Court Opinion

ID: 9927371
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-01-26 21:07:35.613939+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:25:13.463392
License: Public Domain

Centeno v Krieff
               2024 NY Slip Op 30294(U)
                    January 23, 2024
           Supreme Court, New York County
        Docket Number: Index No. 805351/2019
                  Judge: John J. Kelley
Cases posted with a "30000" identifier, i.e., 2013 NY Slip
 Op 30001(U), are republished from various New York
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                       publication.
                                                                                                                     INDEX NO. 805351/2019
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 174                                                                                          RECEIVED NYSCEF: 01/23/2024

                                   SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
                                             NEW YORK COUNTY
            PRESENT:             HON. JOHN J. KELLEY                                             PART                              56M
                                                                                      Justice
            ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------X   INDEX NO.          805351/2019
             TERESA CENTENO,
                                                                                                                    01/16/2024,
                                                         Plaintiff,                              MOTION DATE        01/16/2024

                                                 -v-                                             MOTION SEQ. NO.      009, 010

             DONALD S. KRIEFF, D.O., NEUROLOGICAL SURGERY,
             P.C., ST. JOSEPH'S HOSPITAL, KENNETH WENKE, and
                                                                                                 DECISION AND ORDER ON
             BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
                                                                                                         MOTION
                                                         Defendants.
            ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------X

            The following e-filed documents, listed by NYSCEF document number (Motion 009) 116, 117, 118, 119,
            120, 121, 122, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147,
            148, 149, 150, 151, 152, 154, 156, 157, 169, 170, 171
                                                                VACATE STAY/SUBSTITUTE PARTY/AMEND
            were read on this motion to/for                         CAPTION/X-MOTIONS TO DISMISS                  .

            The following e-filed documents, listed by NYSCEF document number (Motion 010) 123, 124, 125, 126,
            127, 128, 129, 153, 155, 158, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168, 172
            were read on this motion to/for                                                        DISMISS                         .

                      In this medical malpractice and negligence action, Evelyn Celeste Centeno (Centeno),

            as the executor of the estate of the deceased plaintiff, Teresa Centeno, moves pursuant to

            CPLR 1015 and 1021 to substitute herself as a party plaintiff in place and instead of the

            decedent, to vacate the automatic stay of proceedings imposed by operation of law upon the

            decedent’s death, and pursuant to CPLR 305(c) for leave to amend the caption accordingly

            (MOT SEQ 009). The defendants oppose the motion. The defendants Donald S. Krieff, D.O.,

            and Neurological Surgery, P.C. (together the Krieff defendants), cross-move, and the defendant

            St. Joseph’s Hospital separately cross-moves, pursuant to CPLR 1021 to dismiss the amended

            complaint insofar as asserted against each of them (MOT SEQ 009). Centeno opposes the

            cross motions. The defendants Kenneth Wenke and Boston Scientific Corporation (together the

            BSC defendants) separately move pursuant the CPLR 1021 to dismiss the complaint insofar as

             805351/2019 CENTENO, TERESA vs. KRIEFF, D.O., DONALD S                                                  Page 1 of 5
             Motion No. 009 010

                                                                           1 of 5
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                                                                                                    INDEX NO. 805351/2019
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 174                                                                       RECEIVED NYSCEF: 01/23/2024

            asserted against them (MOT SEQ 010). Centeno opposes the separate motion. Centeno’s

            motion is granted, the cross motions are denied, and the BSC defendants’ separate motion is

            denied.

                   The decedent commenced this action on October 25, 2019 by filing a summons with

            notice (see CPLR 304). She served and filed the complaint on June 8, 2020, and served and

            filed an amended complaint on January 8, 2021. On May 19, 2022, the decedent died, and all

            proceedings in this action thus were automatically stayed by operation of law on that date,

            pending substitution of a representative of her estate (see Perez v City of New York, 95 AD3d

            675, 677 [1st Dept 2012]). This court memorialized the stay in an order dated July 28, 2022.

            On September 1, 2023, the Surrogate’s Court, New York County, issued letters testamentary to

            Centeno, thus appointing her as the executor of the decedent’s estate. She now moves to

            substitute herself in this action for the decedent as a party plaintiff, to vacate the automatic stay,

            and for leave to amend the caption accordingly. Centeno made the instant motion on October

            19, 2023 (see CPLR 2211).

                      It is well settled that, where an administrator or executor is appointed as representative

            of the estate of a decedent who was a party to a pending action, substitution and amendment of

            the caption is appropriate (see Tag 380, LLC v Estate of Howard P. Ronson, 69 AD3d 471, 473-

            474 [1st Dept 2010]). Centeno has submitted sufficient proof of her due appointment as

            executor of the decedent’s estate.

                   Contrary to the defendants’ contentions, Centeno did not wait an unreasonable time to

            seek appointment as executor or move for leave to substitute herself as the plaintiff in this

            action. Rather, she petitioned the Surrogate’s Court only several months after the decedent’s

            death, and waited only six weeks from the time that she was appointed executor to make the

            instant motion. The issue of what constitutes a “reasonable time” within the meaning of CPLR

            1021 depends on the circumstances of the case (see generally Randall v Two Bridges Assoc.

            Ltd. Partnership, 139 AD3d 435 [1st Dept 2016]). Here, the defendants waited less than 18
             805351/2019 CENTENO, TERESA vs. KRIEFF, D.O., DONALD S                                 Page 2 of 5
             Motion No. 009 010

                                                            2 of 5
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                                                                                                    INDEX NO. 805351/2019
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 174                                                                       RECEIVED NYSCEF: 01/23/2024

            months after the decedent’s death to seek dismissal, and then only in response to the

            executor’s motion to lift the stay and substitute herself as the plaintiff in this action. The court

            concludes that those defendants did not wait for a sufficient period of time before moving to

            dismiss the complaint pursuant to CPLR 1021, particularly because the decedent’s former

            counsel and Centeno were working diligently since the decedent’s death to secure Centeno’s

            appointment as executor of the decedent’s estate (see Dugger v Conrad, 189 AD3d 478 [1st

            Dept 2020] [where defendant waited only 16 months before moving to dismiss, and former

            counsel for deceased plaintiff was attempting to have the Public Administrator substituted as

            plaintiff, dismissal was premature]; Tokar v Weissberg, 163 AD3d 1031, 1032-1033 [2d Dept

            2018] [lapse of 2½ years between decedent's death and defendant's submission of motion to

            dismiss under CPLR 1021 was insufficient to support defendant's contention that substitution

            had not been made within a reasonable time, particularly where the case revolved around

            medical records already in defendant's possession]; Wan Fund Leung v Yan Q. Sun, 2021 NY

            Slip Op 32625[U], *3-4, 2021 NY Misc LEXIS 6320, *4-5 [Sup Ct, N.Y. County, Dec. 8, 2021]

            [Kelley, J.] [where defendants waited only 18 months after decedent’s death, and a Surrogate’s

            Court petition that had been filed by decedent’s heirs was pending, defendants did not wait a

            sufficient amount of time before motion]). Hence, the court must grant Centeno’s motion, deny

            the Krieff defendants’ and St. Joseph Hospital’s cross motions, and deny the BSC defendants’

            separate motion.

                       In light of the foregoing, it is,

                       ORDERED that the motion of Evelyn Celeste Centeno (MOT SEQ 009) is granted, the

            automatic stay of proceedings imposed by operation of law upon the death of the plaintiff

            Teresa Centeno on May 19, 2022, as memorialized in this court’s order dated July 28, 2022, is

            vacated and dissolved, and Evelyn Celeste Centeno, as executor of the estate of Teresa

            Centeno, is substituted as a party plaintiff in place and instead of Teresa Centeno; and it is

            further,
             805351/2019 CENTENO, TERESA vs. KRIEFF, D.O., DONALD S                                  Page 3 of 5
             Motion No. 009 010

                                                            3 of 5
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                                                                                                                 INDEX NO. 805351/2019
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 174                                                                                      RECEIVED NYSCEF: 01/23/2024

                    ORDERED that the cross motion of the defendants Donald S. Krieff, D.O., and

            Neurological Surgery, P.C. (MOT SEQ 009), is denied; and it is further,

                    ORDERED that the cross motion of the defendant St. Joseph’s Hospital (MOT SEQ 009)

            is denied; and it is further,

                    ORDERED that the motion of the defendants Kenneth Wenke and Boston Scientific

            Corporation (MOT SEQ 010) is denied; and it is further,

                    ORDERED that the caption of the action is amended to read as follows:

                             ------------------------------------------------------------------X

                             EVELYN CELESTE CENTENO, as Executor of the
                             Estate of TERESA CENTENO, Deceased,

                                                                        Plaintiff,

                                                             v

                             DONALD S. KRIEFF, D.O., NEUROLOGICAL SURGERY,
                             P.C., ST. JOSEPH'S HOSPITAL, KENNETH WENKE, and
                             BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION,

                                                                       Defendants.

                             --------------------------------------------------------------------------X

            and it is further,

                    ORDERED that, within 15 days of the entry of this decision and order, the plaintiff shall

            serve a copy of this decision and order upon both the County Clerk and the Clerk of the General

            Clerk’s Office, which shall be effectuated in accordance with the procedures set forth in the

            Protocol on Courthouse and County Clerk Procedures for Electronically Filed Cases, accessible

            at the “E-Filing” page on the court’s website at https://www.nycourts.gov/ LegacyPDFS/courts/

            1jd/supctmanh/Efil-protocol.pdf (nycourts.gov), and, to comply with those procedures, the

            plaintiff shall (1) upload the decision and order to the NYSCEF system under document title

            “SERVICE ON SUPREME COURT CLERK (GENL CLERK) W/COPY OF ORDER” AND (2)

            separately file and upload the notice required by CPLR 8019(c) in a completed Form EF-22,

            along with a copy of the decision and order, under document title “NOTICE TO COUNTY

             805351/2019 CENTENO, TERESA vs. KRIEFF, D.O., DONALD S                                              Page 4 of 5
             Motion No. 009 010

                                                                       4 of 5
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                                                                                                         INDEX NO. 805351/2019
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 174                                                                              RECEIVED NYSCEF: 01/23/2024

            CLERK CPLR 8019(C),” and the County Clerk and all appropriate court support offices shall

            thereupon amend the court records accordingly.

                    This constitutes the Decision and Order of the court.

                   1/23/2024                                                               $SIG$
                     DATE                                                          JOHN J. KELLEY, J.S.C.

             MOTION 9:                   CASE DISPOSED                 X   NON-FINAL DISPOSITION

                                     X   GRANTED              DENIED       GRANTED IN PART               OTHER

             APPLICATION:                SETTLE ORDER                      SUBMIT ORDER
                                                                                                         REFERENCE
             CHECK IF APPROPRIATE:       INCLUDES TRANSFER/REASSIGN        FIDUCIARY APPOINTMENT

             CROSS MOTION 1:             CASE DISPOSED                 X   NON-FINAL DISPOSITION

                                         GRANTED          X   DENIED       GRANTED IN PART               OTHER

             APPLICATION:                SETTLE ORDER                      SUBMIT ORDER

             CHECK IF APPROPRIATE:       INCLUDES TRANSFER/REASSIGN        FIDUCIARY APPOINTMENT         REFERENCE

             CROSS MOTION 2:             CASE DISPOSED                 X   NON-FINAL DISPOSITION

                                         GRANTED          X   DENIED       GRANTED IN PART               OTHER

             APPLICATION:                SETTLE ORDER                      SUBMIT ORDER

             CHECK IF APPROPRIATE:       INCLUDES TRANSFER/REASSIGN        FIDUCIARY APPOINTMENT         REFERENCE

             MOTION 10:                  CASE DISPOSED                 X   NON-FINAL DISPOSITION

                                         GRANTED          X   DENIED       GRANTED IN PART               OTHER

             APPLICATION:                SETTLE ORDER                      SUBMIT ORDER

             CHECK IF APPROPRIATE:       INCLUDES TRANSFER/REASSIGN        FIDUCIARY APPOINTMENT         REFERENCE

             805351/2019 CENTENO, TERESA vs. KRIEFF, D.O., DONALD S                                      Page 5 of 5
             Motion No. 009 010

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