Kunin v Guttman, 2020 NY Slip Op 02044 [2d Dept. 2020]
The defendant demonstrated her prima facie entitlement to judgment as a matter of law. “CPLR 5203(a) gives priority to a judgment creditor over subsequent transferees with regard to the debtor’s real property in a county where the judgment was docketed with the clerk of that county” (Matter of Smith v Ralph Dinapoli Landscaping, Inc., 111 AD3d 841, 841-842 [internal quotation marks omitted]; see CPLR 5203[a]; Matter of Accounts Retrievable Sys., LLC v Conway, 83 AD3d 1052, 1053). Pursuant to CPLR 5018(c), a judgment is docketed when the clerk makes an entry “under the surname of the judgment debtor, . . . consist[ing] of . . . the name and last known address of [the] judgment debtor” (CPLR 5018[c][1][i]; see Matter of Smith v Ralph Dinapoli Landscaping, Inc., 111 AD3d at 842; Matter of Accounts Retrievable Sys., LLC v Conway, 83 AD3d at 1053). ” Once docketed, a judgment becomes a lien on the real property of the debtor in that county'” (Matter of Smith v Ralph Dinapoli Landscaping, Inc., 111 AD3d at 842, quoting Matter of Accounts Retrievable Sys., LLC v Conway, 83 AD3d at 1053).
Here, the defendant demonstrated, prima facie, that the judgment was not docketed under the correct surnames of the title owners of the subject property—Alex Robinovich and George Guttmann—and that, therefore, no valid lien against the subject property was created (see CPLR 5018[c][1]; Matter of Smith v Ralph Dinapoli Landscaping, Inc., 111 AD3d at 842; We Buy Now, LLC v Cadlerock Joint Venture, LP, 46 AD3d 549, 550). Moreover, the defendant demonstrated, prima facie, that her purchase of the subject property was supported by fair consideration and made in good faith (see Phillips v Isaiah Owens Funeral Serv., Inc., 69 AD3d 822, 822-823). In opposition to the defendant’s prima facie showing, the plaintiff failed to raise a triable issue of fact.
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