North Fork Bank v. Grover

3 Misc. 3d 341, 773 N.Y.S.2d 231, 2004 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 105
CourtSuffolk County District Court
DecidedJanuary 23, 2004
StatusPublished

This text of 3 Misc. 3d 341 (North Fork Bank v. Grover) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Suffolk County District Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
North Fork Bank v. Grover, 3 Misc. 3d 341, 773 N.Y.S.2d 231, 2004 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 105 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2004).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

C. Stephen Hackeling, J.

[342]*342The above-captioned pro se defendant, Raymond Grover, moves this court pursuant to a sworn application dated August 4, 2003, seeking dismissal of the plaintiff North Fork Bank’s summons and complaint pending under index No. 3248-03, dated November 8, 2002, and filed with this court on July 14, 2003.

The Facts

The undisputed relevant facts before the court are as follows:

(a) Defendant was granted a traverse hearing concerning service of an identical summons and complaint pending under index No. 3915-02, which was scheduled for July 1, 2003.

(b) Immediately prior to the traverse hearing, inside the courtroom, but outside the presence of the judge, plaintiff’s counsel handed defendant a copy of the same summons and complaint that was the subject of the traverse hearing.

(c) Thereafter, plaintiff requested dismissal of its complaint filed under index No. 3915-02 when called to conduct the traverse hearing, advising the court that the issue of service was mooted by its just effected personal service. Plaintiff then purchased a new index No. 3248-03.

(d) The defendant protested personal service in the courthouse and the court did indicate to plaintiffs counsel that it did not consider such service appropriate and that the issue would be resolved in the event defendant raised same as affirmative defense.

The Issues Presented

Defendant’s pro se application filed August 4, 2003 requests dismissal of plaintiffs complaint, but fails to state a statutory predicate. The gravamen of the application seems to assert a “Courthouse Sanctuary” immunity from service defense in conjunction with a CPLR 3211 (a) (4) double proceeding prohibition.

The Law

(“Courthouse Sanctuary”)

Despite antagonistic dicta to the contrary, most modern era precedent dealing with the issue of “Courthouse Sanctuary” from service of process has held that New York State residents receive no such immunity protections. (Baumgartner v Baumgartner, 273 App Div 411 [1st Dept 1948]; Department of Hous. [343]*343Preserv. & Dev. of City of N.Y. v Koenigsberg, 133 Misc 2d 893 [Civ Ct, NY County 1986]; Ford Motor Credit Co. v Bobo, 1 Misc 3d 901 [A], 2003 NY Slip Op 51464[U] [Nassau Dist Ct, Miller, J.].) These cases hold that the courthouse sanctuary is only available to foreign state residents who come into New York’s courts to contest jurisdiction. This doctrine has been slightly expanded to include New York residents who enter the jurisdiction of a New York court of limited territorial jurisdiction to contest jurisdiction. (See Palazzo v Conforti, 50 NYS2d 706 [Civ Ct, NY County 1944]; Singer v Reising, 154 Misc 239 [Mun Ct, Queens County 1935].)

The Baumgartner Appellate Division panel (at 413) also acknowledges a limited “Courthouse Sanctuary” rule for New York residents if such service would “constitute a disturbance directly tending to interrupt the proceedings of the court or to impair the respect due to its authority.” This rule by itself would not be applicable to the instant case as service of process was effected in the courtroom but outside the court’s presence and in between calendar calls.

State Residency Immunity Distinction?

The English common law made no New York state residency distinction. The doctrine of immunity from arrest of a litigant attending a trial of an action to which he is a party found early recognition and dates back to the Year Book of 13 Henry IV, I, B (Sampson v Graves, 208 App Div 522 [1st Dept 1924]). This is for the obvious reason that England had no sovereign states. The privilege is not a creature of statute, but was created and deemed necessary for the due administration of justice. (See Matthews v Tufts, 87 NY 568, 570 [1882], citing Van Lieuw v Johnson, Ct App, Mar. 1871 [unreported].)

The logical question now arises, exactly when did New York’s appellate courts recognize a residency distinction for application of the “Courthouse Sanctuary”? The answer is that the Court of Appeals never established such a rule. In contra point of fact, the Court of Appeals has opined that

“[i]t is the policy of the law to protect suitors and witnesses from arrests upon civil process while coming to and attending the court and while returning home. Upon principle as well as upon authority their immunity from the service of process for the commencement of civil actions against them is absolute eundo, morando et redeundo.” (Person v Grier, 66 [344]*344NY 124, 125 [1876].)

In this unanimous opinion, the Court of Appeals expressly addressed. the New York State resident immunity distinction and established in its dicta (at 126) that “whether any distinction should or does in fact exist, is at least doubtful. This immunity is one of the necessities of the administration of justice, and courts would often be embarrassed if suitors or witnesses, while attending court, could be molested with process.” It is noted that Person involved a foreign state resident. In establishing the sanctuary doctrine, the Court stated that (at 125) “this rule is especially applicable in all its force to suitors and witnesses from foreign States . ...” By direct implication, the Court of Appeals is also applying the protective rule to New York residents.

The basis of the “Courthouse Sanctuary” rule is that parties should be allowed to contest jurisdiction without submitting to it. “Allowing Re-service . . . makes a mockery of the traverse hearing and essentially allows the plaintiff to use a defective default judgment as a weapon to compel the defendant to submit to service of process.” (Ford Motor Credit Co. v Bobo, supra at *2.) The location of an individual’s residence does little to legitimize such a mockery. Absent the compulsion of clear controlling precedent, this court will not condone such a situation.

CPLR 3211 (a) (4)

Defendant’s next challenge asserts the summons in No. 3248-03 should be dismissed as it is identical to the summons in No. 3915-02 as it was served while No. 3915 was pending. CPLR 3211 (a) (4) provides:

“R 3211. Motion to dismiss.
“(a) Motion to dismiss cause of action. A party may move for judgment dismissing one or more causes of action asserted against him on the ground that . . .
“(4) there is another action pending between the same parties for the same cause of action in a court of any state or the United States; the court need not dismiss upon this ground but may make such order as justice requires.”

This statute vests this court with broad discretion in considering whether to dismiss an action on the ground another action is pending between the parties. (Whitney v Whitney, 57 NY2d 731 [1982].)

The plaintiff’s affirmation in opposition dated October 10, 2003 asserts Siegel, NY Prac § 262 (3d ed) in support of its [345]*345argument against dismissal. Said affirmation acknowledges the existence of two separate and distinct index numbers for the subject two actions, and asserts that defendants cannot dismiss the same action for both jurisdictional and multiplicity reasons.

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Related

Person v. . Grier
66 N.Y. 124 (New York Court of Appeals, 1876)
Matthews v. . Tufts
87 N.Y. 568 (New York Court of Appeals, 1882)
Sampson v. Graves
208 A.D. 522 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1924)
Baumgartner v. Baumgartner
273 A.D. 411 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1948)
Whitney v. Whitney
440 N.E.2d 1324 (New York Court of Appeals, 1982)
Dashew v. Cantor
85 A.D.2d 619 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1981)
Lansford v. Lansford
96 A.D.2d 832 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1983)
Helfand v. Cohen
110 A.D.2d 751 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1985)
Singer v. Reising
154 Misc. 239 (City of New York Municipal Court, 1935)
Mayline Co. v. Liebman
118 Misc. 2d 251 (Civil Court of the City of New York, 1983)
Department of Housing Preservation & Development v. Koenigsberg
133 Misc. 2d 893 (Civil Court of the City of New York, 1986)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
3 Misc. 3d 341, 773 N.Y.S.2d 231, 2004 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 105, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/north-fork-bank-v-grover-nydistctsuffolk-2004.