BANK TRUST v. Commissioner of Jurors, et al., Defendants. (2024)

Order, Supreme Court, New York County (Francis A. Kahn, J.), entered on or about September 12, 2023, which, insofar as appealed from, denied defendant Doris Stewart's motion for leave to renew and to dismiss the complaint, unanimously affirmed, without costs.

Supreme Court found that New York's Foreclosure Abuse Prevention Act was inapplicable to this action (CPLR 214[4][a];  see Genovese v. Nationstar Mortgage LLC, 223 A.D.3d 37, 45, 199 N.Y.S.3d 513 [1st Dept. 2023]), a ruling defendant does not challenge on appeal.  Rather, defendant raises the issue of standing.  While that defense is contained in her answer, defendant did not raise the issue in any of the numerous dispositive motions she made in Supreme Court.  Accordingly, we decline to reach the issue for the first time on appeal.

Even if the issue were properly before us, US Bank Trust established standing at the commencement of the 2017 foreclosure action by attaching a copy of the note, endorsed in blank, to the complaint (see Bank of N.Y. Mellon v. Knowles, 151 A.D.3d 596, 596–597, 57 N.Y.S.3d 473 [1st Dept. 2017]).  Because the 2010 foreclosure action, which granted summary judgment in favor of defendant based on lack of standing, was not a final adjudication on the merits, plaintiff could properly assert standing in the 2017 foreclosure action (see 938 St. Nicholas Ave. Lender LLC v. 936–938 Cliffcrest Hous. Dev. Fund Corp., 218 A.D.3d 417, 417–418, 193 N.Y.S.3d 22 [1st Dept. 2023]).

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