| Nicotra v Manger |
| 2009 NY Slip Op 05752 [64 AD3d 547] |
| July 7, 2009 |
| Appellate Division, Second Department |
| J.D. Nicotra, Appellant, v William M. Manger, Jr., et al.,Respondents, et al., Defendant. |
—[*1] Ben Carter, Riverhead, N.Y., for respondents.
In an action to foreclose a mechanic's lien, the plaintiff appeals from an order of the SupremeCourt, Suffolk County (Weber, J.), dated March 28, 2008, which granted the motion of thedefendants William M. Manger, Jr., as trustee of the Lynn S. Manger Trust, William M. Manger,Jr., individually, and Lynn S. Manger pursuant to CPLR 3015 (e) and 3211 (a) (3) and (7) todismiss the complaint insofar as asserted against them.
Ordered that the order is affirmed, with costs.
A home improvement contractor who fails to possess and plead possession of a valid licenseas required by relevant laws may not commence an action to foreclose a mechanic's lien(see CPLR 3015 [e]; B & F Bldg. Corp. v Liebig, 76 NY2d 689 [1990]; LGP Founds., Inc. v Bantry, 60 AD3d739 [2009]; Hakimi v CantwellLandscaping & Design, Inc., 50 AD3d 848, 851 [2008]; Al-Sullami v Broskie, 40 AD3d1021, 1022 [2007]; Ben KrupinskiBldr. & Assoc., Inc. v Baum, 36 AD3d 843, 844 [2007]; Callos, Inc. vJulianelli, 300 AD2d 612, 613 [2002]; Golfo v Sopher, 253 AD2d 479, 480 [1998])."The legislative intent to protect residential homeowners places the burden unequivocally on thecontractor to ensure that the license requirements are strictly complied with" (Michael D.Canuso Constr. v Rogers, 267 AD2d 218, 219 [1999]). As the plaintiff did not properlyplead that he possessed the requisite home improvement license, or demonstrate that he actuallypossessed such a license, the Supreme Court properly dismissed the complaint insofar as assertedagainst the defendants William M. Manger, Jr., as trustee of the Lynn S. Manger Trust, WilliamM. Manger, Jr., individually, and Lynn S. Manger. Rivera, J.P., Dillon, Balkin and Austin, JJ.,concur.