Opinion ID: 626064
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Oster’s Evidentiary Claim

Text: Oster argues that Bolton’s affidavit was clearly unreliable evidence, and the bankruptcy court erred in relying upon it for proof of Clarkston’s reliance. Because Bolton was not employed by Clarkston when the original loans were made, Oster insists that his affidavit should have been given limited import. We review a bankruptcy court’s evidentiary determinations for an abuse of discretion. U.S. Bank Nat. Ass’n v. U.S. E.P.A., 563 F.3d 199, 210 (6th Cir. 2009). - 10 - No. 11-1388 Oster v. Clarkston State Bank As already mentioned, when Bolton’s affidavit is read in conjunction with his deposition testimony, it becomes clear that Bolton was speaking of the renewal process, not the loan origination process. Even if this were not the case, any error made by the bankruptcy court would be harmless. Our decision relies upon Bolton’s affidavit for only the alternative finding that Oster acted with intent to deceive. If we were to ignore the affidavit, we would still find no clear error in the determination that Oster acted with at least gross recklessness.