MTGLQ INVESTORS v. United Jewish Organizations of Williamsburg Inc., Amicus Curiae. (2024)

Order, Supreme Court, New York County (Francis A. Kahn III, J.), entered November 15, 2023, which denied defendant's CPLR 5015 motion to vacate the judgment of foreclosure and sale, unanimously affirmed, with costs.

The motion court properly denied defendant's CPLR 5015(a) motion seeking to vacate the September 24, 2019 judgment of foreclosure and sale.  Defendant identified no applicable basis to vacate the judgment under CPLR 5015(a)(1) through (5).  While a court may vacate a judgment in the interests of substantial justice (Woodson v. Mendon Leasing Corp., 100 N.Y.2d 62, 68, 760 N.Y.S.2d 727, 790 N.E.2d 1156 [2003]), a change in the law by itself does not warrant vacatur in the interests of justice (see e.g. Redeye v. Progressive Ins. Co., 158 A.D.3d 1208, 1209, 71 N.Y.S.3d 233 [4th Dept. 2018]).  Moreover, there is no evidence in the record that the discontinuance of the 2005 proceeding in 2011, which acted to “de-accelerate” the loan, was rooted in “fraud, mistake, inadvertence, or excusable neglect” (see CPLR 5015(a);  (Go Sweat, LLC v. GRA Legal Title Trust 2013–1, U.S. Bank, N.A., 225 A.D.3d 486, 487, 205 N.Y.S.3d 386 [1st Dept. 2024] [internal quotation marks]).

The motion court also properly declined to treat defendant's motion as one to renew, as the motion was not specifically identified as such (see CPLR 2221[e][1];  People v. Adams, 219 A.D.3d 1178, 1183 n 2, 196 N.Y.S.3d 395 [1st Dept. 2023]).

Motion to file amicus curiae brief, granted.