Opinion
2017–03166 Index No. 17642/06
04-10-2019
Alan BALLINGER, et al., Appellants, v. STELLE ARCHITECTS, PLLC, Respondent.
Deborah A. Schwartz PLLC, New York, NY, for appellants. L'Abbate, Balkin, Colavita & Contini, LLP, Garden City, N.Y. (Kristiana C. Zuccarini and Keegan & Keegan, Ross & Rosner, LLP [Daniel C. Ross ], of counsel), for respondent.
Deborah A. Schwartz PLLC, New York, NY, for appellants.
L'Abbate, Balkin, Colavita & Contini, LLP, Garden City, N.Y. (Kristiana C. Zuccarini and Keegan & Keegan, Ross & Rosner, LLP [Daniel C. Ross ], of counsel), for respondent.
WILLIAM F. MASTRO, J.P., COLLEEN D. DUFFY, HECTOR D. LASALLE, ANGELA G. IANNACCI, JJ.
DECISION & ORDER
In an action to recover damages for breach of contract, the plaintiffs appeal from an order of the Supreme Court, Suffolk County (Joseph C. Pastoressa, J.), dated January 3, 2017. The order denied their motion, in effect, pursuant to CPLR 4102(e) for leave to serve and file a late jury demand.
ORDERED that the order is affirmed, with costs.
The decision of whether to relieve a party from a failure to serve a timely request for a jury trial lies within the sound discretion of the trial court (see Cicco v. Durolek , 147 A.D.3d 1486, 1487, 47 N.Y.S.3d 197 ; Buddle v. Buddle , 62 A.D.3d 1192, 1192, 878 N.Y.S.2d 639 ; Roosa v. Roosa , 248 A.D.2d 858, 858, 669 N.Y.S.2d 740 ; Calabro v. Calabro , 133 A.D.2d 604, 604, 519 N.Y.S.2d 633 ). Here, the plaintiffs moved, in effect, pursuant to CPLR 4102(e) for leave to serve and file a late jury demand more than one year after the defendant served a note of issue which did not request a jury trial. In the absence of any evidence in this record to excuse this inordinate delay, the Supreme Court did not improvidently exercise its discretion in denying the plaintiffs' motion (see Lackowitz v. City of Yonkers , 29 A.D.3d 744, 744, 813 N.Y.S.2d 912, 917; Med Part v. Kingsbridge Hgts. Care Ctr., Inc. , 22 A.D.3d 260, 261, 802 N.Y.S.2d 403 ; Amitrano v. Notaro , 10 A.D.3d 667, 668, 781 N.Y.S.2d 746 ; Fertik v. Fertik , 264 A.D.2d 463, 464, 694 N.Y.S.2d 456 ; L.T.B. Constr. Co. v. Port of Oswego Auth. , 154 A.D.2d 903, 547 N.Y.S.2d 162 ).
MASTRO, J.P., DUFFY, LASALLE and IANNACCI, JJ., concur.