Court Opinion

ID: 9964084
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-04-26 20:10:28.18899+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:25:10.061881
License: Public Domain

Wright v Board of Mgrs. of 57 E. 73rd St.
                     Condominium
               2024 NY Slip Op 31412(U)
                      April 18, 2024
           Supreme Court, New York County
        Docket Number: Index No. 651658/2024
                  Judge: Debra A. James
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.
                                                                                                                      INDEX NO. 651658/2024
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 24                                                                                            RECEIVED NYSCEF: 04/18/2024

                                   SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
                                             NEW YORK COUNTY
            PRESENT:             HON. DEBRA A. JAMES                                              PART    59
                                                                                      Justice
            ----------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------X
                                                                                                  INDEX NO.          651658/2024
             JAMES WRIGHT,
                                                                                                  MOTION DATE         04/18/2024
                                                         Plaintiff,
                                                                                                  MOTION SEQ. NO.         001
                                                 - V -

             BOARD OF MANAGERS OF 57 EAST 73RD STREET                                                 ORDER-AMENDED
             CONDOMINIUM, and A.Y. STRAUSS, LLC,                                                     RESETTLED (MOTION
                                                                                                         RELATED)
                                                         Defendants.
            ------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------X

            The following e-filed documents, listed by NYSCEF document number (Motion 001) 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,
            11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23
            were read on this motion to/for                                                  PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION

                                                                            ORDER

                      Upon the foregoing documents, it is

                      ORDERED that the Order of April 18,                                         2024,       resolving motion

            sequence numbers                      001      in this action is VACATED,                          RESETTLED,          and

            CORRECTED pursuant to CPLR                                §    5019 (a)          [see Kiker v Nassau County,

            85 NY2d 879 (1995)] as follows:

                                                                            ORDER

                      Upon the foregoing documents, it is

                      ORDERED that the motion of plaintiff for a preliminary

            injunction is DENIED; and it is further

                      ORDERED that defendants shall answer the complaint or

            otherwise move, within twenty (20) days of service of this order

            with notice of entry; and it is further

             651658/2024 WRIGHT, JAMES vs. BOARD OF MANAGERS OF 57 EAST 73RD STREET                                   Page 1 of4
             CONDOMINIUM ET AL
             Motion No. 001

[* 1]                                                                       1 of 4
                                                                                            INDEX NO. 651658/2024
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 24                                                                  RECEIVED NYSCEF: 04/18/2024

                    ORDERED that counsel are directed to post on NYSCEF a

            preliminary discovery conference order or competing preliminary

            discovery conference order(s) at least two days before June 18,

            2024, on which date counsel shall appear via Microsoft Teams,

            unless such appearance be waived by the court.

                                                       DECISION

                    On his application for a preliminary injunction,

            "plaintiff[] is required to demonstrate a likelihood of ultimate

            success on the merits, irreparable harm and that [the] equities

            of the situation were              in [his]     favor"      (After Six Inc. v 201

            East 66 th Street Associates, 87 AD2d 153 [1 st Dept 1982])

                    With respect to the first prong, plaintiff has not stated a

            meritorious cause of action, let alone a likelihood of success

            on the merits, as to his claim for declaratory relief that

            asserts breach of the Settlement Agreement dated August 31,

            2023.       See Ithilien Realty Corp v 180 Ludlow Development LLC,

            140 AD3d 621        (1 st Dept 2016) and Upfront Megatainment, Inc. v

            Thi am, 215 AD3d 5 7 6 (1s t Dept 2 02 3) .

                     Plaintiff seeks permanent injunctive relief on his claims

            for   (1)    interference with the Contract of Sale dated September

            1, 2023, and (2) by way of specific performance by defendant

            Board of Managers of 57 East 73 rd Street Condominium, alleging

            bad faith in defendant Board's obligations of its obligations

            under the Settlement Agreement.

             651658/2024 WRIGHT, JAMES vs. BOARD OF MANAGERS OF 57 EAST 73RD STREET         Page 2 of 4
             CONDOMINIUM ET AL
             Motion No. 001

[* 2]                                                    2 of 4
                                                                                            INDEX NO. 651658/2024
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 24                                                                  RECEIVED NYSCEF: 04/18/2024

                   By its very nature, success on a claim of interference with

            Contract would not entitle plaintiff to equitable relief, and so

            such claim lacks merit to that extent.                       Should plaintiff prevail

            on such claim against defendant Board, his measure of damages

            would be monetary and not equitable.                      See MUGF Union Bank, NA v

            Axos Bank, 196 AD3d 442              (l3t   Dept 2021).

                   To the extent he seeks a preliminary injunction with

            respect to his claim for specific performance of the obligations

            of defendant Board, plaintiff has shown some likelihood of

            success on the merits.              See Destiny USA Holdings, LLC v

            Citigroup Global Markets Realty Corp.,                     69 AD3d 212    (4 th Dept

            2009) .

                   However, plaintiff has failed to demonstrate irreparable

            harm should the court not enjoin defendant Board from extending

            his time to close, as monetary damages are ascertainable for any

            losses, including a refund of any downpayment, that plaintiff

            will suffer with respect to his inability to consummate the

            Contract of Sale dated September 1, 2023, that arise from any

            illegal acts of defendant Board.                   The same is true to the extent

            that the filing of the confession of judgment triggers

            plaintiff's inability to consummate the Contract of Sale, as a

            result of defendant Board's breach of the Settlement Agreement.

                   Nor has plaintiff established irreparable injury arising

            from the filing of the confession of judgment, as the "possible"

             651658/2024 WRIGHT, JAMES vs. BOARD OF MANAGERS OF 57 EAST 73RD STREET         Page 3 of 4
             CONDOMINIUM ET AL
             Motion No. 001

[* 3]                                                    3 of 4
                                                                                                              INDEX NO. 651658/2024
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 24                                                                               RECEIVED NYSCEF: 04/18/2024

            adverse action of FINRA with respect to plaintiff's securities

            brokers license is "speculative" (Matter of P.& E. T.

            Foundation, 204 AD3d 1460, 1461 [4 th Dept 2022]                                ("the prospect of

            irreparable harm must not be .                             'speculative'").

                    Finally, the court finds the equities are equally balanced.

            See New York City Off-Track Betting Corp v New York Racing Assn

            Inc, 250 AD2d 437            (1 st Dept 1998).

                                                                             .v-~                 fl - } ~
                                                                           20240418162950DJAMES544EE0A54B5D49D4B07B18412F55B684

                    4/18/2024
                      DATE                                                          DEBRA A. JAMES, J.S.C.

                                     ~
             CHECK ONE:                  CASE DISPOSED                     NON-FINAL DISPOSITION

                                         GRANTED         0    DENIED       GRANTED IN PART                  □ OTHER
             APPLICATION:                SETTLE ORDER                      SUBMIT ORDER

             CHECK IF APPROPRIATE:       INCLUDES TRANSFER/REASSIGN        FIDUCIARY APPOINTMENT            □ REFERENCE

             651658/2024 WRIGHT, JAMES vs. BOARD OF MANAGERS OF 57 EAST 73RD STREET                            Page4 of 4
             CONDOMINIUM ET AL
             Motion No. 001

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