Court Opinion

ID: 9950825
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-03-14 20:10:23.299605+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:36:51.201199
License: Public Domain

Carmichael v Hillview Owners Corp.
               2024 NY Slip Op 30765(U)
                     March 11, 2024
           Supreme Court, New York County
        Docket Number: Index No. 152936/2021
                 Judge: Mary V. Rosado
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. 152936/2021
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 109                                                                                    RECEIVED NYSCEF: 03/11/2024

                                  SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
                                            NEW YORK COUNTY
            PRESENT:            HON. MARY V. ROSADO                                       PART                                   33M
                                                                            J ustice
            ---------------------------------------- ---- - - -- - - - --X                                        152936/2021
                                                                                          INDEX NO.
                NORA CARMICHAEL,
                                                                                          MOTION DATE              07/1 4/2023
                                                     Plaintiff,
                                                                                          MOTION SEQ. NO.              004
                                              • V.

                HILLVIEW OWNERS CORP., MIDBORO MANAGEMENT,
                LLC,JOHN BLAHNIK, TERRI THRASH. ELITE H.                                     DECISION + ORDER ON
                RENOVATI ON, LLC, BUILDINWOOD LLC,                                                  MOTION

                                                     Defendant.

            - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - -- --·-----------X

                HILLVIEW OWNERS CORP . MIDBORO MANAGEMENT,                                             Third-Party
                LLC, TERRI THRASH                                                                Index No. 595432/202 1

                                                     Plaintiff,

                                              -against-

                BUI LDINWOOD LLC

                                                     Defendant.
                                                     ·-------------· -- - X

            The following e-filed documents, listed by NYSCEF document number (Motion 004) 81, 82, 83. 84, 85,
            86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91 , 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108
                                                                                     ATTORN EY -
            were read on this motion to/for                      DISQUALIFY/RELI EVE/SUBSTITUTE/WITHDRAW

                                                                                  1
                       Upon the foreffoin°
                                    t-   e documents there beilu!
                                                                ._. no op1Josition and o<>ood cause having
                                                                  ~                                      .., been

            shown, Caner Demirayuk, Esq. 's ("Movant") motion to be relieved as counsel for Plaintiff Nora

            Carmichael ("Plaintiff') is granted. Movant's request for a charging lien on any future settlement

            is also granted. The cross-motions of Defendant/Third-Party Defendant Buildinwood, J.T.C

            ("13uildinwood") and Defendant John Blahn ik ("'i3lalmik'') seeking an Order enforcing an alleged

            1
                \\~1ile Defendant John Rlahnik filed an ;\ ffinnation titled " Atfomation in Support of Dcfondanl Blahnik's Cross
            Motion and In Opposition to Plaintiff's Order to Show Cause," the Blahn ik /\llinnation makes no argument in
            opposilion lo PlaintilT s molion.
                15293612021 CARMICHAEL, NORA vs. HILLVIEW OWNERS CORP.                                             Page 1 of 5
                Motion No. 004

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                                                                                                 INDEX NO. 152936/2021
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 109                                                                    RECEIVED NYSCEF: 03/11/2024

           stipulation of settlement and compelling Plaintiff to execute alleged agreements and releases

            provided hy Defendants' counsel, are stayed pursuant to CPI.R 32 1(c).

                I.       Background and Procedural Ilistorv

                      Plainti ff commenced this action on March 24, 2001 hy 111ing a Summons and Complaint

           against Defendants Ilillvicw Owners Corp., M idboro Management, LLC, Blalmik, Te1Ti Thrash

           and Elite H. Renovation, LLC (N YSC EF Doc. I). Subsequently, those defendants filed a Third-

           Patty Summons and Comph1illl on May 11, 202 1 against Ruildinwood (NYSCF.F Doc. 20). On

            June 22, 202 1, Plaimiff filed an Amended Comp laint naming Buildinwood as a direct defendant

            (NYSCEF Doc. 29).

                      Plainti ffs counsel brought the instant motion lo he relieved as cmmscl on July 18, 2023,

            claiming a breakdown in the attorney-client relationship caused by "a di rfhence of opinion as to

            lhe handling of this mailer whi ch cannot be reconciled" (NYSCEF Doc. 82 at ii 4). On September

            22, 2023 Buildinwood filed a cross-motion for an Order enforcing an alleged stipulation or

            settlement (the '·Stipulation o r Selllement") (NYSCEF Doc. 87). Su bsequently, 13lalmik filed a

            cross-motion for an Order '·enforcing the Stipulation of Settlement and compelling Plaintiff to

            ex.e cute the agreemems and releases provided hy defendants' counse ls" (NYSCEF Doc. 99).

                II.      Discussion

                      There being no opp<Jsition, and good cause having been shown, Movant's motion to be

            relieved as counsel for Plaintiff is granted . Movant's request for a charging lien cm any future

            sett lemenl is a lso granted.

                             1.       Movant's Motion for a Charging Lien is ( iranted

                      Pursuam to Judiciary I.aw 475, " a charging lien automatically comes into existence,

            without notice or fil ing, upon commencement or the action, and it measured by the reasonable

             15293612021 CARMICHAEL, NOR.A vs. HILLVIEW OWNERS CORP.                             Page 2 of 5
             Motion No. 004

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                                                                                                  INDEX NO. 152936/2021
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 109                                                                     RECEIVED NYSCEF: 03/11/2024

           value of the attorney's services in the action, unless fixed by agreement" (Resnick v Resnick, 24

           AD3d 238,239 [1st Dept 2005]). Funher, the First Department has held that "lwjherc an attorney' s

           representation terminates and there has been no misconduct, no d ischarge for just cause and no

            unj ustified abandonment by the attorney, the attorney's right to enforce the charging lien is

            preserved" (Ramirez v Wi//ow l<idP.e Couniry Club, Inc., 60 AD3d 406 [l s! Dept 2009] quoting

            Klein v Eubank, 87 NY2d 459, 464 [1996]).

                    Herc, there is no dispute that Movant was retained by Plaintiff to prosecute the present

           action, and there is no allegation in the record of any misconduct or abandonment on the part of

           Movant. As such, Movant has established its entitlement lo a charging lien under Judiciary Law

            §475.

                                   Buildinwood and Blahnik's Cross-Motions are Stayed by Operation of
                                   CPLR 32 l(c)

                    The First Department has held that where an attorney's motion to withdraw as counsel is

           granted due to disagreements with their cl ient over strategy, as is the case here, "further

            proceedings against plaintiff [arc] stayed by operation of CPLR 32 l (c), unti l 30 days after notice

           to appoint another attorney lhasl been served" (Fan v Sabin, 125 AD3d 498, 499-500 [l st Dept

           2015]). t\s such, Ruildinwood and Blahni k's cross-motions seeking an Order enforcing the

            Stipulation of Settlement and compelling Plaintiff to execute alleged agreements and releases

            provided by Defendants' counsel is stayed by operation of'CPJ.R 32 l(c).

                    Accordingly, it is hereby,

                    ORDERED that Caner Dernirayak. Esg.'s motion to be relieved as counsel for Plaintiff

            Nora Carmichael is gramed; and it is further

                    ORDF.RF.D that Caner Demirayak, Esq. is granted a charging lien against the proceeds of

            any settlement in this action; and it is further

             15293612021 CARMICHAEL, NORA vs. HILLVIEW OWNERS CORP.                                Page 3 of 5
             Motion No. 004

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                                                                                                    INDEX NO. 152936/2021
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 109                                                                       RECEIVED NYSCEF: 03/11/2024

                   ORDERED that this charging lien is preserved until such time as the Court, upon settlement

           or j udgment, may hear and determine the reasonable va lue of Caner Demirayak, Esq.' services

            provided; and it is further

                   ORDERED that a hearing to determine the reasonable value of such services shall be held

            following such settlement or judgment; and it is further

                   ORD ERED that no settlement or judgment shall be paid or disbursed until the amount of

           the charging lien is determined at said hearing; and it is further

                   ORDERED that Plaintiff Nora Carmichael must inform this Court, wi thin 60 days from

           ent1y of this Decision and Order, via correspondence uploaded to NYSCEF and e-mail to SFC-

            Part:B-Clcrk(@nvcourts. gov, that she has retained new counsel or has decided to proceed prose.

                                              - result in dismissal o f Plaintiff Nora Carmichael's lawsuit for
            Failure to abide bv, this Order mav

            failure to prosecULc; and it is further

                    ORDERED that the proceedings and discovery in this matter. as well as the cross-motions

            of DefcndantiThird-Party Defendant 13uildinwood, I .J .C and Del'endant John Blahnik arc stayed,

            pursuant to CPLR 32 1(c), until 30 days after Plaintiff's notice to appoint another attorney is served,

            or Plainti ff notifies the Court that she has decided to proceed prose; and it is further

                    ORDERED that within 10 days of entry, Caner Demirayak, Esq. shall serve a c-0py of this

            Decision and Order upon all parties to this action, including Plainti ff Nora Carmichael, via first -

            class mail al their last known business or residential address; and it is further

                                   I The remainder ofthis page is intenliona/ly ie.fi blank]

             152936/2021 CARMICHAEL, NORA vs. HILLVIEW OWNERS CORP.                                     Page 4 of 5
             Motion No. 004

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                                                                                                         INDEX NO. 152936/2021
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 109                                                                        RECEIVED NYSCEF: 03/11/2024

                   ORDER ED that the parties in this case arc directed to submit a proposed Status Conference

           Order to the Court on or before May 14, 2024 via e-mail to SFC-Part33-Clcrk(@11vcourts.gov. If

           the parties are unable to agree to a proposed Status Conference Order, the parties are directed to

           appear for an in-person status conference with the Court on May 15, 2024 at 9:30 a.m. in 60 Centre

           Street, Room 442, New York, New York; and it is futther

                   ORDERED that the Clerk of' the Court is directed to enter judgment accordingly.

                   This constitutes the Decision and Order of the Comt.

                    3111/2024                                             J l4 "'tj V fl.?, ..- JS c:.
                      DATE                                                      ·   oN. MARY V. ROSADO, J .S.C.

            CHECK ONE:                    CASE DISPOSED               x    NON ,FINAL DISPOSITION

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

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

             152936/2021 CARMICHAEL, NORA vs. HILLVIEW OWNERS CORP.                                      Page 5 of 5
             Motion No. 004

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