Justice Frances Francois Rivera sitting in a Supreme Court Part in Kings County recently had a case involving JP Morgan Chase Bank and a Mr. Birica. JP Morgan Chase Bank had started a foreclosure lawsuit in Kings County. The lawsuit claimed that Mr. Birica was the owner of the property involved in the foreclosure. It further stated in the Summons and Complaint he was also the individual who executed the personal loan documents and mortgage documents with regard to the property. The attorneys for JP Morgan Chase took the position Mr. Birica had defaulted on his payments with regard to the mortgage.
Vacating the Default Judgment
Mr. Birica brought an application to vacate the default and he submitted a Notice of Appearance and Verified Answer to the Complaint in the foreclosure lawsuit brought by JP Morgan Chase. In addition, he brought an application to dismiss JP Morgan Chase’s Complaint based on the theory that Chase lacked legal standing to bring the lawsuit and they had failed to properly serve the Summons and Complaint in the foreclosure proceeding on her.
The attorneys for Birica submitted a motion to the court which claimed she did not receive a copy of the Summons and Complaint in a timely manner. She therefore was unable to answer it. She claimed she resided in Rye, New York and the Summons and Complaint was served to an address in Queens, New York. The attorneys for Chase presented documentation that their process server had served Birica at an address in Rego Park by delivering a copy of the Summons and Complaint to her daughter and by thereafter mailing a copy to the address in Rego Park.
Judge Francois Rivera in ruling on the applications made by the attorneys for Birica found JP Morgan Chase did not meet its burden of proof establishing the Summons and Complaint in the foreclosure proceeding were properly delivered or mailed to Ms. Birica’s dwelling. He therefore dismissed the foreclosure lawsuit.
Conclusion
Financial institutions are held to a very high standard with regard to obtaining personal jurisdiction of individuals in foreclosure lawsuits.
Elliot S. Schlissel is a foreclosure defense attorney with more than 45 years of legal experience. His office has helped scores of families in the Metropolitan New York area stay in their homes. Elliot has previously been the President of the Commercial Lawyers Conference of New York, a creditors Bar Association, and he has extensive experience in litigating foreclosure defense cases and helping his clients obtain mortgage modifications.
