Opinion
Harris Beach PLLC, Pittsford (Douglas A. Foss of Counsel), for Plaintiffs-Appellants and Respondent-Appellant.
Gilberti Stinziano Heintz & Smith, P.C., Syracuse (Kevin G. Roe of Counsel), for Defendant-Respondent Carousel Center Company, L.P.
Hiscock & Barclay, LLP, Buffalo (Mark R. McNamara of Counsel), for Defendant-Respondent and Petitioner-Respondent City of Syracuse Industrial Development Agency.
[893 N.Y.S.2d 396] PRESENT: SMITH, J.P., PERADOTTO, GREEN, PINE, AND GORSKI, JJ.
MEMORANDUM:
LT Propco, LLC, the plaintiff in action No. 1, and Lord & Taylor Carousel, Inc., the plaintiff in action No. 2 and the respondent in proceeding No. 1 pursuant to EDPL article 5 (collectively, plaintiffs), appeal from an order that, inter alia, conditionally granted the motion of defendants in action Nos. 1 and 2 seeking to dismiss the EDPL article 5 proceeding unless LT Propco, LLC joined its mortgagees as necessary parties therein ( LT Propco, LLC v. Carousel Ctr. Co. LP, 20 Misc.3d 1124(A), 2008 WL 2875314). We agree with plaintiffs that the mortgagees are not necessary parties to the EDPL article 5 proceeding at issue ( see generally CPLR 1001, 1003), and we therefore modify the order accordingly. Because New York operates under a lien theory as opposed to a title theory with respect to mortgages, " the language used in the assignment instrument itself is not determinative of what rights are actually transferred" ( Dream Team Assoc., LLC v. Broadway City, LLC, 2003 N.Y. Slip Op. 50894(U), *6, 2003 WL 21203342; see Mooney v. Byrne, 163 N.Y. 86, 91, 57 N.E. 163, rearg. denied 164 N.Y. 585, 58 N.E. 1090; Leonia Bank v. Kouri, 3 A.D.3d 213, 216-217, 772 N.Y.S.2d 251; Ganbaum v. Rockwood Realty Corp., 62 Misc.2d 391, 395, 308 N.Y.S.2d 436). Here, upon reviewing the assignment agreement between LT Propco, LLC and its mortgagees as a whole, we conclude that it is clear therefrom that the assignment of any rights to the mortgagees was for the purpose of securing the repayment of debt owed ( see generally Matter of Westmoreland Coal Co. v. Entech, Inc., 100 N.Y.2d 352, 358, 763 N.Y.S.2d 525, 794 N.E.2d 667).
It is hereby ORDERED that the order so appealed from is unanimously modified on the law by vacating those parts providing that LT Propco, LLC join certain indispensable or necessary parties and by providing in the third ordering paragraph that the motion is denied and as modified the order is affirmed without costs.