THE BANK’S COMPLIANCE WITH THE NOTICE REQUIREMENTS OF RPAPL 1304 WAS NOT DEMONSTRATED WITH ADMISSIBLE EVIDENCE (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined compliance with the notice requirements of RPAPL 1304 was not demonstrated with admissible evidence. Therefore the bank’s motion for summary judgment in this foreclosure action should not have been granted:

… [T]he affidavit of an employee of its loan servicer was insufficient to establish that the notice was sent to the defendant in the manner required by RPAPL 1304. The affiant did not aver that he had personal knowledge of the purported mailings, or that he was familiar with the mailing practices and procedures of the plaintiff, which allegedly sent the notice … . In addition, the plaintiff’s submission of an affidavit of its own employee was similarly insufficient to establish the plaintiff’s strict compliance with RPAPL 1304, since the employee had no personal knowledge of the purported mailings and he did not attest to a standard office mailing procedure designed to ensure that items are properly addressed and mailed … . Further, the plaintiff failed to submit sufficient proof of the actual mailings of the notices by first-class mail … . Ridgewood Sav. Bank v Van Amerongen, 2020 NY Slip Op 08095, Second Dept 12-30-20