MLF3 Airitan LLC v. 2338 Second Avenue Mazal LLC

55 Misc. 3d 241, 45 N.Y.S.3d 759
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 4, 2016
StatusPublished

This text of 55 Misc. 3d 241 (MLF3 Airitan LLC v. 2338 Second Avenue Mazal LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
MLF3 Airitan LLC v. 2338 Second Avenue Mazal LLC, 55 Misc. 3d 241, 45 N.Y.S.3d 759 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2016).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Anil C. Singh, J.

In this action for, inter alia, breach of fiduciary duty and trust fund diversion, plaintiffs move for a declaratory judgment (i) directing the defendants to account for all trust assets received relating to the projects; (ii) seeking damages for the costs of labor, materials and services furnished in the performance of the contracts related to the improvement of the projects; and (iii) directing the defendants that the mechanic’s liens have priority over Bank Leumi USA’s liens and/or claims against the HAP2 and HAP3 projects. In motion sequence No. 001, defendant Bank Leumi opposes and cross-moves for an order dismissing plaintiffs’ claims pursuant to CPLR 3211 (a) (1) for defenses founded upon documentary evidence, CPLR 3211 (a) (4) on the basis that there is another action pending between the same parties for the same cause of action, and CPLR 3211 (a) (7) for failure to state a cause of action. In motion sequence No. 002, defendants 2338 Second Avenue Mazal LLC, 167th Street Mazal LLC, Eran Polack, Amir Hasid, and Nir Am sel oppose and cross-move for an order dismissing plaintiffs’ claims pursuant to CPLR 3211 (a) (1) for defenses founded upon documentary evidence, CPLR 3211 (a) (4) on the basis that there is another action pending between the same parties for the same cause of action and CPLR 3211 (a) (8) for lack of jurisdiction.1 Plaintiffs cross-move pursuant to Lien Law §§ 73 and 77 (3) (a) (i) for an interim accounting and CPLR 602 for consolidation. Motion sequence No. 001 and No. 002 have been consolidated for purposes of this decision and order.

Facts

MLF3 Airitan LLC, as assignee of Airitan Management Corp., and MLF3 DC LLC, as assignee of Danya Cebus Construction, LLC (collectively, plaintiffs), commenced this declaratory judgment and Lien Law article 3-A trust fund diversion action for an accounting and to recover damages against 2338 Second Avenue Mazal LLC, 167th Street Mazal LLC, Eran Polack, Amir Hasid, Nir Amsel, Bank Leumi USA, and John Doe numbers 1 through 10 (collectively, defendants).

[244]*244The claim relates to the real properties located at 2338 Second Avenue, New York, New York (the HAP2 project) and 446-448 West 167th Street, New York, New York (the HAP3 project). Airitan Management Corp. (Airitan) entered into a contract to perform construction management services and furnish labor and materials for the construction of a new residential building at both the HAP2 project and HAP3 project sites. Danya Cebus Construction, LLC (Danya) joined Airitan as construction manager on these projects. Due to various delays with the project allegedly caused by defendants 2338 Second Avenue Mazal LLC and 167th Street Mazal LLC, both Airitan and Danya filed mechanic’s liens against the projects.2 Airitan subsequently assigned its rights in the liens to plaintiff MLF3 Airitan LLC, while Danya assigned its liens to plaintiff MLF3 DC LLC.

Plaintiffs seek a declaratory judgment that the mechanic’s liens have priority over Bank Leumi’s liens due to the bank’s alleged failure to file a proper notice of lending for the HAP3 building loan agreement under section 22 of the Lien Law. (See complaint ¶¶ 103-107.) Plaintiffs are also seeking a declaratory judgment that the mechanic’s liens have priority over Bank Leumi’s liens based on the allegation that the bank consented to material modifications of the HAP2 and HAP3 building loan agreements and failed to timely file amended Lien Law § 22 affidavits for the loans. (See complaint ¶¶ 109, 114-117.) Finally, plaintiffs seek a declaratory judgment that the mechanic’s liens have priority over the aggregate amount of all advances made by Bank Leumi pursuant to the making of HAP2 and HAP3 advances by Bank Leumi after the filing of each of the mechanic’s liens. (See complaint ¶¶ 121-122.)

Plaintiffs have filed a cross motion claiming that they are entitled to an interim accounting pursuant to Lien Law §§73 and 77 (3) (a) (i). Plaintiffs also contend that if the court finds that the facts, legal issues, and parties in the two actions are sufficiently similar, consolidation pursuant to CPLR 602 rather than dismissal pursuant to CPLR 3211 (a) (4) is appropriate.

[245]*245Analysis

Standard for a Motion to Dismiss

On a motion to dismiss based on the ground that the defenses are founded upon documentary evidence pursuant to CPLR 3211 (a) (1), the evidence must be unambiguous, authentic, and undeniable. (See Fontanetta v John Doe 1, 73 AD3d 78 [2d Dept 2010].) “To succeed on a [CPLR 3211 (a) (1)] motion ... a defendant must show that the documentary evidence upon which the motion is predicated resolves all factual issues as a matter of law and definitively disposes of the plaintiff’s claim.” (Ozdemir v Caithness Corp., 285 AD2d 961, 963 [3d Dept 2001], lv denied 97 NY2d 605 [2001].) Alternatively, “documentary evidence [must] utterly refute[ ] plaintiff’s factual allegations, conclusively establishing a defense as a matter of law.” (See Goshen v Mutual Life Ins. Co. of N.Y., 98 NY2d 314, 326 [2002].)

On a motion to dismiss a complaint where there is another action pending between the same parties for the same cause of action in a court of any state pursuant to CPLR 3211 (a) (4), a court has broad discretion in determining whether an action should be dismissed. (See Whitney v Whitney, 57 NY2d 731, 732 [1982]; Scottsdale Ins. Co. v Indemnity Ins. Corp. RRG, 110 AD3d 783, 784 [2d Dept 2013]; Kent Dev. Co. v Liccione, 37 NY2d 899, 901 [1975].) “The critical element is that both suits arise out of the same subject matter or series of alleged wrongs.” (Cherico, Cherico & Assoc. v Midollo, 67 AD3d 622, 622 [2d Dept 2009] [internal quotation marks omitted].)

On a motion to dismiss a complaint for failure to state a cause of action pursuant to CPLR 3211 (a) (7), all factual allegations must be accepted as true, the complaint must be construed in the light most favorable to plaintiffs, and plaintiffs must be given the benefit of all reasonable inferences. (Allianz Underwriters Ins. Co. v Landmark Ins. Co., 13 AD3d 172, 174 [1st Dept 2004].) The court determines only whether the facts as alleged fit within any cognizable legal theory. (Leon v Martinez, 84 NY2d 83, 87-88 [1994].) The court must deny a motion to dismiss “if from the pleadings’ four corners factual allegations are discerned which taken together manifest any cause of action cognizable at law.” (511 W. 232nd Owners Corp. v Jennifer Realty Co., 98 NY2d 144, 152 [2002] [internal quotation marks omitted].)

“[Nevertheless, allegations consisting of bare legal conclusions, as well as factual claims either inherently incredible or contradicted by documentary evidence, are not entitled to such [246]*246consideration.” (Quatrochi v Citibank, 210 AD2d 53, 53 [1st Dept 1994] [citation omitted].)

Fourth Cause of Action as to Whether an Error in a Notice of Lending Results in Loss of Priority for a Building Loan Mortgage

Bank Leumi’s motion to dismiss pursuant to CPLR 3211 (a) (7) is granted as to plaintiffs’ fourth cause of action for a declaratory judgment. Plaintiffs seek a declaratory judgment that the mechanic’s liens have priority over Bank Leumi’s liens due to the bank’s failure to file a proper notice of lending for the HAP3 building loan agreement.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
55 Misc. 3d 241, 45 N.Y.S.3d 759, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mlf3-airitan-llc-v-2338-second-avenue-mazal-llc-nysupct-2016.