We conclude that Supreme Court erred in denying that part of plaintiffs’ motion for partial summary judgment on liability on the claim for breach of contract based on defendant’s unlawful eviction. Pursuant to the terms of the lease, defendant had the right to reenter the premises and to terminate the lease “without further demand or notice of any kind” in the event of a default by plaintiffs. Although defendant contends that he evicted plaintiffs on the ground that they were in default for failing to pay rent and for damaging the property, the lease requires in relevant part that plaintiffs first be given written notice of their alleged default and the opportunity to cure the default 30 days before defendant is entitled to terminate the lease. In support of their motion, plaintiffs submitted the deposition testimony of defendant in which he admitted that he did not give them any written notice before entering the premises and padlocking the doors, and defendant submitted no evidence establishing that he had a valid basis to reenter the restaurant and padlock the doors before the expiration of the term of the lease. We therefore conclude that plaintiffs established their entitlement to partial summary judgment on liability as a matter of law with respect to their claim for breach of contract based on unlawful eviction (see generally Zuckerman v City of New York, 49 NY2d 557, 562 [1980]), and further modify the order accordingly.