In Chechen v Spencer, 2009 NY Slip Op 09177 (2d Dept. 2009), law office failure (again) was discussed:
“After the plaintiff failed to appear at a scheduled status conference on November 7, 2007, the court scheduled another status conference to be held on December 11, 2007. The action was dismissed when the plaintiff failed to appear at the December 11, 2007, status conference (see 22 NYCRR 202.27[b]). To be relieved of the default in appearing at that conference, the plaintiff was required to show both a reasonable excuse for the default and the existence of a meritorious cause of action (see CPLR 5015[a][1]; Barnave v United Ambulette, Inc., 66 AD3d 620; Brownfield v Ferris, 49 AD3d 790, 791; Zeltser v Sacerdote, 24 AD3d 541, 542). The plaintiff’s counsel’s excuse of law office failure was vague and unsubstantiated and, thus, did not constitute a reasonable excuse for the default.”
Compare this to the First Department’s view on what is sufficient to demonstrate law office failure in order to show a reasonable excuse to open a default. See, Lamar v City of New York, 2009 NY Slip Op 08974 (1st Dept. 2009)
