Opinion
2014-07-30
Peter ELIE, et al., appellants, v. MARATHON REO MANAGEMENT, LLC, respondent.
Lee M. Nigen, Brooklyn, N.Y., for appellants. Fein, Such, Kahn & Shepard, P.C., Westbury, N.Y. (Francis J. Giambalvo of counsel), for respondent.
Lee M. Nigen, Brooklyn, N.Y., for appellants. Fein, Such, Kahn & Shepard, P.C., Westbury, N.Y. (Francis J. Giambalvo of counsel), for respondent.
In an action to recover damages for fraud, the plaintiffs appeal, as limited by their brief, from so much of an order of the Supreme Court, Kings County (Schack, J.), dated March 4, 2013, as granted the defendant's cross motion pursuant to CPLR 3211(a) to dismiss the complaint.
ORDERED that the order is affirmed insofar as appealed from, with costs.
The Supreme Court granted the defendant's cross motion pursuant to CPLR 3211(a) to dismiss the complaint on the ground the venue chosen by the plaintiffs was improper. We affirm, but on a ground different from the one asserted by the defendant in its cross motion, namely, that the complaint fails to state a cause of action ( seeCPLR 3211[a][7] ). “ ‘Improper venue is not a jurisdictional defect requiring dismissal of the action’ ” ( Lowenbraun v. McKeon, 98 A.D.3d 655, 656, 950 N.Y.S.2d 381, quoting Chira v. Global Med. Review, 160 Misc.2d 368, 369, 609 N.Y.S.2d 511 [Sup.Ct., Rockland County] ). Nonetheless, to the extent that the complaint seeks to recover damages for fraud, the complaint fails to state a cause of action, since it does not specify any particular misrepresentation of material fact made to the plaintiffs ( seeCPLR 3016[b], 3211[a][7]; Small v. Lorillard Tobacco Co., 94 N.Y.2d 43, 57, 698 N.Y.S.2d 615, 720 N.E.2d 892;Greenberg v. Blake, 117 A.D.3d 683, 985 N.Y.S.2d 279).
The parties' remaining contentions either are without merit or need not be reached in light of our determination. SKELOS, J.P., CHAMBERS, LOTT and DUFFY, JJ., concur.