PLAINTIFF BANK FAILED TO MEET THE CRITERIA FOR THE BUSINESS RECORDS EXCEPTION TO THE HEARSAY RULE TO DEMONSTRATE STANDING, SUMMARY JUDGMENT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DENIED (SECOND DEPT).
The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined plaintiff bank did not demonstrate standing to foreclose because the criteria for the business records exception to the hearsay rule were not met. The court noted that the bank’s failure to demonstrate standing did not require granting defendant’s motion for summary judgment on that ground. Defendant failed to affirmatively demonstrate plaintiff did not have standing:
… [T]he plaintiff failed to meet its prima facie burden of establishing its standing … . In support of its motion, the plaintiff submitted the affidavit of Selena Mitcherson, a vice president of the plaintiff’s loan servicer. Mitcherson averred, based upon her review of the loan servicer’s business records, that “prior [to] commencement and at all times thereafter,” the plaintiff remained in possession of the original promissory note, which bears an indorsement payable to the plaintiff’s order and was “delivered to it, or its agent, on or about March 31, 2010.” However, the plaintiff failed to demonstrate the admissibility of the records relied upon by Mitcherson under the business records exception to the hearsay rule (see CPLR 4518[a]), since Mitcherson did not attest that she was personally familiar with the record-keeping practices and procedures of the plaintiff … . The plaintiff also failed to establish standing based upon the purported assignment of the note and mortgage … . …
Nevertheless, the Supreme Court properly denied that branch of the defendant’s cross motion which was for summary judgment dismissing the complaint insofar as asserted against him for lack of standing. “[T]he burden is on the moving defendant to establish, prima facie, the plaintiff’s lack of standing, rather than on the plaintiff to affirmatively establish its standing in order for the motion to be denied. To defeat a defendant’s motion, the plaintiff has no burden of establishing its standing as a matter of law” … . Here, on his cross motion, the defendant failed to make a prima facie showing that the plaintiff lacked standing … . Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. v Talley, 2017 NY Slip Op 05996, Second Dept 8-2-17
FORECLOSURE (PLAINTIFF BANK FAILED TO MEET THE CRITERIA FOR THE BUSINESS RECORDS EXCEPTION TO THE HEARSAY RULE TO DEMONSTRATE STANDING, SUMMARY JUDGMENT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DENIED (SECOND DEPT))/EVIDENCE (FORECLOSURE, BUSINESS RECORDS, PLAINTIFF BANK FAILED TO MEET THE CRITERIA FOR THE BUSINESS RECORDS EXCEPTION TO THE HEARSAY RULE TO DEMONSTRATE STANDING, SUMMARY JUDGMENT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DENIED (SECOND DEPT))/BUSINESS RECORDS (FORECLOSURE, PLAINTIFF BANK FAILED TO MEET THE CRITERIA FOR THE BUSINESS RECORDS EXCEPTION TO THE HEARSAY RULE TO DEMONSTRATE STANDING, SUMMARY JUDGMENT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DENIED (SECOND DEPT))/HEARSAY (BUSINESS RECORDS, PLAINTIFF BANK FAILED TO MEET THE CRITERIA FOR THE BUSINESS RECORDS EXCEPTION TO THE HEARSAY RULE TO DEMONSTRATE STANDING, SUMMARY JUDGMENT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DENIED (SECOND DEPT))