Opinion
No. 2010–3003 K C.
2012-02-9
Maribel RAMOS, Respondent, v. DONSKOI REALTY, LLC, Appellant.
Present: WESTON, J.P., PESCE and RIOS, JJ.
Appeal from an order of the Civil Court of the City of New York, Kings County (Johnny Lee Baynes, J.), entered September 22, 2010. The order, following a hearing, denied defendant's motion to vacate a default judgment.
ORDERED that the order is affirmed, without costs.
Plaintiff commenced this small claims action to recover a security deposit. Defendant failed to appear for trial and a judgment was entered in favor of plaintiff. Thereafter, defendant moved to vacate the default judgment, and, in a supporting affidavit, its corporate officer proffered an excuse for the default and alleged, as a meritorious defense, that he was not a party to this action. Following a hearing, the Civil Court denied defendant's motion.
To warrant a vacatur of the default judgment, defendant was required to demonstrate a reasonable excuse for the default as well as a meritorious defense to the action ( seeCPLR 5015[a][1]; Eugene Di Lorenzo, Inc. v. A.C. Dutton Lbr. Co., 67 N.Y.2d 138, 140 [1986] ). We find that the vague statement by defendant's corporate officer, that he is not a party to the action, is insufficient to establish a meritorious defense ( see Todd Rotwein, D.P.M., P.C. v. Goodson, 23 Misc.3d 135[A], 2009 N.Y. Slip Op 50813 [U] [App Term, 9th & 10th Jud Dists 2009] ).
Accordingly, as substantial justice was done between the parties according to the rules and principles of substantive law (CCA 1804, 1807), the order is affirmed.