George Banks, respondent, v. 29 LLC (2026)

Argued—December 8, 2025

DECISION & ORDER

A/

In an action to recover damages for personal injuries, the defendant 29 Buffalo Avenue, LLC, appeals from an order of the Supreme Court, Kings County (Gina Abadi, J.), entered May 31, 2022.  The order, insofar as appealed from, denied that branch of that defendant's motion which was pursuant to 22 NYCRR 130–1.1 to impose sanctions upon the plaintiff and the plaintiff's counsel, and for an award of costs, including attorneys' fees.

ORDERED that the appeal is dismissed, with costs.

The plaintiff commenced this action against the defendant 29 Buffalo Avenue, LLC (hereinafter the defendant), and another defendant, to recover damages for personal injuries.  The defendant moved, inter alia, pursuant to 22 NYCRR 130–1.1 to impose sanctions upon the plaintiff and the plaintiff's counsel, and for an award of costs, including attorneys' fees (hereinafter the sanctions motion), based on the plaintiff's counsel's alleged misrepresentations in an attorney affirmation submitted in support of the plaintiff's prior motion for leave to enter a default judgment against the defendant.  The plaintiff opposed the defendant's motion.  In an order entered May 31, 2022, the Supreme Court, among other things, denied that branch of the defendant's motion.  The defendant appeals.

It is the obligation of the appellant to assemble a proper record on appeal (see Matter of Loreti v. Lorcress Enters., Inc., 241 AD3d 935, 936;  Bing v. Myrtle 6, LLC, 227 AD3d 769, 770;  Babayev v. Kreitzman, 168 AD3d 655, 655).  “Generally speaking, ‘[a]n appellant's record on appeal must contain all of the relevant papers before the Supreme Court’ ” (Babayev v. Kreitzman, 168 AD3d at 655, quoting Gaffney v. Gaffney, 29 AD3d 857, 857;  see CPLR 5526).  “Appeals that are not based upon complete and proper records must be dismissed” (Bing v. Myrtle 6, LLC, 227 AD3d at 770 [internal quotation marks omitted];  see Matter of Loreti v. Lorcress Enters., Inc., 241 AD3d at 936).

Here, the defendant failed to include all relevant documents before the Supreme Court.  Among other things, the record on appeal does not include the plaintiff's opposition papers submitted on the sanctions motion.  Where, as here, meaningful appellate review of the court's determination is made virtually impossible because of the incomplete nature of the record submitted, dismissal of the appeal is the appropriate disposition (see Matter of Loreti v. Lorcress Enters., Inc., 241 AD3d at 936;  Bing v. Myrtle 6, LLC, 227 AD3d at 770).

We decline the plaintiff's request to impose sanctions upon the defendant in connection with this appeal (see 22 NYCRR 130–1.1).

GENOVESI, J.P., WAN, VENTURA and QUIRK, JJ., concur.

ENTER:

Darrell M. Joseph

Clerk of the Court