Moss v. Corwin

Decision Date10 October 1989
Citation154 A.D.2d 443,546 N.Y.S.2d 15
PartiesRobert MOSS, et al., Respondents, v. Howard CORWIN, Appellant, et al., Defendants.
CourtNew York Supreme Court — Appellate Division

Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker, New York City (Timothy J. Sheehan, of counsel), for appellant.

Fuchsberg & Fuchsberg, New York City (Martin Diennor and Abraham Fuchsberg, of counsel), for respondents.

Before MOLLEN, P.J., and THOMPSON, KUNZEMAN and SPATT, JJ.

MEMORANDUM BY THE COURT.

In an action to recover damages for medical malpractice, etc., the defendant Howard Corwin appeals from so much of an order of the Supreme Court, Nassau County (Roncallo, J.), dated March 31, 1988, as granted the plaintiff's motion to strike the affirmative defense of lack of personal jurisdiction asserted in his answer.

ORDERED that the order is reversed insofar as appealed from, on the law, and the motion to strike the affirmative defense of lack of personal jurisdiction is denied, with costs.

Upon review of this record, we conclude that the affirmative defense of lack of personal jurisdiction should not have been stricken. Process was served upon the appellant pursuant to CPLR 308(4), the so-called "nail and mail" provision. In support of the motion to strike, the plaintiffs submitted two affidavits of service by process servers attesting that on two separate occasions a copy of a summons and verified complaint had been affixed to the door of the appellant's residence and that another copy had been mailed to the same address. The nail and mail service in each instance was alleged to have been preceded by three attempts to serve the appellant at his home. Of the six attempts at personal service, all were made on weekdays during normal working hours, except for one attempt at 9:35 P.M. There was no evidence in the moving papers that the process servers had made any efforts to ascertain the appellant's place of employment or to attempt service there. The affidavits of service were insufficient, as a matter of law, to establish that the process servers exercised such due diligence as the statute requires to permit the use of substituted service under CPLR 308(4) (see, e.g., Barnes v. City of New York, 70 A.D.2d 580, 416 N.Y.S.2d 52, affd 51 N.Y.2d 906, 434 N.Y.S.2d 991, 415 N.E.2d 979; Chase Manhattan Bank v. Carlson, 113 A.D.2d 734, 493 N.Y.S.2d 339; Jones v. King, 24 A.D.2d 430, 260 N.Y.S.2d 666).

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  • Sartor v. Utica Taxi Center, Inc.
    • United States
    • U.S. District Court — Southern District of New York
    • April 29, 2003
    ...at defendant's place of business. See id. (citing Barnes, 51 N.Y.2d 906, 434 N.Y.S.2d 991, 415 N.E.2d 979, and Moss v. Corwin, 154 A.D.2d 443, 546 N.Y.S.2d 15 (2d Dep't 1989)). In affirming denial defendant's motion to dismiss the complaint for lack of personal jurisdiction, the Hochhauser ......
  • McGreevy v. Simon
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • October 27, 1995
    ...N.Y.S.2d 52, affd. 51 N.Y.2d 906, 434 N.Y.S.2d 991, 415 N.E.2d 979; Pizzolo v. Monaco, 186 A.D.2d 727, 588 N.Y.S.2d 910; Moss v. Corwin, 154 A.D.2d 443, 546 N.Y.S.2d 15). Because the petitioner failed to properly serve Simon, a "necessary party" (Matter of Sahler v. Callahan, supra, 92 A.D.......
  • Magalios v. Benjamin
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • April 9, 1990
    ...or from her job, were insufficient, as a matter of law, to satisfy the "due diligence" requirement of CPLR 308(4) (see, Moss v. Corwin, 154 A.D.2d 443, 546 N.Y.S.2d 15; DeShong v. Marks, 144 A.D.2d 623, 624, 535 N.Y.S.2d 19; MacGregor v. Piontkowski, 133 A.D.2d 263, 264, 518 N.Y.S.2d 820; K......
  • Fulton Sav. Bank v. Rebeor
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • July 12, 1991
    ...premises to others, did not exercise due diligence in attempting to serve defendant pursuant to CPLR 308(1) or (2) (see, Moss v. Corwin, 154 A.D.2d 443, 546 N.Y.S.2d 15; DeShong v. Marks, 144 A.D.2d 623, 535 N.Y.S.2d 19, lv. dismissed 74 N.Y.2d 946, 550 N.Y.S.2d 279, 549 N.E.2d 481; Smith v......
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