VARADERO MASTER FUND v. GOMEZ (2023)

Judgment, Supreme Court, New York County (Debra A. James, J.), entered January 13, 2023, awarding a money judgment in plaintiff's favor, and bringing up for review an amended order, same court and Justice, entered December 22, 2022, which granted plaintiff's motion for summary judgment in lieu of complaint, unanimously affirmed, with costs.

Plaintiff demonstrated its entitlement to relief under CPLR 3213 when it established “the existence of the guaranty, the underlying debt and the guarantor's failure to perform under the guaranty,” as defendant acknowledged that the existence of the promissory note between his company and plaintiff, defendant's unconditional guaranty of the note, and the payments made to plaintiff were not in dispute (see Cooperatieve Centrale Raiffeisen–Boerenleenbank, B.A., “Rabobank Intl.,” N.Y. Branch v. Navarro, 25 N.Y.3d 485, 492, 15 N.Y.S.3d 277, 36 N.E.3d 80 [2015]).  Although the underlying transactions that ultimately resulted in the promissory note may have been complex, recourse to those terms is unnecessary to enforce the guaranty here, as the note states that it superseded all prior agreements between the parties and expressly referenced defendant's unconditional guaranty of the note, executed the same day, which waived all defenses, including those raised by defendant here (cf.  PDL Biopharma, Inc. v. Wohlstadter, 147 A.D.3d 494, 47 N.Y.S.3d 25 [1st Dept. 2017]).

Contrary to defendant's further contention, the guaranty specifically states that no notice to or recourse against the note is required for plaintiff to proceed against defendant on the guaranty.  Nor did the guaranty of the note's performance obligations create a condition precedent or otherwise render the “promise to pay something other than unconditional” to warrant denial of plaintiff's motion (see e.g. iPayment, Inc. v. Silverman, 192 A.D.3d 586, 587, 146 N.Y.S.3d 51 [1st Dept. 2021], lv dismissed 37 N.Y.3d 1020, 154 N.Y.S.3d 27, 175 N.E.3d 909 [2021]).

We have considered defendant's remaining contentions and find them unavailing.