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A PROPER FOUNDATION WAS NOT LAID FOR THE BUSINESS RECORDS RELIED UPON BY THE PLAINTIFF; THEREFORE THE CRITERIA FOR THE BUSINESS RECORDS EXCEPTION TO THE HEARSAY RULE WERE NOT MET AND PLAINTIFF’S SUMMARY JUDGMENT MOTION IN THIS BREACH OF CONTRACT ACTION SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GRANTED (SECOND DEPT). ​

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined the business records relied upon by plaintiff in this breach of contract action were not supported by a sufficient foundation. Therefore, under the criteria for the business records exception to the hearsay rule, the documents were inadmissible hearsay and could not support plaintiff’s summary judgment motion:

“‘Records made in the regular course of business are hearsay when offered for the truth of their contents'” … . “When a party relies upon the business records exception to the hearsay rule in attempting to establish its prima facie case, ‘[a] proper foundation for the admission of a business record must be provided by someone with personal knowledge of the maker’s business practices and procedures'” … .

In support of its motion for summary judgment on the complaint, the plaintiff submitted an affidavit of Denine Chevillot Knowles, its vice president. Though Knowles attested that she had “personal knowledge of the relevant business practices of Plaintiff,” she did not attest that the records submitted in support of the motion were “made in the regular course of business” and were “needed and relied on in the performance of functions of the business,” that it was “the regular course of such business to make the record[s],” or that the records were “made at or about the time of the event being recorded” … . Thus, Knowles failed to lay a proper foundation for the admission of any records concerning the defendants’ payment history and default … . Accordingly, the plaintiff failed to demonstrate that the records relied upon in the affidavit were admissible under the business records exception to the hearsay rule. HSBC Bank USA, N.A. v Vasishta, 2025 NY Slip Op 04885, Second Dept 9-10-25

Practice Point: Business records are hearsay. To be admissible the criteria for the business records exception to the hearsay rule must be met. Consult this decision for the foundation requirements for the admissibility of business records.​

 

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