Forcible Detainer Judgment Affirmed — Court Did Not Err by Admitting Notices as Business Records

April 5, 2015

The plaintiffs defaulted on their mortgage and were then removed from the house via a forcible detainer action filed in Collin County.  They appealed, arguing that the trial court erred by admitting as a business record several notices of eviction sent to them in the mail.  The plaintiffs’ primary argument was that the witness who laid the foundation through an affidavit was not qualified.  The Dallas Court of Appeals disagreed, noting that “Rule 803(6) does not . . . require a witness laying the predicate for introduction of a business record to be the creator of the document or even an employee of the company keeping the record.” All that is required is that he/she have personal knowledge of the facts contained within the business record.

Singha v. FNMA