Catch Me If You Can: The importance of an up-to-date address for Service of Process. – LawCURRENTS Fall 2023

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The defendant corporation was served with the Summons and Complaint through the New York Secretary of State, as reflected in the affidavit of service. As reflected in the certificate of service from the NYS Secretary of State, the defendant was served by certified mail at its designated address for service of process. A letter with copies of the Summons and Complaint was mailed to the defendant’s address. Thereafter, the motion for a default judgment was filed with the court and a copy thereof was served upon the defendant. None of the letters were returned. Based upon the defendant’s default, the court entered the Default Judgment.

Motion to vacate Default Judgment

The defendant corporation brought an Order to Show Cause seeking to vacate its default in answering the Summons and Complaint. The motion, brought pursuant to CPLR 5015(a), claimed that the defendant had both a reasonable excuse for the defendant’s failure in defaulting in answering the action and a meritorious defense. Attached to the motion was the affidavit of the corporation’s principal, who stated his reasons why the defendant did not respond to the action; namely, he claimed that he never received the Summons and Complaint or any of the mailings sent by the attorney’s office. The plaintiff’s attorney retained Richard A. Klass, Esq., Your Court Street Lawyer, to oppose the Order to Show Cause and request that the Default Judgment remain intact and enforceable.

Service of process under Business Corporation Law Section 306

CPLR 311(a)(1) delineates the methods of service of process upon a corporation as follows: “upon any domestic or foreign corporation, to an officer, director, managing or general agent, or cashier or assistant cashier or to any other agent authorized by appointment or by law to receive service. A business corporation may also be served pursuant to section three hundred six or three hundred seven of the business corporation law….”

The plaintiff used the method of service duly authorized by Business Corporation Law Section 306,[1] by having the Summons and Complaint served upon the NYS Secretary of State. The defendant could not challenge that service was made upon the NYS Secretary of State since the plaintiff was entitled to the well-established presumption of due service. See, Deutsche Bank Nat. Tr. Co. v Quinones, 114 AD3d 719, 719 [2d Dept 2014] (“A process server’s affidavit of service constitutes prima facie evidence of proper service (see Emigrant Mtge. Co., Inc. v. Westervelt, 105 A.D.3d 896, 897, 964 N.Y.S.2d 543; Wells Fargo Bank, NA v. Chaplin, 65 A.D.3d 588, 589, 884 N.Y.S.2d 254; Countrywide Home Loans Servicing, LP v. Albert, 78 A.D.3d 983, 984, 912 N.Y.S.2d 96).”)

The Second Department, in Wassertheil v Elburg, LLC, 94 AD3d 753, 753-54 [2d Dept 2012], enunciated the standard required to vacate a default based upon service of process upon the NYS Secretary of State:

To successfully oppose a motion for leave to enter a default judgment based on the failure to appear or timely serve an answer, a defendant must demonstrate a reasonable excuse for its delay and the existence of a potentially meritorious defense (see CPLR 5015[a][1]; Eugene Di Lorenzo, Inc. v. Dutton Lbr. Co., 67 N.Y.2d 138, 141, 501 N.Y.S.2d 8, 492 N.E.2d 116; 2261 Palmer Ave. Corp. v. Malick, 91 A.D.3d 853, 936 N.Y.S.2d 672; Kouzios v. Dery, 57 A.D.3d 949, 871 N.Y.S.2d 303; Baldwin v. Mateogarcia, 57 A.D.3d 594, 869 N.Y.S.2d 217). Here, the mere denial by Encore’s shareholder of service of the summons and the complaint was insufficient to rebut the presumption of proper service on the Secretary of State raised by the affidavit of service (see Business Corporation Law § 306 [b] [1]; Matter of Rockland Bakery, Inc. v. B.M. Baking Co., Inc., 83 A.D.3d 1080, 1081–1082, 923 N.Y.S.2d 572; Thas v. Dayrich Trading, Inc., 78 A.D.3d 1163, 1164, 913 N.Y.S.2d 269; May v. Hartsdale Manor Owners Corp., 73 A.D.3d 713, 900 N.Y.S.2d 359).

Based upon case law, a defendant’s mere denial of receipt of mail is insufficient. In his affidavit, the defendant’s principal surmised that he may not have received any notification from the Secretary of State as a result of the Governor’s Executive Orders concerning the pandemic pausing government services, and there could be a backlog. This was mere conjecture, and it was urged that the ‘pandemic excuse’ should be of no assistance to him. In addition to the failure to rebut the presumption of due service via the Secretary of State, there was no evidence to rebut the presumption of mailing from both the Secretary of State and the attorney’s office. See, Vita v Heller, 97 AD2d 464, 464 [2d Dept 1983] (“Service of papers by mail is deemed complete upon deposit of such papers in the mail and such manner of service creates a presumption of proper mailing to the addressee (CPLR 2103, subd. [b], par. 2; A & B Serv. Sta. v. State of New York, 50 A.D.2d 973, 376 N.Y.S.2d 656, mot. for lv. to app. den. 39 N.Y.2d 709, 386 N.Y.S.2d 1027, 352 N.E.2d 597). The burden then falls upon the addressee to present evidence sufficient to overcome the presumption and establish nonreceipt.”). Further, the denial of receipt of the Summons and Complaint from the Secretary of State was belied by the certificate of service.