Pursuant to the statute, "If the plaintiff fails to take proceedings for the entry of judgment within one year after the default, the court shall not enter judgment but shall dismiss the complaint as abandoned, without costs, upon its own initiative or on motion, unless sufficient cause is shown why the complaint should not be dismissed." In order to establish sufficient cause, the party opposing dismissal must demonstrate that it had a reasonable excuse for the delay in taking proceedings for entry of a default judgment and that it has a potentially meritorious action. The determination of whether an excuse is reasonable is committed to the sound discretion of the motion court, and reversal is warranted if that discretion is improvidently exercised.
Deutsch Bank Nattl. Trust Co. v. Bakarey, NY Slip Op 05543 (2d Dep't October 13, 2021)
