Notice of Default (New York)
NOTICE OF DEFAULT AND DEMAND FOR CURE — STATE OF NEW YORK
New York-specific notice of default template. Incorporates CPLR statutory interest, N.Y. U.C.C. Article 9 secured transactions notice requirements, and New York acceleration and foreclosure principles.
NEW YORK PRE-ISSUANCE CHECKLIST
☐ Contract Type. Identify whether the underlying agreement is (a) a general commercial contract (New York common law + CPLR); (b) a sale of goods under N.Y. U.C.C. Art. 2; (c) a secured transaction under N.Y. U.C.C. Art. 9; (d) a lease of goods under N.Y. U.C.C. Art. 2-A; (e) a real property lease (RPAPL); or (f) a mortgage loan (RPAPL § 1304 90-day pre-foreclosure notice for home loans).
☐ Pre-Foreclosure Notices. For residential mortgages, RPAPL § 1304 requires a 90-day pre-foreclosure notice with specific statutory language and lists of housing counselors.
☐ U.C.C. § 9-611 Notice. For disposition of collateral securing a commercial transaction, the secured party must send a reasonable authenticated notice. Ten (10) days before disposition is presumptively reasonable under § 9-612(b) for commercial transactions.
☐ Mortgage-Acceleration Gate — CPLR § 213(4). For a bond or note secured by a mortgage, or a mortgage claim, analyze § 213(4), the complete acceleration and prior-action history, and the Foreclosure Abuse Prevention Act before stating a deadline. Section 213(2) is not the mortgage-foreclosure subdivision.
☐ Written Acknowledgment of Debt. N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 17-101 — a written signed acknowledgment restarts the limitations period.
☐ Usury Compliance. If the obligation is a loan or forbearance, classify the borrower, principal, collateral, purpose, lender authority, and all charges treated as interest. Banking Law § 14-a supplies a general 16% § 5-501 maximum, § 5-501(6) supplies $250,000 and $2.5 million exceptions, and Penal Law § 190.40 applies only to an unauthorized knowing charge above 25%.
1. NOTICE HEADER
NOTICE OF DEFAULT AND DEMAND FOR CURE
Date: [__/__/____]
VIA CERTIFIED MAIL, RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED
AND VIA [E-MAIL / OVERNIGHT COURIER / PERSONAL SERVICE]
To (Defaulting Party):
[________________________________] (Legal Name)
[________________________________] (Address for Notice per Agreement § ____)
Attn: [________________________________]
From (Non-Defaulting Party):
[________________________________] (Legal Name)
[________________________________] (Address)
c/o [________________________________], Esq.
[________________________________] (Firm / NY Office)
Re: [________________________________] (the "Agreement"), dated [__/__/____]
2. RECITALS
A. The parties are party to the Agreement for the purpose of [________________________________].
B. Under Section [____] of the Agreement, Defaulting Party is required to [________________________________].
C. Under Section [____] of the Agreement ("Events of Default"), specific events trigger default and acceleration rights.
D. Non-Defaulting Party has determined that one or more Events of Default have occurred and are continuing, and hereby delivers formal notice in strict compliance with Section [____] of the Agreement and applicable New York law.
3. EVENTS OF DEFAULT
Non-Defaulting Party hereby gives notice of the following Events of Default, each constituting a material breach:
3.1 Payment Default. Defaulting Party failed to pay $[________] due on [__/__/____] under Section [____] of the Agreement, and such amount remains unpaid as of the date hereof.
3.2 Performance Default. Defaulting Party failed to [describe unmet non-monetary obligation] required by Section [____] by the deadline of [__/__/____].
3.3 Covenant Default. Defaulting Party breached the following affirmative/negative covenants:
- [________________________________]
- [________________________________]
3.4 Representation Default. The following representations or warranties made in Section [____] have proven materially false:
- [________________________________]
3.5 Cross-Default. [If applicable] Defaulting Party is in default under [other agreement], triggering cross-default under Section [____] of the Agreement.
3.6 Insolvency. [If applicable] Defaulting Party has: ☐ filed a voluntary bankruptcy petition; ☐ had an involuntary petition filed against it; ☐ made a general assignment for the benefit of creditors; ☐ had a receiver appointed; ☐ admitted in writing inability to pay debts as they become due.
4. AMOUNTS DUE AND OWING
As of the date of this Notice, Defaulting Party owes Non-Defaulting Party the following amounts (the "Obligations"):
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
| Principal | $[________] |
| Accrued contractual interest (at [____]% per annum; lawful rate confirmed after the transaction-specific usury screen) | $[________] |
| Late charges per Section [____] | $[________] |
| Default interest (if applicable) at [____]% under Section [____] | $[________] |
| Reasonable attorneys' fees to date | $[________] |
| Other costs and expenses | $[________] |
| TOTAL | $[________] |
Additional amounts continue to accrue daily at $[________]/day until paid.
5. CURE PERIOD AND MANNER OF CURE
5.1 Cure Period. Pursuant to Section [____] of the Agreement and applicable New York law, Defaulting Party has [____] days from receipt of this Notice (the "Cure Period") to fully cure each Event of Default. The Cure Period expires at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on [__/__/____].
5.2 Manner of Cure. To effect a valid cure, Defaulting Party must, within the Cure Period:
a. Remit the Obligations in full by wire transfer of immediately available funds to:
Bank: [________________________________]
ABA/Routing: [________________________________]
Account No.: [________________________________]
Reference: [________________________________]
b. Cure Non-Monetary Defaults by fully completing all required actions and providing written, certified evidence satisfactory to Non-Defaulting Party;
c. Reimburse Enforcement Costs for all reasonable attorneys' fees, collection costs, and out-of-pocket expenses incurred;
d. Provide Compliance Certification executed by an authorized officer, under penalty of perjury, attesting to full cure.
5.3 Partial Cure Insufficient. Partial or conditional payments will not constitute a cure under N.Y. U.C.C. § 1-308 and will not effect accord and satisfaction absent a separate written release signed by Non-Defaulting Party.
6. ACCELERATION AND REMEDIES UPON NON-CURE
6.1 Acceleration Notice. Subject to expiration of the Cure Period without cure, Non-Defaulting Party hereby expressly, unequivocally, and unconditionally accelerates, and declares immediately due and payable, the entire unpaid balance of the Obligations, including all principal, accrued interest, late charges, default interest, and enforcement costs, pursuant to Section [____] of the Agreement and N.Y. U.C.C. § 1-309 (where applicable).
6.2 Remedies. Upon expiration of the Cure Period, Non-Defaulting Party will pursue, without further notice except as required by statute or the Agreement, all remedies available under the Agreement, at law, and in equity, including:
a. Litigation in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, [________________________________] County, or the Commercial Division where jurisdictional thresholds are met (22 NYCRR § 202.70), seeking judgment for the Obligations;
b. Prejudgment Interest at nine percent (9%) per annum under CPLR §§ 5001, 5004, from the earliest ascertainable date the cause of action existed;
c. Attachment under CPLR Art. 62 where applicable;
d. Self-Help Repossession of secured collateral under N.Y. U.C.C. § 9-609 (peaceful entry) [if secured];
e. Disposition of Collateral under N.Y. U.C.C. § 9-610 following further notice compliant with N.Y. U.C.C. § 9-611 (not less than 10 days for commercial transactions) [if secured];
f. Specific Performance / injunctive relief under CPLR § 6301;
g. Termination of the Agreement effective [__/__/____];
h. Offset and Recoupment against any amounts owed by Non-Defaulting Party to Defaulting Party;
i. Attorneys' Fees where authorized by Section [____] of the Agreement or applicable law.
6.3 Commercial Reasonableness. Any disposition of collateral will be conducted in a commercially reasonable manner under N.Y. U.C.C. § 9-610(b).
7. RESERVATION OF RIGHTS AND NO WAIVER
7.1 No Waiver. Nothing in this Notice, and no act or omission of Non-Defaulting Party, shall constitute a waiver of any right, remedy, claim, or defense, all of which are expressly reserved.
7.2 Cumulative Remedies. All remedies are cumulative and may be exercised concurrently, successively, or in any order, in Non-Defaulting Party's sole discretion.
7.3 No Course of Dealing. Any forbearance, leniency, or accommodation shall not establish a course of dealing or modify the strict terms of the Agreement.
7.4 Reservation Clause. Non-Defaulting Party expressly reserves all of its rights pursuant to N.Y. U.C.C. § 1-308 without prejudice.
8. LITIGATION HOLD
Defaulting Party is hereby instructed to preserve all documents, ESI, communications, financial records, and any other materials relating to the Agreement and the Events of Default. Spoliation sanctions under CPLR § 3126 and New York common law (VOOM HD Holdings LLC v. EchoStar Satellite L.L.C., 93 A.D.3d 33 (1st Dep't 2012); Pegasus Aviation I, Inc. v. Varig Logistica S.A., 26 N.Y.3d 543 (2015)) will be sought for any destruction.
9. GOVERNING LAW AND FORUM
9.1 Governing Law. This Notice does not independently select governing law. The Agreement's choice clause controls subject to current conflict-of-laws analysis. Reliance on GOL § 5-1401's no-reasonable-relation rule requires an aggregate transaction of at least $250,000 and clearance of its labor/personal-services, personal/family/household-services, and UCC § 1-301(c) exclusions; subsection (2) preserves possible enforcement of other choice clauses.
9.2 Forum. Exclusive jurisdiction is reserved in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, [________________________________] County, and the United States District Court for the [________________________________] District of New York, pursuant to N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 5-1402 where applicable.
9.3 Limitations Period. The parties acknowledge that CPLR § 213(2) establishes a six-year limitations period for contract claims.
10. EXECUTION
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned, being duly authorized, issues this Notice of Default as of the Effective Date.
[NON-DEFAULTING PARTY NAME]
By: ___________________________________
Name: [________________________________]
Title: [________________________________]
Date: [__/__/____]
Delivered by Counsel:
___________________________________
[________________________________], Esq.
[________________________________] (Firm)
NY Attorney Reg. No.: [________________________________]
[________________________________] (NY Address)
STATE OF NEW YORK AFFIDAVIT OF SERVICE
STATE OF NEW YORK )
) ss.:
COUNTY OF [______])
[Process server / affiant], being duly sworn, deposes and says: I am over 18 years of age and not a party to this matter. On [__/__/____], I served the foregoing Notice of Default upon [________________________________] by [method of service], at [________________________________].
___________________________________
[Affiant]
Sworn to before me this [__] day of [________________________________], 20__.
___________________________________
Notary Public, State of New York
Commission Expires: [________________________________]
Sources and References
- N.Y. CPLR § 213(2), § 5001, § 5004
- N.Y. U.C.C. § 9-609, § 9-611, § 9-612, § 1-308, § 1-309
- N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law §§ 5-501, 5-1401, 5-1402, 17-101
- Freedom Mortg. Corp. v. Engel, 37 N.Y.3d 1 (2021)
- Foreclosure Abuse Prevention Act, 2022 N.Y. Laws ch. 821
- 22 NYCRR § 202.70 (Commercial Division)
Disclaimer: This template is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. It must be reviewed and customized by a New York-licensed attorney before use.
About this template
- Last updated
- September 12, 2026
- Jurisdiction
- New York
- Category
- Legal Letters & Correspondence
Legal authority
- N.Y. CPLR § 213(2) (Six-Year Contract SOL)
- N.Y. CPLR § 213(4) (specified mortgage-secured instruments and mortgages)
- N.Y. CPLR §§ 5001, 5004 (9% Prejudgment Interest)
- N.Y. U.C.C. § 9-611 (Notification Before Disposition of Collateral)
- N.Y. U.C.C. § 9-609 (Secured Party Self-Help Repossession)
- N.Y. U.C.C. § 1-309 (Acceleration at Will)
- N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 5-501; Banking Law § 14-a; Penal Law § 190.40 (loan/forbearance usury scope, rates, and principal-amount exceptions)
- N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 5-1401 (Choice of Law $250K)
- N.Y. Real Prop. Acts. Law §§ 711, 735 (Landlord-Tenant Notice, if lease)
- N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 235-e (Rent Receipts)
Formal legal letters create a written record, trigger response deadlines, and often preserve rights under a statute or contract. Cease-and-desist letters, notice letters, and formal responses all have their own expected format, and the language used can mean the difference between a quick resolution and a courtroom fight. Well-drafted correspondence also documents that you tried to resolve things reasonably, which matters if the dispute escalates later.
Not legal advice
This template is provided for informational purposes. We recommend having an attorney review any legal document before signing, especially for high-value or complex matters.
Checked against the law it cites
The statutes this template relies on are listed under Legal authority.
N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 5-1401 (checked September 12, 2026): "The parties to any contract, agreement or undertaking, contingent or otherwise, in consideration of, or relating to any obligation arising out of a transaction covering in the aggregate not less than two hundred fifty thousand dollars, including a transaction otherwise covered by subsection (a) of section 1--301 of the uniform commercial code, may agree that the law of this state shall govern their rights and duties in whole or in part, whether or not such contract, agreement or undertaking bears a reasonable relation to this state. This section shall not apply to any contract, agreement or undertaking (a) for labor or personal services, (b) relating to any transaction for personal, family or household services, or (c) to the extent provided to the contrary in subsection (c) of section 1--301 of the uniform commercial code. Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to limit or deny the enforcement of any provision respecting choice of law in any other contract, agreement or undertaking."
N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 5-501(1), (2), (6) (checked September 12, 2026): "The rate of interest, as computed pursuant to this title, upon the loan or forbearance of any money, goods, or things in action, except as provided in subdivisions five and six of this section or as otherwise provided by law, shall be six per centum per annum unless a different rate is prescribed in section fourteen-a of the banking law. No law regulating the maximum rate of interest which may be charged, taken or received, except section 190.40 and section 190.42 of the penal law, shall apply to any loan or forbearance in the amount of two hundred fifty thousand dollars or more, other than a loan or a forbearance secured primarily by an interest in real property improved by a one or two family residence. No law regulating the maximum rate of interest which may be charged, taken or received, including section 190.40 and section 190.42 of the penal law, shall apply to any loan or forbearance in the amount of two million five hundred thousand dollars or more."
N.Y. Banking Law § 14-a(1) (checked September 12, 2026): "The maximum rate of interest provided for in section 5-501 of the general obligations law shall be sixteen per centum per annum."
N.Y. Penal Law § 190.40 (checked September 12, 2026): "A person is guilty of criminal usury in the second degree when, not being authorized or permitted by law to do so, he knowingly charges, takes or receives any money or other property as interest on the loan or forebearance of any money or other property, at a rate exceeding twenty-five per centum per annum or the equivalent rate for a longer or shorter period."
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