JPMorgan Chase Bank, Nat'l Ass'n v. Todd

• Decision Date: 25 February 2015
• Citation: 5 N.Y.S.3d 181,125 A.D.3d 933,2015 N.Y. Slip Op. 01610
• Parties: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, respondent, v. William G. TODD, et al., appellants, et al., defendants.
• Court: New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division

125 A.D.3d 933

5 N.Y.S.3d 181

2015 N.Y. Slip Op. 01610

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, respondent

v.William G. TODD, et al., appellants, et al., defendants.

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

Feb. 25, 2015.

William G. Todd, Bedford, N.Y., appellant pro se and for appellant Leigh–Elizabeth Todd.

Parker Ibrahim & Berg LLC, New York, N.Y. (Michael B. Schultz and Scott W. Parker of counsel), for respondent.

MARK C. DILLON, J.P., JOHN M. LEVENTHAL, CHERYL E. CHAMBERS, and SHERI S. ROMAN, JJ.

Opinion

In an action to foreclose a mortgage, the defendants William G. Todd and Leigh–Elizabeth Todd appeal from (1) an order of the Supreme Court, Westchester County (Giacomo, J.), entered November 19, 2013, which granted the plaintiff's motion for an order of reference, and denied their cross motion pursuant to CPLR 3211(a)(8) to dismiss the complaint insofar as asserted against them for lack of personal jurisdiction, and (2) an order of reference of the same court entered November 19, 2013, which, inter alia, referred the matter to a referee to ascertain and compute the amount due to the plaintiff.

ORDERED that the order and the order of reference are affirmed, with one bill of costs.

“A process server's affidavit of service constitutes prima facie evidence of proper service” (Scarano v. Scarano, 63 A.D.3d 716, 716, 880 N.Y.S.2d 682 ; see NYCTL 2009–A Trust v. Tsafatinos, 101 A.D.3d 1092, 1093, 956 N.Y.S.2d 571 ). Where a defendant submits a sworn denial of receipt of process containing specific facts to rebut the statements in the process server's affidavit, the presumption of proper service is rebutted and an evidentiary hearing is required (see Emigrant Mtge. Co., Inc. v. Westervelt, 105 A.D.3d 896, 897, 964 N.Y.S.2d 543 ; Gray v. Giannikios, 90 A.D.3d 836, 935 N.Y.S.2d 112 ; Countrywide Home Loans Servicing, LP v. Albert, 78 A.D.3d 983, 984–985, 912 N.Y.S.2d 96 ; City of New York v. Miller, 72 A.D.3d 726, 727, 898 N.Y.S.2d 643 ). Here, the affidavits of service of the plaintiff's process server constituted prima facie evidence of proper service pursuant to CPLR 308(2) (see Bank of N.Y. v. Espejo, 92 A.D.3d 707, 708, 939 N.Y.S.2d 105 ; US Natl. Bank Assn. v. Melton, 90 A.D.3d 742, 743, 934 N.Y.S.2d 352 ), and the affidavits submitted by the defendant William G. Todd were insufficient to rebut the presumption of proper service (see Grinshpun v. Borokhovich, 100 A.D.3d 551, 552, 954 N.Y.S.2d 520 ).