Opinion
2017–08716 Index No. 151161/17
01-09-2019
Juber JABER, Respondent, v. Munzer ELAYYAN, Appellant, et al., Defendants.
McKool Smith, P.C., New York, N.Y. (Natasha Romagnoli, James H. Smith, Virginia Weber, and Elisa Lee of counsel), for appellant. Gabor & Marotta LLC, Staten Island, N.Y. (Daniel C. Marotta and Ilyssa Gabor Florio of counsel), for respondent.
McKool Smith, P.C., New York, N.Y. (Natasha Romagnoli, James H. Smith, Virginia Weber, and Elisa Lee of counsel), for appellant.
Gabor & Marotta LLC, Staten Island, N.Y. (Daniel C. Marotta and Ilyssa Gabor Florio of counsel), for respondent.
ALAN D. SCHEINKMAN, P.J., WILLIAM F. MASTRO, JOSEPH J. MALTESE, BETSY BARROS, JJ.
DECISION & ORDER ORDERED that the order is affirmed insofar as appealed from, with costs.
The plaintiff, contending that he is the equitable owner of certain real property in Staten Island (hereinafter the property), commenced this action against the defendant Munzer Elayyan (hereinafter the defendant) and others, seeking to impose a constructive trust upon the property in the plaintiff's favor and for a declaration that the plaintiff is the property's beneficial and equitable owner. The defendant moved, inter alia, pursuant to CPLR 3211(a)(4) to dismiss the complaint insofar as asserted against him based on the existence of a prior pending action commenced by the plaintiff's brother and others against the defendant in New York County. In an order dated August 22, 2017, the Supreme Court, inter alia, denied that branch of the defendant's motion which was pursuant to CPLR 3211(a)(4) to dismiss the complaint insofar as asserted against him. The defendant appeals.
Under CPLR 3211(a)(4), a court has " ‘broad discretion in determining whether an action should be dismissed based upon another pending action where there is a substantial identity of the parties, the two actions are sufficiently similar, and the relief sought is substantially the same. It is not necessary that the precise legal theories presented in the first action also be presented in the second action so long as the relief ... is the same or substantially the same’ " ( Dec v. BFM Realty, LLC, 153 A.D.3d 497, 497, 59 N.Y.S.3d 453, quoting Swartz v. Swartz, 145 A.D.3d 818, 822, 44 N.Y.S.3d 452 ; see Whitney v. Whitney, 57 N.Y.2d 731, 732, 454 N.Y.S.2d 977, 440 N.E.2d 1324 ). Similarly, while a complete identity of parties is not a necessity for dismissal under CPLR 3211(a)(4) (see Proietto v. Donohue, 189 A.D.2d 807, 807, 592 N.Y.S.2d 457 ; Barringer v. Zgoda, 91 A.D.2d 811, 811, 458 N.Y.S.2d 42 ), there must at least be a "substantial" identity of parties, "which generally is present when at least one plaintiff and one defendant is common in each action" ( Morgulas v. Yudell Realty, 161 A.D.2d 211, 213, 554 N.Y.S.2d 597 ; see Cellino & Barnes, P.C. v. Law Off. of Christopher J. Cassar, P.C., 140 A.D.3d 1732, 1734, 35 N.Y.S.3d 606 ; Cherico, Cherico & Assoc. v. Midollo, 67 A.D.3d 622, 622, 886 N.Y.S.2d 914 ; Proietto v. Donohue, 189 A.D.2d at 807–808, 592 N.Y.S.2d 457 ).
Here, there is no common plaintiff in the New York County and Richmond County actions, as the former action was commenced by the plaintiff's brother and others, while the instant action was commenced by the plaintiff. Moreover, the subject matter of the two actions, although related, is not sufficiently similar to warrant the dismissal of the complaint in this action insofar as asserted against the defendant. The relief sought in each action is different, and the resolution of the former action would not necessarily resolve the instant plaintiff's claim of equitable ownership of the property (see generally Sprecher v. Thibodeau, 148 A.D.3d 654, 656, 53 N.Y.S.3d 13 ; Parker v. Rich, 140 A.D.2d 177, 178, 527 N.Y.S.2d 424 ; Corporate Inv. Co. v. Mount Vernon Metal Prods. Co., Inc., 206 App.Div. 273, 276, 200 N.Y.S. 372 ). Since there is no sufficiently substantial identity of parties and subject matter in the two actions, the Supreme Court providently exercised its discretion in denying that branch of the defendant's motion which was pursuant to CPLR 3211(a)(4) to dismiss the complaint insofar as asserted against him.
The defendant's remaining contentions are without merit.
SCHEINKMAN, P.J., MASTRO, MALTESE and BARROS, JJ., concur.