February 27, 2007

Mega Supply & Billing, Inc. v Clarendon Natl. Ins. Co. (2007 NY Slip Op 50377(U))

Headnote

The court considered the evidence presented by the plaintiff in support of their motion for summary judgment, which included an affirmation from the plaintiff's counsel, an affidavit by a corporate officer of the plaintiff, and various documents. However, the court found that the affidavit executed by the corporate officer was conclusory and failed to establish a proper foundation for the documents attached to the motion papers. As a result, the plaintiff failed to establish a prima facie case for their entitlement to summary judgment. The main issue decided was whether or not the plaintiff had provided sufficient evidence to support their motion for summary judgment in a case to recover assigned first-party no-fault benefits. The holding of the court was that the plaintiff's motion for summary judgment was properly denied because the affidavit submitted was insufficient to establish that the officer possessed personal knowledge of the plaintiff's practices and procedures to lay a foundation for the admission of the documents as business records. Therefore, the denial of the plaintiff's motion for summary judgment was affirmed.

Reported in New York Official Reports at Mega Supply & Billing, Inc. v Clarendon Natl. Ins. Co. (2007 NY Slip Op 50377(U))

Mega Supply & Billing, Inc. v Clarendon Natl. Ins. Co. (2007 NY Slip Op 50377(U)) [*1]
Mega Supply & Billing, Inc. v Clarendon Natl. Ins. Co.
2007 NY Slip Op 50377(U) [14 Misc 3d 143(A)]
Decided on February 27, 2007
Appellate Term, Second Department
Published by New York State Law Reporting Bureau pursuant to Judiciary Law § 431.
This opinion is uncorrected and will not be published in the printed Official Reports.
Decided on February 27, 2007

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK

APPELLATE TERM: 2nd and 11th JUDICIAL DISTRICTS


PRESENT: : WESTON PATTERSON, J.P., RIOS and BELEN, JJ
2006-271 K C.
Mega Supply & Billing, Inc. a/a/o Peter Aguirre, Appellant,

against

Clarendon National Insurance Co., Respondent.

Appeal from an order of the Civil Court of the City of New York, Kings County (Jack M. Battaglia, J.), entered December 8, 2005. The order denied plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment.

Order affirmed without costs.

In this action to recover assigned first-party no-fault benefits, plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment was supported by an affirmation from plaintiff’s counsel, an affidavit by a corporate officer of plaintiff, and various documents annexed thereto. The affidavit executed by plaintiff’s corporate officer stated in a conclusory manner that the documents attached to plaintiff’s motion papers were plaintiff’s business records. In
opposition, defendant argued, inter alia, that the affidavit by plaintiff’s corporate officer failed to lay a proper foundation for the documents annexed to plaintiff’s moving papers and that, as a result, plaintiff failed to establish a prima facie case. Plaintiff appeals from the denial of its motion for summary judgment.

Inasmuch as the affidavit submitted by plaintiff’s corporate officer was insufficient to establish that said officer possessed personal knowledge of plaintiff’s practices and procedures so as to lay a foundation for the admission, as business records, of the documents annexed to plaintiff’s moving papers, plaintiff failed to make a prima facie showing of its entitlement to summary judgment (see Dan Med., P.C. v New York Cent. Mut. Fire Ins. Co., ___ Misc 3d ___, 2006 NY Slip Op 26483 [App Term, 2d & 11th Jud Dists]). Consequently, plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment was properly denied.

Weston Patterson, J.P., Rios and Belen, JJ., concur.
Decision Date: February 27, 2007