] preliminary injunction may be

           granted in any action where it appears that the defendant threatens or is about to do, or is

           doing or procuring or suffering to be done, an act in violation of the plaintiffs rights

           respecting the subject of the action, and tending to render the judgment ineffectual. ... "

           As the Court of Appeals observed, .. [i]n applying provisional equitable remedies under

            fthe predecessors to the CPLR], from as early as 1892 ... , our courts have consistently
           refused to grant general creditors a preliminary injunction to restrain a debtor's asset

           transfers that allegedly would defeat satisfaction of any anticipated judgment.'' Credit

           Agricole Jndosuez v. Rossiyskiy Kredit Bank, 94 N.Y.2d 541. 708 N.Y.S.2d 26 (2000).

           "A preliminary injunction may not be obtained to preserve assets as security for

            a potential monetary judgment even if the evidence shows that a party intends to frustrate

            any judgment by making it uncollectible... Fatima v. Twenty Seven-Twenty Four Realty

            Corp .. 65 A.D.3d 1079. 885 N.Y.S.2d 224 (2d Dept., 2009). Thus. as a potential general

            unsecured creditor of defendant. plaintiff is not entitled to any injunctive relief with

            respect to the Suffolk County property. See Buckley v. McAteer, 210 A.D.3d 1044.

            179 N.Y.S.3d 329 (2d Dept., 2022), Iv. dismissed 39 N.Y.3d 1128, 188 N.Y.S.3d 10

            (2023); Fatima. 65 A.D.3d 1079, 885 N. Y.S.2d 224; Hall v. Cucco, 5 A.D.3d 631,

            774 N.Y.S.2d 770 (2d Dept., 2004). ln light of the foregoing, defendant's remaining

            objections to plaintiffs motion were rendered academic.

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 [FILED: KINGS COUNTY CLERK 01/02/2024 04:35 P~                                                                  INDEX NO. 26187/1992
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 97                                                                                  RECEIVED NYSCEF: 01/02/2024

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                                                Inquest on Plaintiff's Damages

                    ""[T]he sole issue to be determined at the inquest was the extent of the damages

            sustained by the plaintiffs." Kim v. S&M Caterers, Inc., 136 A.D.3d 755, 24 N.Y.S.3d

            743 (2d Dept., 2016). ··At the inquest. the plaintiffs bore the burden of setting forth a

            prima facie case as to damages.'· Oparaji v. 245-02 Merrick Blvd, LLC 149 A.D.3d

            1091, 54 N.Y.S.3d 408 (2d Dept., 2017). 1

                    Here, however. plaintiff failed to introduce certified medical records and/or expert

            testimony on the issue of damages. which (according to the complaint at NYSCEF Doc

            No. 9) consisted of pain and suffering as well as wrongful death. Under the prevailing

            easel aw in the Second Judicial Department, the absence of requisite proof was fatal to

            plaintiffs prima facie case as to damages. See Castaldini v. Walsh, 186 A.D.3d 1193,

            127 N.Y.S.3d 917 (2d Dept., 2020); Kotlyar v. Strogov. 58 A.D.3d 693. 871 N.Y.S.2d

            662 (2d Dept.. 2009)~ Abbas v. Cole, 7 A.D.3d 649, 776 N.Y.S.2d 846 (2d Dept., 2004).

            Accordingly, the complaint must be dismissed, as more fully set forth in the decretal

            paragraphs below. See Jacobs v. New York City Tr. Auth., 14 Misc 3d l 30(A), 836

            N.Y.S.2d 485 (App. Term. 2d & 11 th Jud. Dists. 2007).

            1
              See also Paulson\'. Kotsilimbas, 124A.D.2d513, 508 N. Y.S.2d 428 ( I st Dept., 1986) ( "Even in the case of a
            default upon inquest and assessment, plaintiff is required to prove the actual damages sustained."). The First
            Judicial Department"s decision in Paulson was cited with approval by the Second Judicial Department in
            Tumhure/lo v. Bensnnhursl Car & limo Serv., Inc., 305 A.D.2d 664, 759 N. Y.S.2d 690 (2d Dept., 2003).

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 [FILED: KINGS COUNTY CLERK 01/02/2024 04:35 P~                                                        INDEX NO. 26187/1992
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 97                                                                          RECEIVED NYSCEF: 01/02/2024
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                                                               Conclusion

                            Based on the foregoing and after oral argument, it is

                            ORDERED and ADJUDGED that plaintiffs order to show cause, dated

                     August 24, 2023 (NYSCEF Doc No. 86). is denied. and all stays therein are vacated nunc

                     pro tune to the date thereof~ and it is further

                            ORDERED and ADJUDGED that plaintiffs complaint is dismissed without

                     costs or disbursements, and it is further

                            ORDERED that defendant's counsel is directed to electronically serve a copy of

                     this Decision, Order, and Judgment with notice of entry on plaintiffs counsel and co-

                     counsel, as well as to electronically file an affidavit of service thereof with the Kings

                     County Clerk.

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