Opinion ID: 1742506
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: Financial Statements

Text: Borley Storage next assigns error with respect to the receipt into evidence of two financial statements signed by Dennis Bauder reflecting his assets and liabilities in 1990 and 1991. Borley Storage objected to the exhibits on grounds of hearsay, foundation, relevance, and probative value outweighed by unfair prejudice. Foundational requirements with respect to authenticity are satisfied because Dennis Bauder identified both documents and testified that by signing them in connection with a loan transaction, he certified the accuracy of the information which they contained. Relevant evidence, as defined by Neb.Rev.Stat. § 27-401 (Reissue 1995), is that which tends to make the existence of any fact of consequence more or less probable than it would be without the evidence. Blue Valley Co-op. v. National Farmers Org., 257 Neb. 751, 600 N.W.2d 786 (1999). Here, the Bauders' financial ability to satisfy a judgment on the promissory note was relevant to the issue of whether it would have been reasonable for Borley Storage to pursue such a claim in mitigation of its damages. Borley Storage contends that any probative value of the financial statements was outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice in that there was no showing of the methodology used for valuing Dennis Bauder's assets and liabilities, and thus the exhibits should have been excluded under Neb.Rev.Stat. § 27-403 (Reissue 1995). We conclude that this argument goes to the weight of the evidence and that the district court did not abuse its discretion in declining to exclude the financial statements under § 27-403. Finally, Borley Storage argues that the financial statements should have been excluded as hearsay, in that they constituted out-of-court statements by Dennis Bauder to prove his net worth. Prior to receipt of the financial statements, Dennis Bauder testified at length concerning his financial condition at various times, including those periods covered by the financial statements. Thus, even if the financial statements constituted inadmissible hearsay, their admission would be harmless error because their content was established by other relevant evidence properly admitted. See Alliance Nat. Bank v. State Surety Co., 223 Neb. 403, 390 N.W.2d 487 (1986).