Kimco Exchange Place Corp. v. Thomas Benz, Inc.

Decision Date08 November 2006
Docket Number2005-11122.
Citation824 N.Y.S.2d 353,2006 NY Slip Op 08097,34 A.D.3d 433
PartiesKIMCO EXCHANGE PLACE CORP., Appellant, v. THOMAS BENZ, INC., et al., Respondents.
CourtNew York Supreme Court — Appellate Division

Ordered that the order is affirmed, with costs.

The defendant Thomas Benz is in the business of developing commercial real estate properties. He is the principal and owner of the defendants Thomas Benz, Inc., and John E. Benz & Co., and each of these entities is a resident of and has its principal place of business in Florida.

The plaintiff, Kimco Exchange Place Corporation, is a New York State licensed real estate broker and conducts a national brokerage and marketing business. In June 2003 the plaintiff faxed a copy of an exclusive marketing agreement to the defendants in Florida, and the defendants executed the agreement in Florida and faxed it back to the plaintiff in New York. Pursuant to the agreement, the plaintiff was to nationally market a property of the defendants in West Palm Beach, Florida. The parties executed a second exclusive agreement, wherein the plaintiff was to market nationally five other properties of the defendants in Washington DC, Rockville, Maryland, and Hampton, Newport News, and Norfolk, Virginia. The plaintiff went on to conduct the national campaign to sell the properties by preparing a marketing flyer, displaying the flyer on its Web site, distributing the flyer to principals in its database, and distributing the flyer to select brokers. In the course of the campaign, the defendants made a few follow-up telephone calls to the plaintiff in New York.

The first cause of action alleges breach of the contract to market and sell the West Palm Beach property because after it was purchased pursuant to the first agreement, the defendants refused to pay the plaintiff the stipulated percentage of the purchase price. The plaintiff likewise alleged breach of contract in the second cause of action, in that title had closed on some or all of the five properties that were the subject of the second exclusive agreement, but the defendants refused to pay the plaintiff the stipulated percentage of the purchase price.

The Supreme Court granted the defendants' motion to dismiss the complaint, finding that the defendants had insufficient contacts with this state to support long-arm jurisdiction under CPLR 302 (a) (1). We agree.

CPLR 302 (a) is a "single act statute [and] ... proof of one transaction in New York is sufficient to invoke jurisdiction, even though the defendant never enters New York,...

To continue reading

Request your trial
33 cases
  • Best Van Lines, Inc. v. Walker
    • United States
    • U.S. Court of Appeals — Second Circuit
    • June 26, 2007
    ...bankbook and the power of attorney," and thereafter received money from the bank). But see Kimco Exchange Place Corp. v. Thomas Benz, Inc., 34 A.D.3d 433, 434, 824 N.Y.S.2d 353, 354 (2d Dep't 2006) ("The defendants' acts of faxing the executed contracts to New York and of making a few telep......
  • DirecTV Latin America, LLC v. PARK 610, LLC
    • United States
    • U.S. District Court — Southern District of New York
    • January 26, 2010
    ...the transaction of business within the state" (citation and quotation marks omitted)); Kimco Exch. Place Corp. v. Thomas Benz, Inc., 34 A.D.3d 433, 434, 824 N.Y.S.2d 353 (2d Dep't 2006) ("The defendants' acts of faxing the executed contracts to New York and of making a few telephone calls d......
  • Chen v. Guo Liang Lu
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • November 9, 2016
    ...purposeful and there is a substantial relationship between the transaction and the claim asserted’ ” (Kimco Exch. Place Corp. v. Thomas Benz, Inc., 34 A.D.3d 433, 434, 824 N.Y.S.2d 353, quoting Deutsche Bank Sec., Inc. v. Montana Bd. of Invs., 7 N.Y.3d 65, 71, 818 N.Y.S.2d 164, 850 N.E.2d 1......
  • Paterno v. Institution
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • October 16, 2013
    ...‘purposeful and there is a substantial relationship between the transaction and the claim asserted’ ” ( Kimco Exch. Place Corp. v. Thomas Benz, Inc., 34 A.D.3d 433, 434, 824 N.Y.S.2d 353, quoting Deutsche Bank Sec., Inc. v. Montana Bd. of Invs., 7 N.Y.3d 65, 71, 818 N.Y.S.2d 164, 850 N.E.2d......
  • Request a trial to view additional results

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT