Heilig v. Maron-Ames

25 Misc. 3d 838
CourtCivil Court of the City of New York
DecidedAugust 24, 2009
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 25 Misc. 3d 838 (Heilig v. Maron-Ames) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Civil Court of the City of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Heilig v. Maron-Ames, 25 Misc. 3d 838 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2009).

Opinion

[839]*839OPINION OF THE COURT

Lisa S. Ottley, J.

On March 31, 2009, the plaintiffs, appearing pro se, moved for an order granting summary judgment and for a protective order quashing defendant’s notice to take deposition of plaintiffs Heidi Heilig and Scott Hills. The defendant cross-moved for summary judgment. Both parties argued that there is no dispute as to any material fact.

Plaintiffs commenced this action against the defendant seeking to enforce the terms of a contract of sale entered into between the plaintiffs and the defendant for the sale of a cooperative apartment. The dispute arose as a result of the defendant’s inability to purchase the cooperative apartment. The contract was cancelled and the plaintiffs allege that as a result of the defendant’s breach, they have incurred damages in the amount of $25,000.

The defendant, Sharon Maron-Ames, entered into a contract with the plaintiffs to purchase their cooperative apartment. The contract was fully executed on February 23, 2009. In accordance with the contract the defendant paid a $26,500 down payment to her attorneys, Pearlman, Apat & Futterman, LLP, as escrowee. The contract of sale was conditioned upon the defendant obtaining a mortgage commitment. On March 5, 2009, the defendant received a commitment letter from Wells Fargo Bank which was subject to general loan conditions. On March 20, 2009, the defendant was laid off from her place of employment. As a result of her change in employment, on March 27, 2009, Wells Fargo Bank issued a “Notice of Action Taken and Statement of Reasons” letter to defendant informing her that the bank was unable to approve the application as a result of “length of employment and temporary or irregular employment.” Thereafter, the defendant notified the plaintiffs that she was cancelling the contract of sale, and requested a return of her down payment.

Plaintiffs argue that the defendant is not entitled to the return of her down payment as a result of her lack of employment under the terms of the contract. Specifically, paragraphs 18.3.1 and 18.3.7 do not allow cancellation of the contract if her financial condition changes. Paragraph 18.3.1 reads as follows:

“[P]rovided Purchaser has complied with all applicable provisions of 18.2 and this 18.3, Purchaser may cancel this Contract as set forth below, if
[840]*840“18.3.1.1 any Institutional Lender denies Purchaser application in writing prior to the Loan Commitment Date ... or
“18.3.1.2 a Loan Commitment Letter is not issued by the Institutional Lender on or Before the Loan Commitment Date; or
“18.3.1.3 any requirement of the Loan Commitment Letter other than once concerning Purchaser is not met (e.g. failure of Corporation to execute and deliver the Institutional Lender’s recognition agreement or other document, financial condition of the Corporation, owner occupancy quota, etc.) or “18.3.1.4 (i) the Closing is adjourned by Seller or the Corporation for more than 30 business days from the Scheduled Closing Date and (ii) the Loan Commitment Letter expires on a date more than 30 business days after the Scheduled Closing Date and before the new date set for Closing pursuant to this 1f and (iii) Purchaser is unable in good faith to obtain from the Institutional Lender an extension of the Loan Commitment letter.”

Paragraph 18.3.7 reads:

“Purchaser cannot cancel this Contract pursuant to 18.3.1.4 and cannot obtain a refund of the Contract Deposit if the Institutional Lender fails to fund the loan:
“18.3.7.1 because a requirement of the Loan Commitment Letter concerning Purchase is not met (e.g., Purchaser’s financial condition or employment status suffers an adverse change; purchaser fails to satisfy a condition relating to the sale of an existing residence, etc.).”

Furthermore, plaintiffs argue that there is no justification for the cancellation of the contract, not even pursuant to paragraph 57 of the rider, as argued by defendant because the lack of employment was a willful act by defendant. In addition, plaintiffs argue that the defendant’s lack of employment, whether purposeful or not, is a failure to meet a reasonable requirement of the lender and constitutes a willful act under the contract. Plaintiffs also argue that the defendant’s lack of employment and reason for losing her job is subjective and irrelevant given the definition of “willful acts” under the contract of sale.

In opposition to plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment and in support of her cross motion for summary judgment, the de[841]*841fendant argues that paragraphs 18.3.1 and 18.3.7 are not the controlling paragraphs under the terms of the contract. Defendant argues that paragraph 57 of the rider controls the cancellation terms of the contract. Paragraph 57 of the rider states as follows:

“Notwithstanding paragraph 18 of the Contract of Sale, in the event that after issuance of a commitment letter, lender withdraws said commitment letter and refuses to fund the loan for reasons not due to purchaser’s willful acts, (purchaser’s willful acts shall mean, purchaser’s failure to meet any of the requirements reasonably required by lender or failure to cooperate with lender’s reasonable requests or requirements) purchaser shall have the right to cancel the Contract and shall be entitled to the return of the down-payment after notice of the above is given to seller’s attorney. In the event of such withdrawal by the lender, purchaser must notify the seller of the withdrawal and her intent to cancel the Contract within 7 business days.”

Defendant argues that she complied with the terms of the contract by securing a loan commitment letter, and that as a result of her being laid off from her job, the bank refused to approve the loan. Defendant further argues that paragraph 57 eliminates the risk to the purchaser of a mortgage commitment being withdrawn through no fault of the purchaser, with the only exception being the purchaser’s willful act causing the mortgage commitment to be withdrawn.

After giving careful consideration to oral arguments and written submissions on the motion and cross motion, the court finds that a typewritten rider, which is drafted as a supplement to a preprinted contract, controls over any conflicting portions of the preprinted contract. (See Home Fed. Sav. Bank v Sayegh, 250 AD2d 646 [1998].) In the case at bar, there were two riders to the contract of sale. The first rider, as well as the second rider having been fully executed by the parties, states as follows:

“Paragraph 33. Rider to Contract. In the event of any inconsistency between the provisions of the preprinted form of this Contract and this Rider, the provisions of this Rider shall govern and be binding. The term Contract as used in the pre-printed portion is hereby deemed to include the provisions contained in this Rider.”

[842]*842Paragraph 49 of the second rider states: “In the event of any inconsistency between the provisions of this Second Rider and the provisions of the printed form or the provisions of the First Rider to which it is annexed, the provisions of the Second Rider[ ] shall govern and be binding.”

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Bluebook (online)
25 Misc. 3d 838, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/heilig-v-maron-ames-nycivct-2009.