On July 26, 2013 a
Motion-Secondary
was filed
involving a dispute between
Brandsway Hospitality, Llc A K A Brandsway Hospitality,
Indiefork Llc,
Matthew Levine,
and
133 Essex Restaurant, Llc A K A Sons Of Essex,
1356 Restaurant Llc A K A Petaluma Restaurant,
170 Mercer Restaurant Llc,
19 Stanton Restaurant, Llc A K A Cocktail Bodega A K A Cocktail Bodega Underground,
19 Stanton Street, Llc,
58-60 Ninth Realty Llc,
61 Gans Restaurant Llc,
69 Gansevoort Restaurant, Inc.,
Black Label Residential Llc,
Delshah 60 Ninth, Llc,
Delshah 60 Ninth Manager, Llc,
Delshah Capital, Llc,
Delshah Gansevoort 69, Llc,
Delshah Management, Llc,
Gansevoort 69 Llc,
Griffon 1356 Llc,
Griffon 19 Stanton Llc,
Griffon 55 Gans Llc,
Griffon Gansevoort Holdings, Llc,
Griffon Gans, Llc,
Griffon Gans Manager, Llc,
Griffon Holdings, Llc,
Griffon Investment Group, Llc,
Griffon Investment Holdings, Llc,
Griffon Investment, Llc,
Griffon Management, Llc,
Griffon Q, Llc,
Indiefork Hospitality Llc,
James Choung,
Jcny, Llc,
John Doe #1 Through #10,
Jpmorgan Chase & Co.,
Michael K. Shah,
Moon 170 Mercer, Inc.,
Paychex, Inc.,
V Global Holdings Inc.,
Victor Jung,
for Commercial (General)
in the District Court of New York County.
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FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 10/28/2013 INDEX NO. 652637/2013
NYSCEF DOC. NO. 97 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 10/28/2013
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
COUNTY OF NEW YORK
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BRANDSWAY HOSPITALITY, LLC a/k/a
BRANDSWAY HOSPITALITY, INDIEFORK LLC Index No. 652637/2013
and MATTHEW LEVINE,
Plaintiffs, AFFIRMATION IN
OPPOSITION TO
-against- MOTION TO DISMISS
JPMORGAN CHASE CO.
DELSHAH CAPITAL, LLC, DELSHAH MANAGEMENT,
LLC, MICHAEL K. SHAH, VICTOR
JUNG, V GLOBAL HOLDINGS INC., 133 ESSEX
RESTAURANT, LLC a/k/a SONS OF ESSEX, BLACK (Hon. Shlomo S. Hagler)
LABEL RESIDENTIAL LLC, 19 STANTON
RESTAURANT, LLC a/k/a COCKTAIL BODEGA a/k/a
COCKTAIL BODEGA UNDERGROUND, 61 GANS
RESTAURANT LLC, GRIFFON GANSEVOORT
HOLDINGS, LLC, GRIFFON GANSEVOORT
HOLDINGS, LLC, GRIFFON MANAGEMENT, LLC,
GRIFFON 55 GANS LLC, GRIFFON 55 GANS, LLC,
GRIFFON GANS MANAGER, LLC, GRIFFON 19
STANTON LLC, 19 STANTON STREET, LLC, 19
STANTON STREET, LLC, GRIFFON 1356 LLC,
GRIFFON Q, LLC, GRIFFON GANS, LLC, GRIFFON
GANS MANAGER, LLC, GRIFFON HOLDINGS, LLC,
GRIFFON INVESTMENT, LLC, GRIFFON
INVESTMENT GROUP, LLC, GRIFFON
INVESTMENT HOLDINGS, LLC, 1356 RESTAURANT
LLC a/k/a PETALUMA RESTAURANT, 170 MERCER
RESTAURANT LLC, MOON 170 MERCER, INC., 58-60
NINTH REALTY LLC, GANSEVOORT 69 LLC,
DELSHAH GANSEVOORT 69, LLC, 69
GANSEVOORT RESTAURANT, INC., DELSHAH 60
NINTH, LLC, DELSHAH 60 NINTH MANAGER, LLC,
INDIEFORK HOSPITALITY LLC, JAMES CHOUNG,
JCNY, LLC, PAYCHEX, INC., JPMORGAN CHASE &
CO. and JOHN DOE #1 through #10,
Defendants.
JOHN DOE #1 through #10 are fictitious and unknown to
the plaintiffs, the person or parties intended being the
persons or parties, if any, having or claiming an ownership
of the defendant companies or the real property in which they
are situated but whose identity is not yet known.
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THOMAS B. DECEA, an attorney duly admitted to practice before the courts of the State
of New York, affirms the following to be true under the penalties of perjury:
1. I am a member of the law firm of Danzig Fishman & Decea, attorneys for
plaintiffs Brandsway Hospitality, LLC, IndieFORK LLC and Matthew Levine (collectively
“Plaintiffs”). I make this affirmation opposition to the motion to dismiss of defendant JPMorgan
Chase Bank, N.A (“Defendant”) seeking to dismiss the verified complaint (“Complaint”) made
pursuant to CPLR R. 3024, 3014 and 3013, or in the alternative, compelling Plaintiffs to submit a
more definite statement. For the reasons established below and in Plaintiffs’ memorandum of law
in opposition to the motion to dismiss of defendants Delshah Capital, LLC et. al. dated and filed
September 17, 2013. (ECF Doc. No. 62), Defendant’s motion should in all respects be denied.
2. Defendant alleges that the Complaint does not specifically provide Defendant
with a “sufficiently clear understanding of the claims alleged against it.” (Coster Aff. in Support,
¶3). Defendant further argues that while Plaintiffs have alleged six specific claims against
Defendant, it is not clear whether Plaintiffs seek relief against Defendant in any of the other
claims because Plaintiffs do not provide a meaningful definition of the term “defendants” as pled
in the aiding and abetting causes of action. (Coster Aff. in Support, ¶3).
3. The claims that are specifically alleged against Defendant are properly and
sufficiently pled in the Complaint. In their fifteenth cause of action, Plaintiffs pled a claim for
negligence against Defendant. (See Complaint, pp. 222- 230; ¶ 625-678). In their sixteenth cause
of action, Plaintiffs pled a claim for unjust enrichment against Defendant. (See Complaint, pp.
230-231; ¶ 679-689). In their seventeenth cause of action, Plaintiffs pled a claim for fraud
against Defendant. (See Complaint, p. 231; ¶ 690-694). In their eighteenth cause of action,
Plaintiffs pled a claim for commercial bad faith against Defendant. (See Complaint pp. 232-233;
¶ 695-708). In their nineteenth cause of action, Plaintiffs pled a claim for conversion against
Defendant. (See Complaint p. 233; ¶ 709-715). In their twentieth cause of action, Plaintiffs seek
a declaratory judgment against Defendant. (See Complaint p. 234; ¶ 716-725). These claims are
clearly labeled in the Complaint as well as the facts supporting these claims. (See Complaint,
Chase Bank, ¶ 489-515).
4. In addition, in their fourth cause of action Plaintiffs pled a claim for aiding and
abetting fraud (See Complaint pp. 212-213; ¶ 546-555); in their sixth cause of action, Plaintiff
pled a claim for aiding and abetting conversion (See Complaint p. 214; ¶ 562-569); and in their
eighth cause of action, Plaintiff pled a claim for aiding and abetting breach of fiduciary duty (See
Complaint pp. 215-216; ¶ 577-583). The aiding and abetting claims are alleged against all
defendants who had actual or constructive knowledge of, or provided substantial assistance to
advance the commission of, the frauds, conversions and breach of fiduciary duty; because it is
alleged that Defendant had actual or constructive knowledge and/or provided substantial
assistance to the commission of these frauds, conversions and breach of fiduciary duty, these
claims apply.
5. Defendant complains that it should not be put to the burden of responding to each
of the 22 claims in the Complaint as a result of Plaintiffs’ purported failure to specify against
which defendants the relief is sought. As noted above, the causes of action against Defendant are
clearly marked in the complaint and indicate against which of the defendants the relief is being
sought, as well as the facts that support these claims. Moreover, the Complaint is specifically
designed with a table of contents for handy reference. The arguments advanced by Defendant are
simply unavailing. There is no real basis for Defendant’s motion other than to delay the
proceedings.
6. For the reasons set forth herein the Defendant’s motion should be denied.
Date: White Plains, New York
October 28, 2013
/s/ Thomas B. Decea
THOMAS B. DECEA