DECISION ORDER
ORDERED that the order is reversed insofar as appealed from, without costs or disbursements, and so much of the order dated September 8, 1999, as denied the plaintiff's application to extend her time to serve the complaint is vacated.
In this personal injury action, the defendant moved to dismiss the complaint for lack of personal jurisdiction. The Supreme Court referred to the Referee the sole issue of whether the service upon the defendant was proper. Since the scope of a Referee's duties are defined by the order of reference (see, CPLR 4311; Al Moynee Holdings, Ltd. v. Deutsch, 254 A.D.2d 443; Lloyds Bank, PLC v. Kahn Lumber Millwork Co., Inc., 220 A.D.2d 645), the Referee was without authority to determine the plaintiff's application, made at the conclusion of the hearing, for an extension of time to serve the complaint. Accordingly, that portion of the the order which denied the plaintiff's application must be vacated.