KOUZIOS v. DERY (2008)

In an action to recover damages for injury to property, the defendant appeals from an order of the Supreme Court, Queens County (Markey, J.), dated February 28, 2008, which granted the plaintiffs' motion for leave to enter a default judgment on the issue of liability upon the defendant's failure to answer and to set the matter down for an inquest on the issue of damages.

ORDERED that the order is affirmed, with costs.

 The Supreme Court providently exercised its discretion in granting the plaintiffs' motion for leave to enter a default judgment on the issue of liability upon the defendant's failure to answer and to set the matter down for an inquest on the issue of damages.   To successfully oppose the plaintiffs' motion, the defendant was required to demonstrate a reasonable excuse for his default and the existence of a meritorious defense (see CPLR 5015[a][1];  Giovanelli v. Rivera, 23 A.D.3d 616, 804 N.Y.S.2d 817;  Mjahdi v. Maguire, 21 A.D.3d 1067, 1068, 802 N.Y.S.2d 700;  Thompson v. Steuben Realty Corp., 18 A.D.3d 864, 865, 795 N.Y.S.2d 470;  Dinstber v. Fludd, 2 A.D.3d 670, 671, 768 N.Y.S.2d 633).   Although a court has the discretion to accept law office failure as a reasonable excuse (see CPLR 2005), the defendant's conclusory, undetailed, and uncorroborated claim of law office failure did not amount to a reasonable excuse (see Matter of ELRAC, Inc. v. Holder, 31 A.D.3d 636, 637, 817 N.Y.S.2d 916;  McClaren v. Bell Atl., 30 A.D.3d 569, 817 N.Y.S.2d 395;  Matter of Denton v. City of Mount Vernon, 30 A.D.3d 600, 601, 817 N.Y.S.2d 140;  Solomon v. Ramlall, 18 A.D.3d 461, 795 N.Y.S.2d 76).   Moreover, the Supreme Court providently exercised its discretion in rejecting the defendant's further claim that he assumed that he did not need to answer the complaint because of purported settlement negotiations (see Antoine v. Bee, 26 A.D.3d 306, 812 N.Y.S.2d 557;   Majestic Clothing Inc. v. East Coast Stor., LLC, 18 A.D.3d 516, 518, 795 N.Y.S.2d 289).   Furthermore, the defendant failed to demonstrate the existence of a meritorious defense.