Key Takeaway
J.K.M. Med. Care v Interboro Insurance case analysis: provider's satisfaction case involving successive motions and judgment entry timing in no-fault benefits dispute.
J.K.M. Med. Care, P.C. v Interboro Ins. Co., 2016 NY Slip Op 26348 (App. Term 2d Dept. 2016)
(1) In this action by a provider to recover assigned first-party no-fault benefits, defendant moved for summary judgment dismissing the complaint on the ground that the action was barred by virtue of a November 21, 2011 judgment which had been entered against plaintiff in a declaratory judgment action in the Supreme Court, Nassau County. Plaintiff cross-moved for summary judgment. By order dated April 23, 2014, the Civil Court (Robin S. Garson, J.) denied defendant’s motion and granted plaintiff’s cross motion, directing plaintiff to enter judgment in the principal sum of $556.78, plus statutory interest and attorney’s fees. In July 2014, plaintiff submitted a proposed judgment in the total sum of $988.34. A judgment was ultimately entered on September 19, 2014 in the sum of $993.34.
(2) In August 2014, prior to the entry of judgment in this action, defendant moved for summary judgment dismissing the complaint, as the amount which was due and owing had been satisfied, or, in the alternative, in the event that a judgment had been entered while defendant’s motion was pending, for an order granting it a satisfaction of such entered judgment, pursuant to CPLR “5020 (c),” and plaintiff opposed the motion. By order entered April 23, 2015, the Civil Court (Robin Kelly Sheares, J.) denied defendant’s motion in its entirety on the ground that it was an improper successive motion for summary judgment.
(3) Although defendant’s second motion sought summary judgment dismissing the complaint, [*2]defendant sought such relief only in the event that no judgment had been entered while its motion was pending. Since a judgment had been entered on September 19, 2014, defendant’s request for primary relief in the form of summary judgment became academic, and, thus, the branch of defendant’s motion seeking the alternative relief requested, i.e., for an order, pursuant to CPLR 5021 (a) (2), directing the entry of a satisfaction of judgment, became operative. However, in denying defendant’s motion in its entirety, the Civil Court did not consider the merits of the branch of defendant’s motion seeking the alternative relief of the entry of a satisfaction of judgment. Consequently, the matter is remitted to the Civil Court for a determination thereof.
My review of the file shows there was an issue with the granted declaratory judgment action. The DJ action, however, was granted and a cost/disbursement judgment in the sum of $1200 was entered. Since the amount due and owing in no-fault benefits was less than that sum, the idea was issue to an offsetting partial satisfaction against the Supreme Court judgment. The Appellate Term punted. I suppose we will be back up next decade.
