Washington Mutual Bank, FA v. Peak Health Club, Inc.

48 A.D.3d 793, 853 N.Y.S.2d 112
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedFebruary 26, 2008
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 48 A.D.3d 793 (Washington Mutual Bank, FA v. Peak Health Club, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Washington Mutual Bank, FA v. Peak Health Club, Inc., 48 A.D.3d 793, 853 N.Y.S.2d 112 (N.Y. Ct. App. 2008).

Opinion

[794]*794In two related actions, inter alia, to foreclose mortgages, Washington Mutual Bank, FA, appeals (1) from a decision of the Supreme Court, Nassau County (Warshawsky, J.), dated June 13, 2005, (2) from an order of the same court dated June 13, 2005, which granted the motion of A & N Planning Services, Inc., for summary judgment dismissing the complaint in action No. 1 and the third-party complaint insofar as asserted against it in action No. 2, and denied its cross motion for summary judgment declaring that its mortgage is superior in priority to the mortgage held by A & N Planning Services, Inc., and (3), as limited by its brief, from so much of an order of the same court dated June 30, 2005, as, upon the decision, granted that branch of the motion of Merrill Lynch Business Financial Services, Inc., which was for summary judgment on its cause of action to foreclose its mortgage, and denied its motion for summary judgment declaring that its mortgage is superior in priority to the mortgage held by Merrill Lynch Business Financial Services Inc.; and Peak Health Club, Inc., East Coast Athletic Club, Inc., and Arnold Marshel cross-appeal, as limited by their brief, from so much of the same order as granted that branch of the motion of Merrill Lynch Business Financial Services, Inc., which was for summary judgment on its cause of action to foreclose its mortgage, and denied their motion for summary judgment declaring that the mortgage held by Washington Mutual Bank, FA, is superior in priority to the mortgage held by Merrill Lynch Business Financial Services, Inc., and Arnold Marshel appeals, as limited by his brief, (1) from so much of an order of the same court dated December 9, 2005, as granted that branch of the motion of Washington Mutual Bank, FA, which was for summary judgment on the issue of liability on its causes of action against him to recover under a promissory note and guaranty, and (2) from so much of a money judgment of the same court entered March 29, 2006, as, upon the order dated December 9, 2005, is in favor of Washington Mutual Bank, FA, and against him in the principal sum of $3,750,142.45. The notice of appeal [795]*795by Arnold Marshel from the order dated December 9, 2005, is deemed to also be a notice of appeal from the money judgment dated March 29, 2006 (see CPLR 5501 [c]).

Ordered that the notice of appeal of Peak Health Club, Inc., East Coast Athletic Club, Inc., and Arnold Marshel from the decision is deemed to be a premature notice of appeal from the order dated June 30, 2005 (see CPLR 5520 [c]); and it is further,

Ordered that the appeal by Washington Mutual Bank, FA, from the decision is dismissed, as no appeal lies from a decision (see Schicchi v J.A. Green Constr. Corp., 100 AD2d 509, 509-510 [1984]); and it is further,

Ordered that the appeal by Washington Mutual Bank, FA, from so much of the order dated June 13, 2005, as granted that branch of the motion of A & N Planning Services, Inc., which was for summary judgment dismissing the third-party complaint insofar as asserted against it in action No. 2 is dismissed; and it is further,

Ordered that the order dated June 13, 2005 is affirmed insofar as reviewed; and it is further,

Ordered that the appeals from the orders dated June 30, 2005 and December 9, 2005 are dismissed; and it is further,

Ordered that the money judgment is affirmed insofar as appealed from; and it is further,

Ordered that one bill of costs is awarded to A & N Planning Services, Inc., payable by Washington Mutual Bank, FA, one bill of costs is awarded to Merrill Lynch Business Financial Services, Inc., payable by Washington Mutual Bank, FA, Peak Health Club, Inc., East Coast Athletic Club, Inc., and Arnold Marshel, and one bill of costs is awarded to Washington Mutual Bank, FA, payable by Arnold Marshel.

The appeal by Washington Mutual Bank, FA, from so much of the order dated June 13, 2005 as granted that branch of the motion of A & N Planning Services, Inc., which was for summary judgment dismissing the third-party complaint insofar as asserted against it in action No. 2, and the appeal and cross appeal from the order dated June 30, 2005, must be dismissed, because the right of direct appeal and cross appeal therefrom terminated with the entry of an order and judgment of foreclosure and sale entered August 7, 2006 (see Matter of Aho, 39 NY2d 241, 248 [1976]). The issues raised on those appeals and cross appeal are brought up for review and have been considered on the appeal and cross appeal from that order and judgment of foreclosure and sale (see Merrill Lynch Bus. Fin. Servs., Inc. v Peak Health Club, Inc., 48 AD3d 763 [2008] [decided herewith]).

[796]*796The appeal from so much of the order dated December 9, 2005 as granted that branch of the motion of Washington Mutual Bank, FA, which was for summary judgment on the issue of liability on its causes of action against Arnold Marshel to recover under a promissory note and guaranty must be dismissed because the right of direct appeal therefrom terminated with the entry of the money judgment (see Matter of Aho, 39 NY2d 241, 248 [1976]). The issues raised on the appeal from that provision of the order are brought up for review and have been considered on the appeal from the money judgment (see CPLR 5501 [a] [1]).

The instant appeals raise, among other issues, the priority of mortgages held by two different mortgagees on the same parcel of land (hereinafter the premises). One of those mortgages is held by Washington Mutual Bank, FA (hereinafter WaMu). The other is held by Merrill Lynch Business Financial Services, Inc. (hereinafter Merrill Lynch).

In 1998 East Coast Athletic Club, Inc. (hereinafter East Coast), operated a health club that was located on premises owned by Peak Health Club, Inc. (hereinafter Peak). Arnold Marshel owned East Coast and Peak.

By note dated July 14, 1998, East Coast borrowed the sum of $3,250,000 from Dime Savings Bank of New York, FSB (hereinafter Dime), which bank would later merge with, and be succeeded by, WaMu. In order to obtain the loan, Peak had to convey the premises to East Coast, and Peak did so.

To secure the loan, East Coast also granted Dime a mortgage on the premises. The “mortgage and security agreement” required Marshel to record the mortgage and Peak’s deed to East Coast, and provided that if he did not do so, this would constitute an “event of default.” The agreement also prohibited Marshel from conveying or mortgaging the premises without first obtaining Dime’s consent, and provided that if he conveyed or mortgaged the premises without first obtaining Dime’s consent, this would also constitute an event of default. If any event of default occurred, Dime would have the option of accelerating payment of all principal and interest due under the note, or foreclosing its mortgage.

Marshel executed the note as “principal of Maker,” and executed the mortgage and security agreement as “Principal of Mortgagor.” In this regard, an “exculpation provision” in the mortgage and security agreement provided that “Mortgagor and any Principal of Mortgagor shall in any event be and shall remain personally liable for each of the matters” that would constitute events of default.

[797]*797On May 17, 2001 Marshel sold his interest in Peak and East Coast to Paragon Resorts, Inc., which was owned by Dennis Pilotti, Sr. Marshel did not advise WaMu about the sale.

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Bluebook (online)
48 A.D.3d 793, 853 N.Y.S.2d 112, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/washington-mutual-bank-fa-v-peak-health-club-inc-nyappdiv-2008.