Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. v Laviolette
2015 NY Slip Op 04475 [128 AD3d 1054]
May 27, 2015
Appellate Division, Second Department
As corrected through Wednesday, July 1, 2015


[*1]
 Wells Fargo Bank, National Association,Respondent,
v
Ginette Laviolette, Appellant, et al.,Defendants.

Ginette Laviolette, Massapequa, N.Y., appellant pro se.

Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, New York, N.Y. (Khardeen I. Shillingford andSchuyler B. Kraus of counsel), for respondent.

In an action to foreclose a mortgage, the defendant Ginette Laviolette appeals froman order of the Supreme Court, Suffolk County (Martin, J.), dated March 14, 2013,which denied her motion to vacate a judgment of foreclosure and sale of the same courtdated January 26, 2012, entered upon her failure to appear or answer the complaint.

Ordered that the order is affirmed, with costs.

The plaintiff commenced this action to foreclose a mortgage against the appellant,Ginette Laviolette, among others. The appellant failed to appear or answer the complaintand the Supreme Court granted the plaintiff's motion for an order of reference and,thereafter, granted the plaintiff's motion for leave to enter a judgment of foreclosure andsale. The appellant moved to vacate the judgment of foreclosure and sale, and theSupreme Court denied her motion.

In her motion to vacate the judgment of foreclosure and sale, the only argument thatthe appellant raised was, in effect, that the plaintiff lacked standing. However, since theappellant did not answer the complaint and did not make a pre-answer motion to dismissthe complaint, she waived the defense of lack of standing (see HSBC Bank USA, N.A. vSimmons, 125 AD3d 930 [2015]; Deutsche Bank Natl. Trust Co. v Islar, 122 AD3d 566, 568[2014]; Citibank, N.A. vSwiatkowski, 98 AD3d 555, 556 [2012]).

The appellant's contention that the Supreme Court lacked personal jurisdiction overher because service of the summons and complaint was improper, raised for the first timeon appeal, is not properly before this Court (see Pineda v Elias, 125 AD3d 738 [2015]; Sialeu v New York City Hous.Auth., 124 AD3d 623 [2015]). Rivera, J.P., Hall, Austin and LaSalle, JJ.,concur.


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