| Rosenstrauss v Women's Imaging Ctr. of Orange County |
| 2008 NY Slip Op 08473 [56 AD3d 454] |
| November 5, 2008 |
| Appellate Division, Second Department |
| Maurice Rosenstrauss, as Executor of Patricia J. Purgess, Deceased,Appellant, v Women's Imaging Center of Orange County et al.,Respondents. |
—[*1] Rende, Ryan & Downes, LLP, White Plains, N.Y. (Roland T. Koke of counsel), forrespondent Women's Imaging Center of Orange County. Phelan, Phelan & Danek, LLP, Albany, N.Y. (Timothy S. Brennan of counsel), forrespondent Phillip Berman. Steinberg, Symer & Platt, LLP, Poughkeepsie, N.Y. (Ellen Fischer Bopp of counsel), forrespondent Wico Chu.
In an action to recover damages for medical malpractice, the plaintiff appeals from so muchof an order of the Supreme Court, Orange County (Owen, J.), dated April 24, 2007, as denied hismotion to vacate an order of the same court dated March 20, 1996, dismissing the action pursuantto CPLR 3404, and to restore the action to the trial calendar.
Ordered that the order is affirmed insofar as appealed from, with one bill of costs.
The motion of Patricia J. Purgess to vacate a prior order of the Supreme Court, OrangeCounty, dated March 20, 1996, dismissing the action pursuant to CPLR 3404, was made almost11 years [*2]after the issuance of that order. "The doctrine oflaches bars recovery where a party's inaction has prejudiced another party, making it inequitableto permit recovery" (First Nationwide Bank v Calano, 223 AD2d 524, 525 [1996]). Theessential element of the equitable defense of laches is delay prejudicial to the opposing party(see Matter of Barabash, 31 NY2d 76, 81 [1972]; Resk v City of New York, 293AD2d 661, 662 [2002]). Here, Purgess's delay of nearly 11 years in seeking to vacate the orderdated March 20, 1996, and the resulting prejudice to the defendants caused by the delay, warrantsthe application of the doctrine of laches (see First Nationwide Bank v Calano, 223 AD2dat 525).
In light of this determination, we do not consider the parties' remaining contentions. Rivera,J.P., Florio and Chambers, JJ., concur.
Lifson, J. (dissenting and voting to reverse the order dated April 22, 2007, insofar asappealed from and grant the plaintiff's motion to vacate the order dated March 20, 1996,dismissing the action pursuant to CPLR 3404, and to restore the action to the trial calendar, withthe following memorandum): On December 6, 1994 because depositions had not been completedin this medical malpractice action, the Supreme Court vacated the note of issue which Patricia J.Purgess had filed and marked the case off the trial calendar, with the direction that Purgess seekto have it restored, either by stipulation or motion, within one year. Purgess failed to seekrestoration of the matter, and in an order dated March 20, 1996, the medical malpractice actionwas dismissed by the clerk for neglect to prosecute pursuant to CPLR 3404.
In 2004 Purgess commenced a legal malpractice action against the attorneys who representedher in the medical malpractice action, alleging that, but for their failure to prosecute it, she wouldhave prevailed in the medical malpractice action. The defendants in the legal malpractice actionmoved for summary judgment dismissing the complaint, alleging, inter alia, that the medicalmalpractice action was not properly dismissed on March 20, 1996, that such action was thereforestill viable and, because Purgess might still prevail in that action, her legal malpractice action iseither premature or simply not viable. Thereafter, Purgess made the instant motion to restore themedical malpractice action. Notably, the plaintiff, motivated by a desire to avoid dismissal of thelegal malpractice action, actually advances the alternative argument on this appeal that the clerk'sdismissal was appropriate and should not be vacated. Recognizing, however, that theMarch 20, 1996 dismissal by the clerk was a nullity in light of our decision in Lopez vImperial Delivery Serv. (282 AD2d 190 [2001]), Purgess made the instant, pro forma attemptto have it vacated, in essence, to maintain the legal malpractice action. By order dated April 24,2007, Purgess's motion to vacate the dismissal of the medical malpractice action and restore it tothe trial calendar was denied, and this appeal ensued.
In Lopez, this Court held that because that action was never properly dismissed, therewas no need for a motion to restore, as the dismissal of the action pursuant to CPLR 3404 was, ineffect, a nullity, leaving the case, "while perhaps comatose, still alive" (id. at 200).Furthermore, the Court expressly held that CPLR 3404 is not a proper basis for dismissal ofpre-note of issue cases and, consequently, this limitation of the application of CPLR 3404 couldhave the effect of reviving "some rather old cases" (id. at 200). [*3]The majority's holding herein, that an improper dismissal of anaction pursuant to CPLR 3404 can nevertheless be upheld on the ground of laches, is inconsistentwith Lopez, and accomplishes indirectly a result which has been expressly prohibited byprior authority, viz., the dismissal of a pre-note of issue case for neglect to prosecute withoutcompliance with CPLR 3216 (see Chase v Scavuzzo, 87 NY2d 228, 233 [1995] ["courtsdo not possess the power to dismiss an action for general delay where plaintiff has not beenserved with a 90-day demand to serve and file a note of issue pursuant to CPLR 3216 (b)"]).
The procedural device of dismissing an action for delay in prosecution is a legislativecreation, not a part of the court's inherent power (see Airmont Homes v Town of Ramapo,69 NY2d 901 [1987], citing Cohn v Borchard Affiliations, 25 NY2d 237 [1969]).Indeed, it is well settled that a pre-note of issue action can only be dismissed for failure toprosecute if the preconditions contained in CPLR 3216 are met (see Baczkowski v CollinsConstr. Co., 89 NY2d 499 [1997]; Travis v Cuff, 28 AD3d 749 [2006]; Hodge v New York CityTr. Auth., 273 AD2d 42 [2000]). "CPLR 3216, as it now reads, is extremely forgiving oflitigation delay. A court cannot dismiss an action for neglect to prosecute unless: at least one yearhas elapsed since joinder of issue; defendant has served on plaintiff a written demand to serveand file a note of issue within 90 days; and plaintiff has failed to serve and file a note of issuewithin the 90 day period (CPLR 3216 [b])" (Baczkowski v Collins Constr. Co., 89 NY2dat 503). It is undisputed in this case that no demand to serve and file a note of issue within 90days was ever served upon the plaintiff.
In my view, it is improper for the majority to obtain the prohibited result of dismissal of thisaction for neglect to prosecute despite the lack of compliance with CPLR 3216, merely byterming the rationale for the result as laches, particularly where, as here, the application of thedoctrine of laches is contrary to established precedent (see Lopez v Imperial DeliveryServ., 282 AD2d 190 [2001]). This action was improperly dismissed pursuant to CPLR3404, and the conditions of CPLR 3216 were not met. As such, the plaintiff is entitled to havethe March 20, 1996, dismissal of the medical malpractice action vacated and the action restoredto the trial calendar. Therefore, I respectfully dissent.