U.S. Bank Tr. v. Casey

2022 NY Slip Op 02450

U.S. Bank Trust, N.A., etc., respondent, v. Kevin Casey, appellant, et al., defendants.

No. 2019-02508 , Index No. 610063/16

Supreme Court of New York, Second Department

April 13, 2022

Kevin Casey, Brightwaters, NY, appellant pro se.

Day Pitney LLP, New York, NY (Christina A. Livorsi, Richard J Galati, Jr., and Michael Fialkoff of counsel), for respondent.

VALERIE BRATHWAITE NELSON, J.P. REINALDO E. RIVERA PAUL WOOTEN JOSEPH A. ZAYAS, JJ.

DECISION & ORDER

In an action to foreclose a mortgage, the defendant Kevin Casey appeals from (1) an order of the Supreme Court, Suffolk County (Howard H. Heckman, J.), dated December 21, 2018, and (2) an order and judgment of foreclosure and sale (one paper) of the same court entered May 29, 2019. The order, insofar as appealed from, granted those branches of the plaintiff's motion which were for summary judgment on the complaint insofar as asserted against the defendant Kevin Casey, to strike his answer, and for an order of reference. The order and judgment of foreclosure and sale, upon the order, among other things, confirmed the referee's report and directed the sale of the subject property.

ORDERED that the appeal from the order is dismissed; and it is further, ORDERED that the order and judgment of foreclosure and sale is affirmed; and it is further, ORDERED that one bill of costs is awarded to the plaintiff.

The appeal from the order must be dismissed because the right of direct appeal therefrom terminated with the entry of the order and judgment of foreclosure and sale in the action (see Matter of Aho, 39 N.Y.2d 241, 248, 347). The issues raised on the appeal from the order are brought up for review and have been considered on the appeal from the order and judgment of foreclosure and sale (see CPLR 5501[a][1]).

In January 2005, Kevin Casey (hereinafter the defendant) and Cynthia Casey executed a note in the amount of $436, 000 in favor of Washington Mutual Bank, FA, the plaintiff's predecessor in interest, which was secured by a mortgage on certain real property located in Brightwaters.

In July 2016, the plaintiff commenced this foreclosure action. The defendant interposed an answer asserting several affirmative defenses, including lack of standing. The plaintiff subsequently moved, inter alia, for summary judgment on the complaint insofar as asserted against the defendant, to strike his answer, and for an order of reference. The Supreme Court, among other things, granted those branches of the plaintiff's motion and appointed a referee to compute the amount due to the plaintiff.

In April 2019, the plaintiff moved, inter alia, to confirm the referee's report and for a judgment of foreclosure...