Moshe v Country-Wide Ins. Co.. 2018 NY Slip Op 28220 (Dis. Ct. Nassau Co. 2018)
(1) “Plaintiffs bring this plenary action to recover the sum of $10,906.14, said sum being the balance of monies claimed due as loss of earning for Moshe’s appearance at a November 10, 2015 examination under oath (EUO or deposition) taken in the context of first-party no-fault insurance claim(s) submitted by Excel Surgery Center, LLC (Excel) of which Moshe is owner.”
(2) “In support thereof, and as previously requested by Country-Wide’s counsel (Complaint at ¶ 22), Excel’s counsel provided a redacted copy of Moshe’s 2014 joint federal tax return which showed $320,000.00 in “Wages, salaries tips, etc.” and an additional $2,604,942.00 in “Rental real estate, royalties, partnerships, S corporations, trusts, etc.” (Complaint at ¶ 24; defendant’s Exhibit D [tax return]”
(3) “The within action was subsequently brought by plaintiffs seeking recovery of the difference between Moshe’s demand ($12,186.14) and Country-Wide’s payment ($1,280.00). The issue now before the court is whether plaintiff Moshe should be compelled to appear for a “second” deposition, this time addressing how he calculates the $10,906.14, as the unpaid balance still due him for his loss of earnings incurred by his appearance at first deposition.
() Plaintiffs oppose defendant’s current notice to again depose plaintiff Moshe contending that the first deposition should have included the “loss of earnings” issue. In effect, plaintiffs would have this court find that defendant’s failure to address the loss of earnings issue in the context of the first-party no-fault claim constitutes a waiver of defendant’s right to now depose him in the context of this action.
(5) “Nevertheless, the within plenary action remains an adjunct of the prior claim for first-party no-fault benefits. There is no dispute that Moshe is entitled to be paid for the financial impact of appearing at the first deposition. To now permit a second deposition to be held over a dispute regarding the amount of that impact has the practical effect of reducing by roughly half the recovery intended to be protected by 22 NYCRR § 65-3.5[e]. This is so regardless of which party ultimately prevails in fixing the amount of Moshe’s loss of earnings for his appearance at the first deposition.”
(6) “Under the circumstances, the consequences of a second deposition seem inherently unreasonable given the availability of a middle course designed to protect defendant’s right to discovery in the context of this plenary action while recognizing that the action has as its core a claim of financial harm caused by deposing plaintiff.”
Look, this decision is wrong. When you bring a plenary action, you are subjected to a deposition. Even the First Department gave the “cf” treatment to Ralph Medical v. Mercury in Acupuncture Approach.. What is more concerning this: Why would you bring a plenary case that would expose Mr. Moshe’s tax returns? My eyes are rolling at this one.