Batista v. Allstate Insurance Company

• Decision Date: 31 December 2001
• Citation: 735 N.Y.S.2d 783,289 A.D.2d 519
• Parties: LOURDES BATISTA et al., Respondents,<BR>v.<BR>ALLSTATE INSURANCE COMPANY, Appellant.
• Court: New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division

289 A.D.2d 519

735 N.Y.S.2d 783

LOURDES BATISTA et al., Respondents,

v.ALLSTATE INSURANCE COMPANY, Appellant.

Decided December 31, 2001.

O'Brien, J. P., S. Miller, McGinity, Schmidt and Townes, JJ., concur.

Ordered that the order is affirmed, with costs.

The Supreme Court properly denied the defendant's motion to compel the plaintiffs to accept its answer because the defendant demonstrated neither a reasonable excuse for its default in answering nor the existence of a meritorious defense (see, Hazen v Bottiglieri, 286 AD2d 708; Melish v Melish, 267 AD2d 218; Rivera v 999 Realty Mgt., 246 AD2d 637; Miles v Blue Label Trucking, 232 AD2d 382; Martyn v Jones, 166 AD2d 508).