Court Opinion

ID: 9958746
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-04-09 20:10:39.418666+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:15:46.983314
License: Public Domain

Planet Home Lending, LLC v Polaris Home Loans,
                          LLC
               2024 NY Slip Op 31085(U)
                     March 29, 2024
           Supreme Court, New York County
        Docket Number: Index No. 651500/2023
                 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. 651500/2023
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 15                                                                                      RECEIVED NYSCEF: 04/01/2024

                                SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
                                          NEW YORK COUNTY
            PRESENT:          HON. MARY V. ROSADO                                           PART                              33M
                                                                            Justice
                                                                  ·------------X            INDEX NO.          651500/2023
             PLANET HOME LENDING, LLC
                                                                                            MOTION DATE         03/23/2024
                                                     Plaintiff,
                                                                                            MOTION SEQ. NO.          1
                                             - V -

             POLARIS HOME LOANS, LLC,                                                         DECISION + ORDER ON
                                                                                                    MOTION
                                                     Defendant.
            -------------------------------------------------------------------------X

            The following e-filed documents, listed by NYSCEF document number (Motion 1) 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12,
            13, 14
            were read on this motion to/for                                              JUDGMENT - DEFAULT

                     Plaintiff, Planet Home Lending, LLC ("Plaintiff') moves for an Order pursuant to CPLR

            § 3215(a) granting a default judgment against Defendant Polaris Home Loans, LLC

            ("Defendant") in the amount of $364,141.05, plus Plaintiffs reasonable attorneys' fees and costs

            in the amount of $2,064.28, plus pre- and post-judgment interest accruing at the statutory rate.

            Upon the foregoing documents, there being no opposition and good cause having been shown,

            Plaintiff motion for an Order granting default judgment against Defendant and in favor of

            Plaintiff, is granted.

                     An applicant for default judgment against a defendant must submit: (i) proof of service of

            the summons and complaint, (ii) proof of the facts constituting the claim, and (iii) proof of the

            defaulting defendant's failure to answer or appear (PV Holding Corp v AB Quality Health

            Supply Corp, 189 AD3d 645 [1st Dept 2020]; CPLR § 3215[a]). An affidavit or verified

            complaint submitted in support of a motion for default judgment "need only allege enough facts

             651500/2023 PLANET HOME LENDING, LLC vs. POLARIS HOME LOANS, LLC                                   Page 1 of 4
             Motion No. 001

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                                                                                                   INDEX NO. 651500/2023
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 15                                                                       RECEIVED NYSCEF: 04/01/2024

            to enable a court to determine that a viable cause of action exists" (Woodson v Mendon Leasing

            Corp., 100 NY2d 62, 71 [2003]). In undertaking this review, the Court is mindful that "defaulters

            are deemed to have admitted all factual allegations in the complaint and all reasonable inferences

            that flow from them" (Id., at 71; State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co. v AK Glob. Supply Corp., 203

            AD3d 556 [1st Dept 2022]). Where a default judgment is awarded, the judgment shall not exceed

            in amount or differ in type from that demanded in the complaint (CPLR § 3215 [b ]).

                   Here, the Court finds that Plaintiff has satisfied proof of service by attaching an affidavit

            of service evidencing service of the Summons and Complaint upon Defendant by service upon

            the company's registered agent on April 10, 2023 (NYSCEF Doc. 8).

                   Defendant has failed to file an answer to Plaintiffs Complaint or otherwise appear despite

            its time for doing so having expired. Plaintiff has satisfied its burden of proving the facts

            constituting its claim by submitting an Affidavit of Merit by Plaintiffs Senior Vice President of

            Correspondent Operations of Plaintiff sworn to December 12, 2023 (NYSCEF Doc. 9).

                   Plaintiff's proof establishes prima facie the necessary elements of a breach of contract

            claim: (1) the existence of a contract, (2) the plaintiffs performance under the contract; (3) the

            defendants' breach of that contract, and (4) resulting damages (Reiter Resources, Inc. v

            Gilmartin, 176 AD3d 617, 618 [1st Dept 2019]).

                   Here, Plaintiffs Affidavit of Merit establishes that Defendant entered into a

            Correspondent Program Loan Purchase Agreement ("Agreement") that incorporated Plaintiffs

            Seller Guide ("Guide"), wherein Defendant agreed to sell, and Plaintiff agreed to buy, loans

            secured by residential real property.

             651500/2023 PLANET HOME LENDING, LLC vs. POLARIS HOME LOANS, LLC                       Page 2 of 4
             Motion No. 001

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                                                                                                 INDEX NO. 651500/2023
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 15                                                                     RECEIVED NYSCEF: 04/01/2024

                   Accordingly, it is

                   ORDERED, that Plaintiff Planet Home Lending, LLC's motion for default judgment

           against Defendant Polaris Home Loans, LLC is granted, without opposition, as to liability on

           Plaintiffs cause of action for breach of contract; and it is further

                   ORDERED, that within 20 days after this decision and order is uploaded to NYSCEF,

           Plaintiff shall serve a copy of this order on the Clerk of the Court (60 Centre Street, Room 141 B),

           who shall enter judgment in favor of Plaintiff and against Defendant, in the sum of $364,141.05,

           plus costs and statutory interest from November 25, 2022 (representing 30 days from Plaintiffs

           second demand for repurchase dated October 26, 2022) through entry of judgment, as calculated

           by the Clerk of the Court, together with costs and disbursements as taxed by the Clerk of the

           Court, upon submission of an appropriate bill of costs; and it is further

                   ORDERED, that a Judicial Hearing Officer ("JHO") or Special Referee shall be

           designated to hear and determine at an inquest, on the issue of the damages, including attorneys'

           fees, caused to Plaintiff by the breach of contract by Defendant Polaris Home Loans, LLC; and it

           is further

                   ORDERED, that within 20 days from the date of this order, Plaintiff shall serve a copy

           of this order with notice of entry upon the Clerk of the General Clerk's Office (60 Centre Street,

           Room 119), who is directed, upon the filing of a note of issue and a certificate of readiness and

           the payment of proper fees, if any, to place this action on the calendar of the JHO or Special

           Referee's Part for an inquest on damages and attorneys' fees as directed above; and it is further

                   ORDERED, that within 20 days of entry, Plaintiff shall serve a copy of this Decision and

           Order, with notice of entry, upon Defendant Polaris Home Loans, LLC; and it is further

            651500/2023 PLANET HOME LENDING, LLC vs. POLARIS HOME LOANS, LLC                     Page 3 of 4
            Motion No. 001

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                                                                                                    INDEX NO. 651500/2023
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 15                                                                         RECEIVED NYSCEF: 04/01/2024

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

                   This constitutes the Decision and Order of the Court.

                    3/29/2024
                      DATE                                                            : MARY V. ROSADO, 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

            651500/2023 PLANET HOME LENDING, LLC vs. POLARIS HOME LOANS, LLC                        Page 4 of 4
            Motion No. 001

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