Moscatiello v. Savarese

Decision Date07 June 1973
Citation42 A.D.2d 519,344 N.Y.S.2d 285
PartiesAnna MOSCATIELLO, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. Mary C. SAVARESE et al., Defendants-Respondents.
CourtNew York Supreme Court — Appellate Division

M. S. Rothman, New York City, for plaintiff-appellant.

T. T. Weiser, Lynbrook, H. J. Smith, New York City, for defendants-respondents.

Before STEVENS, P.J., and NUNEZ, KUPFERMAN, MURPHY and LANE, JJ.

PER CURIAM.

Order, Supreme Court, Bronx County, entered August 21, 1972, denying plaintiff's motion to vacate and set aside the dismissal of her action and to restore the same to the trial calendar, unanimously reversed, on the law and in the exercise of discretion, and the motion granted, on condition that plaintiff's attorneys, personally, pay to defendants Mary C. Savarese, Gaetano Tortora, Pasquale Tortora, and Louis Russo the sum of $500 plus the $40 costs and disbursements of this appeal within 20 days after they have been served by said defendants with a copy of the bill of costs to be taxed hereunder.

Although we fully appreciate Special Term's justified annoyance because of counsel's failure to appear for trial on several occasions, we nevertheless believe that, upon the record before us, the penalty imposed was unduly harsh. The final default does not appear to have been wilful; and we find no indication of any intention by plaintiff to abandon the action or of undue prejudice to defendants if the requested relief is granted. Accordingly, under the circumstances here presented, we conclude that plaintiff should not be required to suffer the consequences of her attorneys' conduct and that the imposition of the above costs upon offending counsel personally is a more appropriate penalty.

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4 cases
  • Gabrelian v. Gabrelian
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • May 20, 1985
    ...v. Tamarack Lodge Hotel, 46 A.D.2d 684, 360 N.Y.S.2d 78; Schickler v. Seifert, 45 A.D.2d 816, 357 N.Y.S.2d 225; Moscatiello v. Savarese, 42 A.D.2d 519, 344 N.Y.S.2d 285; Moran v. Rynar, 39 A.D.2d 718, 332 N.Y.S.2d 138; Springer v. Marangio, 38 A.D.2d 852, 330 N.Y.S.2d 100). In addition, it ......
  • Rosenburgh v. University of Rochester (Strong Memorial Hospital)
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • December 9, 1977
    ...in court inasmuch as the statute of limitations has run. (See Carron v. DeGranpre, 55 A.D.2d 712, 388 N.Y.S.2d 727; Moscatiello v. Savarese, 42 A.D.2d 519, 344 N.Y.S.2d 285; Moran v. Rynar, 39 A.D.2d 718, 332 N.Y.S.2d Although no physician is named as a defendant, the parties have treated t......
  • Kells v. Kells
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • June 7, 1973
  • Greenberg v. Greenberg
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • May 18, 1981
    ...an early stage of the proceeding (the order of dismissal occurred on the second page of the hearing minutes) (cf. Moscatiello v. Savarese, 42 A.D.2d 519, 344 N.Y.S.2d 285). We further note that at this juncture a dismissal on the merits would be ...

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