Bookman v 816 Belmont Realty, LLC, 2020 NY Slip Op 01318 [2d Dept. 2020]
Pursuant to CPLR 317, a defaulting defendant who was served with a summons other than by personal delivery may be permitted to defend the action upon a finding by the court that the defendant did not personally receive notice of the summons in time to defend and has a potentially meritorious defense (see Eugene Di Lorenzo, Inc. v A.C. Dutton Lbr. Co., 67 NY2d 138, 141; Dove v 143 Sch. St. Realty Corp., 172 AD3d 1315, 1316). Here, the defendant was not entitled to vacatur of its default pursuant to CPLR 317. The record reflects that, since September 2011, the defendant [*2]had not filed, with the Secretary of State, the required biennial form that would have apprised the Secretary of State of its current address (see Limited Liability Company Law § 301[e]), thus raising an inference that the defendant deliberately attempted to avoid notice of actions commenced against it (see Cruz v Keter Residence, LLC, 115 AD3d 700, 701; see also Santiago v Sansue Realty Corp., 243 AD2d 622, 622-623).