Dujany v. Gould

• Decision Date: 25 June 2009
• Docket Number: 506292.
• Citation: 2009 NY Slip Op 05248,882 N.Y.S.2d 343,63 A.D.3d 1496
• Parties: DAWN M. DUJANY, Respondent, v. EARL GOULD Jr., Appellant.
• Court: New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division

63 A.D.3d 1496

882 N.Y.S.2d 343

2009 NY Slip Op 05248

DAWN M. DUJANY, Respondent, v. EARL GOULD Jr., Appellant.

506292.

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Third Department.

Decided June 25, 2009.

Appeal from an order of the Supreme Court (Krogmann, J.), entered August 14, 2008 in Warren County, which, among other things, granted plaintiff's motion for an extension of time to effect service of the summons and complaint.

Malone, Jr., J.

After allegedly slipping and falling on defendant's property on January 11, 2005, plaintiff commenced this personal injury action by filing a summons with notice in the Warren County Clerk's office in August 2007. On September 17, 2007, Deputy Sheriff Matt Braunius of the Essex County Sheriff's Department served the summons with notice on defendant's mother at her residence. Braunius, however, executed an affidavit that he served defendant's mother at defendant's residence. On September 25, 2007, defendant appeared and demanded the complaint and subsequently served an amended answer containing the affirmative defense of lack of personal jurisdiction. In December 2007, defendant moved to dismiss the complaint based on lack of personal jurisdiction or, alternatively, for a traverse hearing to determine whether jurisdiction was obtained over defendant. Plaintiff opposed the motion, relying on Braunius's affidavit of service. Supreme Court thereafter withheld judgment on the motion to dismiss and ordered a traverse hearing.

In June 2008, Braunius informed plaintiff's counsel that his initial affidavit of service was incorrect and that he had indeed served defendant's mother at her residence. Plaintiff then moved by order to show cause for an extension to effectuate proper service on defendant pursuant to CPLR 306-b. Supreme Court subsequently denied defendant's motion to dismiss the complaint and granted plaintiff an extension to complete service on defendant. Defendant now appeals and we affirm.

CPLR 306-b provides, as relevant here, that in instances where proper service of a summons and notice is not made within 120 days of its filing, a court may extend the time for service "in the interest of justice." Defendant contends that Supreme Court erred in granting the extension as plaintiff, through allegations contained in defendant's motion to dismiss was specifically made aware of the ineffective service prior to the expiration of the statute of limitations and failed to timely act to effectuate service. Granting such an extension in the interest of justice is discretionary and in making its determination a court may consider many factors, including the plaintiff's diligence, whether the statute of limitations has expired, the meritorious nature of the action, the length of delay in service, the promptness of the plaintiff's request for the extension of time and prejudice to the defendant (see Leader v Maroney, Ponzini & Spencer, 97 NY2d 95, 105-106 [2001]; Mead v Singleman, 24 AD3d 1142, 1144 [2005]; City of Albany v Wise, 298 AD2d 783, 784 [2002]). Accordingly, while plaintiff's diligence is a factor, it is but one of the factors to be considered under the interest of justice standard (see Leader v Maroney, Ponzini & Spencer, 97 NY2d at 104). Moreover, as the affidavit of defendant's mother, which...