Court Opinion

ID: 9959893
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-04-12 20:11:16.833069+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:18:58.758448
License: Public Domain

Manhattan Realty Co. 1, LP v YSI Inc.
               2024 NY Slip Op 31222(U)
                      April 9, 2024
           Supreme Court, New York County
        Docket Number: Index No. 650800/2020
                  Judge: Louis L. Nock
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                                                                                                                     INDEX NO. 650800/2020
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 124                                                                                          RECEIVED NYSCEF: 04/09/2024

                                   SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
                                             NEW YORK COUNTY
            PRESENT:             HON. LOUIS L. NOCK                                              PART                              38M
                                                                                      Justice
            ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------X   INDEX NO.          650800/2020
                MANHATTAN REALTY COMPANY 1, LP,
                                                                                                 MOTION DATE         09/21/2023
                                                         Plaintiff,
                                                                                                 MOTION SEQ. NO.         003
                                                 -v-
                YSI INC. and SHU IKEDA,                                                            DECISION + ORDER ON
                                                                                                         MOTION
                                                         Defendants.
            ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------X

            The following e-filed documents, listed by NYSCEF document numbers (Motion 003) 79, 80, 81, 82, 83,
            84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 90, 91, 92, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 115, 116, 117, and 119
            were read on this motion for                                                    AN ORDER OF CONTEMPT                   .

            LOUIS L. NOCK, J.S.C.

                      Upon the foregoing documents, defendants’ motion to hold nonparties Great American

            Restoration Services, Inc., and Samiro Services, Inc., doing business as Scientific Fire

            Prevention Co. (the “subpoenaed witnesses”),1 in contempt of court is granted, without

            opposition, for the reasons set forth in the moving affirmation of Rebecca Zittell, Esq. (NYSCEF

            Doc. No. 80), and the exhibits attached thereto, in which the court concurs, as summarized

            herein.

                      An application for civil contempt requires proof that “a lawful order of the court, clearly

            expressing an unequivocal mandate, was in effect” (Matter of McCormick v Axelrod, 59 NY2d

            574, 583 [1983], amended, 60 NY2d 652 [1983]). Further, “[i]t must appear, with reasonable

            certainty, that the order has been disobeyed . . . [that] the party to be held in contempt . . . had

            knowledge of the court's order . . . [and] prejudice to the right of a party to the litigation must be

            1
             The motion has been withdrawn against nonparties Carl Guinta Associates Inc. and Spring Scaffolding LLC
            (NYSCEF Doc. Nos. 92, 119).
                650800/2020 MANHATTAN REALTY COMPANY 1, LP vs. YSI INC.                                              Page 1 of 4
                Motion No. 003

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                                                                                                 INDEX NO. 650800/2020
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 124                                                                    RECEIVED NYSCEF: 04/09/2024

            demonstrated” (id.). The party applying for a contempt finding has the burden to prove these

            elements by “clear and convincing evidence” (El-Dehdan v El-Dehdan, 26 NY3d 19, 29 [2015]).

            Both the CPLR and the Judiciary Law provide that the failure to appear and give testimony when

            subpoenaed to do so shall be punishable as a contempt of court (CPLR 2308[a] [“Failure to

            comply with a subpoena issued by a judge, clerk or officer of the court shall be punishable as a

            contempt of court”]; Judiciary Law § 753[A][5] [punishing for civil contempt “(a) person

            subpoenaed as a witness, for refusing or neglecting to obey the subpoena, or to attend, or to be

            sworn, or to answer as a witness”]).

                   Here, the subpoenaed witnesses previously failed to respond to subpoenas duces tecum

            served on them by defendants herein in order to obtain information in support of defendants’

            counterclaims. This court, by decision and order dated April 26, 2023, directed that the

            subpoenaed witnesses respond to the subpoenas served on them by May 10, 2023, and upon the

            failure of said parties to respond, defendants were given leave to immediately seek an order of

            contempt (decision and order, NYSCEF Doc. No. 66).

                   Defendants re-served the subpoenaed witnesses with the subpoenas via the Secretary of

            State pursuant to Business Corporation Law § 306 (NYSCEF Doc. Nos. 83, 84). The court notes

            that it is unlikely that the subpoenas reached the subpoenaed witnesses before the court’s

            deadline of May 10, 2023. However, sufficient time passed for receipt prior to defendants’

            application for contempt, and defendants assert that as of September 21, 2023, the subpoenaed

            witnesses had still not responded to the subpoenas (Zittell affirmation, NYSCEF Doc. No. 80, ¶

            19).

                   The subpoenaed witnesses offer no opposition to the motion and have at no time offered

            any excuse for their failure to respond to the subpoenas. Their failure to comply has prejudiced

             650800/2020 MANHATTAN REALTY COMPANY 1, LP vs. YSI INC.                             Page 2 of 4
             Motion No. 003

                                                           2 of 4
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  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 124                                                                       RECEIVED NYSCEF: 04/09/2024

            defendants’ ability to prosecute their counterclaims (Judiciary Law § 753[A]; Matter of

            McCormick, 59 NY2d at 583). Accordingly, the court finds the subpoenaed witnesses in

            contempt for their failure to obey this court’s order compelling compliance with the subpoenas.

            In addition, plaintiffs are entitled to recover their costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees incurred as

            a result of the subpoenaed witnesses’ failure to comply with the subpoenas and the court’s prior

            order, as well as a fine assessed against both witnesses of $150 each (CPLR 2308 [a]; Judiciary

            Law § 773; Holskin v 22 Prince St. Assoc., 178 AD2d 347, 348 [1st Dept 1991]).

                    Accordingly, it is hereby

                    ORDERED that the motion is granted without opposition; and it is further

                    ADJUDGED that nonparties Great American Restoration Services, Inc., and Samiro

            Services, Inc., doing business as Scientific Fire Prevention Co., are guilty of a civil contempt of

            court in that they willfully disobeyed the provisions of the order of the court dated April 26,

            2023, by reason of their failure to respond to subpoenas duces tecum as lawfully mandated

            therein; and it is further

                    ORDERED that nonparties Great American Restoration Services, Inc., and Samiro

            Services, Inc., doing business as Scientific Fire Prevention Co., must produce the records sought

            by subpoena on or before May 7, 2024; and it is further

                    ORDERED that nonparties Great American Restoration Services, Inc., and Samiro

            Services, Inc., doing business as Scientific Fire Prevention Co., shall each pay to defendants’

            counsel the amount of $150 as provided by CPLR 2308 (a); and it is further

                    ORDERED that defendants shall submit an itemization of their costs and reasonable

            attorneys’ fees incurred on or before April 23, 2024, by electronic filing, with a copy by email to

             650800/2020 MANHATTAN REALTY COMPANY 1, LP vs. YSI INC.                                Page 3 of 4
             Motion No. 003

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                                                                                                      INDEX NO. 650800/2020
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 124                                                                           RECEIVED NYSCEF: 04/09/2024

            the Principal Court Attorney of Part 38 (ssyaggy@nycourts.gov) as set forth in the Part Rules;

            and it is further

                    ORDERED that defendants shall serve nonparties Great American Restoration Services,

            Inc., and Samiro Services, Inc., doing business as Scientific Fire Prevention Co., in hand

            pursuant to CPLR 311 (a) (1) with a copy of this order and another copy of the court’s prior

            order dated April 26, 2023, on or before April 17, 2024, and file proof of such service on or

            before April 19, 2024; and it is further

                    ORDERED that nonparties Great American Restoration Services, Inc., and Samiro

            Services, Inc., doing business as Scientific Fire Prevention Co., may purge their contempt by

            complying with the subpoenas as provided herein, and paying the fine and defendants’ costs and

            reasonable attorneys’ fees as set forth above.

                    This constitutes the decision and order of the court.

                                                                            Enter:

                     4/9/2024                                                               $SIG$
                      DATE                                                           LOUIS L. NOCK, J.S.C.
             CHECK ONE:                   CASE DISPOSED                X    NON-FINAL DISPOSITION

                                                                                                     □
                                      X   GRANTED             DENIED        GRANTED IN PART              OTHER

             APPLICATION:                 SETTLE ORDER                      SUBMIT ORDER

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

             650800/2020 MANHATTAN REALTY COMPANY 1, LP vs. YSI INC.                                  Page 4 of 4
             Motion No. 003

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