Manhattan Telecom. Corp. v H & A Locksmith, Inc.
2011 NY Slip Op 02539 [82 AD3d 674]
March 31, 2011
Appellate Division, First Department
As corrected through Wednesday, May 11, 2011


Manhattan Telecommunications Corporation,Respondent,
v
H & A Locksmith, Inc., et al., Defendants, and Ariq Vanunu,Appellant.

[*1]Ofeck & Heinze, LLP, New York (Mark F. Heinze of counsel), for appellant.

Jonathan David Bachrach, New York, for respondent.

Order, Supreme Court, New York County (Ira Gammerman, J.H.O.), entered December 28,2009, which denied defendant-appellant's motion to vacate the default judgment entered againsthim, unanimously reversed, on the law, without costs, and the motion granted.

The verified complaint alleged a contract to perform telephone services by plaintiff fordefendants for a stated fee, and defendants' failure to pay. However, the complaint does notallege that appellant was a party to the contract individually, so as to bind him to its terms."Some proof of liability is . . . required to satisfy the court as to the prima facievalidity of . . . uncontested cause of action" (Feffer v Malpeso, 210 AD2d60, 61 [1994] [internal quotation marks and citation omitted]; see Giordano v Berisha, 45 AD3d 416 [2007]; CPLR 3215 [f]), andhere plaintiff failed to provide the motion court with evidence that appellant was personallyliable for the stated claims. Accordingly, the default judgment was a nullity (see Natradeze v Rubin, 33 AD3d535 [2006]). Concur—Gonzalez, P.J., Friedman, Moskowitz, Freedman andRomÁn, JJ.


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