DECISION ORDER
ORDERED that the order and judgment is affirmed, with costs.
A party whose interest may be adversely affected by a potential judgment must be made a party in a CPLR article 78 proceeding ( see CPLR 1001[a]; Matter of Martin v. Ronan, 47 N.Y.2d 486; Matter of McGuinn v. City of New York, 219 A.D.2d 489). In the present case, the Supreme Court properly concluded that those police officers who had already been promoted to the rank of sergeant were necessary parties since, if the petitioners were ultimately successful, those sergeants would lose their promotions. Further, since the applicable statute of limitations had already expired, the Supreme Court properly denied the petitioners' cross application to add those applicants as party respondents ( see Matter of Ogbunugafor v. New York State Educ. Dept., 279 A.D.2d 738). The cross application did not toll the statute of limitations as the petitioners failed to include a copy of the proposed supplemental notice of petition and petition with their cross application ( see Perez v. Paramount Communications, 92 N.Y.2d 749).
The petitioners' failure to adequately explain why they did not include the promoted officers as respondents in a timely manner, despite being aware of the officers' identities, precludes them from proceeding in their absence ( see CPLR 1001[b]; see also Matter of Llana v. Town of Pittstown, 245 A.D.2d 968) and from relying on the relation-back doctrine ( see Matter of 27th St. Block Assn. v. Dormitory Auth., 302 A.D.2d 155).
In light of our determination, we need not reach the petitioners' remaining contentions.
RITTER, J.P., FLORIO, FRIEDMANN and H. MILLER, JJ., concur.