Bordas v. Bordas

• Decision Date: 02 December 2015
• Citation: 19 N.Y.S.3d 763 (Mem),2015 N.Y. Slip Op. 08797,134 A.D.3d 660
• Parties: Aleida Veronica BORDAS, respondent, v. David M. BORDAS, appellant.
• Court: New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division

134 A.D.3d 660

19 N.Y.S.3d 763 (Mem)

2015 N.Y. Slip Op. 08797

Aleida Veronica BORDAS, respondent,

v.David M. BORDAS, appellant.

Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Second Department, New York.

Dec. 2, 2015.

Frank A. Catalina, Peekskill, N.Y. (Andrea N. Catalina of counsel), for appellant.

Opinion

Appeal from an order of the Supreme Court, Westchester County(Paul I. Marx, J.), dated April 17, 2014.The order, in effect, dismissed the defendant's motion with respect to certain life insurance and annuity accounts on the ground that the action had abated.

ORDERED that the order is affirmed, without costs or disbursements.

The Supreme Court correctly determined that the plaintiff's death, which occurred shortly after the parties executed a pretrial stipulation with respect to the grounds for divorce, abated the instant action for a divorce and ancillary relief (see generallyCornell v. Cornell, 7 N.Y.2d 164, 169, 196 N.Y.S.2d 98, 164 N.E.2d 395;King v. Kline, 65 A.D.3d 431, 884 N.Y.S.2d 229;Flaherty v. Lynch, 292 A.D.2d 340, 738 N.Y.S.2d 78;Matter of Forgione, 237 A.D.2d 438, 655 N.Y.S.2d 552;Sperber v. Schwartz, 139 A.D.2d 640, 527 N.Y.S.2d 279;Davis v. Davis, 75 A.D.2d 861, 427 N.Y.S.2d 891, affd.52 N.Y.2d 850, 437 N.Y.S.2d 77, 418 N.E.2d 670), divesting the court of jurisdiction and necessitating dismissal of the defendant's motion (seeDavis v. Davis, 75 A.D.2d at 861–862, 427 N.Y.S.2d 891;King v. Kline,65 A.D.3d 431, 884 N.Y.S.2d 229;Flaherty v. Lynch, 292 A.D.2d 340, 738 N.Y.S.2d 78).

Contrary to the defendant's contention, the stipulation was not the equivalent of a final adjudication of the substantive rights of the parties and, therefore, did not entitle the parties to have a final judgment of divorce entered nunc pro tunc to the date of the stipulation (seeMatter of Alfieri, 203 A.D.2d 562, 611 N.Y.S.2d 226).

The defendant's remaining contention is without merit (seeid.).

DILLON, J.P., DICKERSON, COHENand DUFFY, JJ., concur.