Opinion

Deutsche Bank v. Williams

  • 2026 NY Slip Op 30768(U)
Court
New York Supreme Court, Kings County
Filed
Feb 27, 2026
Status
Unpublished
Author
Cenceria P. Edwards
Cited by
0 cases

The opinion

Deutsche Bank v Williams

2026 NY Slip Op 30768(U)

February 27, 2026

Supreme Court, Kings County

Docket Number: Index No. 502960/2012

Judge: Cenceria P. Edwards

Cases posted with a "30000" identifier, i.e., 2013 NY Slip

Op 30001(U), are republished from various New York

State and local government sources, including the New

York State Unified Court System's eCourts Service.

This opinion is uncorrected and not selected for official

publication.

file:///LRB-ALB-FS1/Vol1/ecourts/Process/covers/NYSUP.5029602012.KINGS.001.LBLX000_TO.html[03/12/2026 3:45:52 PM]

FILED: KINGS COUNTY CLERK 03/03/2026 10:54 AM INDEX NO. 502960/2012

NYSCEF DOC. NO. 161 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 03/03/2026

At an IAS Term, Part FRP1, of the

Supreme Court of the State of New York,

held in and for the County of Kings, at the

Courthouse, at 360 Adams Street,

Brooklyn, New York, on the 27th day of

February, 2026.

P R E S E N T:

HON. CENCERIA P EDWARDS,

Justice.

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DEUTSCHE BANK

Plaintiff,

-against- Index No.: 502960/2012

Mot. Seq. No.: 5

Calendar Date: 3/22/2023

YVETTE M WILLIAMS et al, Calendar No.: 20

Defendant,

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The following e-filed papers read herein: NYSCEF Nos.:

Notice of Motion/Order to Show Cause/

Petition/Cross Motion and Affidavits (Affirmations)

Annexed ____114-134____

Opposing Affidavits (Affirmations) ____ 136-146____

Affidavits/ Affirmations in Reply ____ 148-151_____

Upon the foregoing papers in this action to foreclose a mortgage encumbering the

residential property located at 420 Amber Street in Brooklyn (Block 4518, Lot 112), Plaintiff

Deutsche Bank moves for default judgment and an order of reference. Defendant Yvette

Williams opposes.

Background Facts and Procedural History

Plaintiff commenced the instant foreclosure action on September 24, 2012. All

defendants defaulted in timely answering.

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FILED: KINGS COUNTY CLERK 03/03/2026 10:54 AM INDEX NO. 502960/2012

NYSCEF DOC. NO. 161 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 03/03/2026

On August 26, 2015, Plaintiff moved for default judgment and an order of reference,

among other relief. The motion appears to have been marked GSON (“granted settle order on

notice”) by the Honorable David Vaughn on default and without opposition two months later. It

appears that a proposed order was then settled by Plaintiff but, for reasons unclear from the

record, when Judge Vaughn signed it in March 2016 he struck all of the requested relief other

than the proposed amendment of the caption. A new order was settled in 2017 but Judge Vaughn

declined to sign it in January 2019 as more than sixty days had passed since he orally granted the

motion in 2015, rendering the motion abandoned.

On July 2, 2019, Plaintiff move to amend the caption to add Loring Estates Homeowner’s

Association to the caption and to extend its time to complete service upon it. Defendant, having

now appeared through counsel, opposed. The motion was withdrawn on July 31, 2019.

Shortly thereafter, Plaintiff filed another motion for the same relief. This time, Defendant

opposed and cross-moved for dismissal of the action as abandoned and for the award of

attorney’s fees as the relief requested by Plaintiff was frivolous as the proposed additional

defendant was not a necessary party. After Plaintiff opposed the cross-motion and Defendant

replied, Plaintiff’s motion was granted and Defendant’s denied by order dated February 5, 2020.

The Instant Motion

On May 25, 2021, Plaintiff filed the instant motion for default judgment and an order of

reference. Noting that all defendants had defaulted in answering the complaint, Plaintiff argued

that it proved its prima facie case and should be granted the relief requested. In support, Plaintiff

submitted the affidavit of Daniel Delpesche, a Vice President of Ocwen Loan Servicing.

Proffering a variety of documents including copies of the note, mortgage, and financial printouts

from Ocwen’s systems, the witness attested that Defendant has been in default since October 1,

2011.

In opposition, Defendant asserted that Plaintiff failed to honor a trial modification

agreement between her and it. She allegedly accepted its offer and made all three required

payments (and two additional payments) but Plaintiff denied receipt of the third and fourth,

thereby preventing her from getting a permanent modification. Defendant also argues that

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FILED: KINGS COUNTY CLERK 03/03/2026 10:54 AM INDEX NO. 502960/2012

NYSCEF DOC. NO. 161 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 03/03/2026

Delpesche is not actually a “Vice President” of Ocwen, rather a lower-level employee who

robosigned this affidavit. She further contends that the assignments of mortgage re “falsified”

and “robo-signed ‘forgeries’.” Nor does she or her son know the “Does” who were allegedly

served at their home. In light of the foregoing, Defendant argues that Plaintiff acted in bad faith

in this action and should be monetarily sanctioned for violating GBL §349 and also forced to

honor the terms of the modification.

Plaintiff counters that it has met its burden, demonstrating its prima facie case through

the note, mortgage, and evidence of default. Nor, it suggests, should the relief improperly

requested in the opposition be granted. Not only is Defendant relying solely on the affirmation

of counsel rather than proffering an affidavit from someone with firsthand knowledge, she

transferred her interest in the property to her son (Plaintiff argues) depriving her of standing to

oppose this action. Plaintiff contends that her arguments also fail on the merits. It did not

receive the third trial payment that was allegedly sent and no evidence has been proffered that it

was timely sent. Nor would a permanent modification have issued to Defendant as she was no

longer in title to the property by that time. Nor, Plaintiff claims, is there any evidence that

documents were forged and/or robo-signed and any deficiencies with the assignments of

mortgage are irrelevant as Defendant cannot raise a standing defense.

Analysis

“On a motion pursuant to CPLR 3215 for leave to enter a default judgment, a plaintiff is

required to submit proof of service of the summons and complaint, proof of the facts constituting

the claim, and proof of the defendant's default in answering or appearing” (US Bank v Deblinger,

235 AD3d 1025, 1027 [2d Dept 2025]). It is substantially uncontroverted that Plaintiff did so.

Defendant does not substantively challenge the evidence presented and her assertion that the

Delpesche affidavit is robo-signed is mere speculation.

Defendant’s arguments that she was wrongfully deprived of a loan modification are

unavailing. She has not demonstrated that the trial payments were timely received by the

servicer. Even if they were, a permanent modification was not guaranteed to issue thereafter and

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FILED: KINGS COUNTY CLERK 03/03/2026 10:54 AM INDEX NO. 502960/2012

NYSCEF DOC. NO. 161 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 03/03/2026

Plaintiff accurately notes that she no longer owned the property which would have been an

impediment to modification.

In light of the foregoing, it is

ORDERED that the Plaintiff’s motion for default judgment and an order of reference

(mot. seq. #5), is granted (see accompanying order).

ENTER:

__________________________________

Hon. Cenceria P. Edwards, J.S.C., CPA

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This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

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