Opinion ID: 901011
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Whether the amortization schedule is admissible as a summary of lost or destroyed documents pursuant to SDCL 19-18-4.

Text: [¶ 26.] Repp created the amortization schedule from income tax returns that purportedly no longer exist. We therefore address whether a summary of nonexistent documents is admissible when created from documents that no longer exist. The trial court stated in its order that: Both parties argue that Hotovec v. Howe, 79 S.D. 337, 111 N.W.2d 748 (1961) gives them the right to submit summary evidence. Hotovec does allow summaries, but the underlying evidence of the summary must be available for inspection. The rule is stated in Vol. IV, Wigmore on Evidence, 3rd ed § 1230, p 434 as follows: Where a fact could be ascertained only by the inspection of a large number of documents made up of very numerous detailed statements -as, the net balance resulting from a year's vouchers of a treasurer or a year's accounts in a bank ledger it is obvious that it would often be practically out of the question to apply the present principle by requiring the production of the entire mass of documents and entries to be perused by the jury or read aloud to them. The convenience of trials demands that other evidence be allowed to be offered, in the shape of the testimony of a competent witness who has perused the entire mass and will state summarily the net result. Such a practice is well established to be proper. Most Courts require, as a condition, that the mass thus summarily testified to shall, if the occasion seems to require it, be placed at hand in court, or at least be made accessible to the opposing party, in order that the correctness of the evidence may be tested by inspection if desired, or that the material for cross-examination may be available. Wigmore on Evidence, supra at 434 (quoting Hotovec v. Howe, 79 S.D. 337, 340, 111 N.W.2d 748, 749-750 (1961)). [¶ 27.] These requirements are reflected in SDCL 19-18-6 which provides: The contents of voluminous writings, recordings, or photographs which cannot conveniently be examined in court may be presented in the form of a chart, summary, or calculation. The originals, or duplicates, shall be made available for examination or copying, or both, by other parties at a reasonable time and place. The court may order that they be produced in court. [¶ 28.] The Repp amortization schedule is defective for two reasons. First, the amortization was not created for the convenience of the court because there were voluminous writings; rather, the amortization was created because the writings were unavailable. Second, pursuant to SDCL 19-18-6, the original documents used in creating the summary must be made available to the other party. Because the documents were purportedly not readily available we turn to SDCL 19-18-4 which addresses admissibility when the documents are unavailable: The original is not required, and other evidence of the contents of a writing, recording, or photograph is admissible if: (1) All originals are lost or have been destroyed, unless the proponent lost or destroyed them in bad faith; or (2) No original can be obtained by any available judicial process or procedure. [¶ 29.] Pursuant to SDCL 19-18-4 Scotts, as proponents of the secondary evidence, have the burden of establishing loss or destruction of an original. Sellmayer Packing Co. v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, 146 F.2d 707, 710 (4th Cir.1944). Furthermore, the proponent may be required to demonstrate some degree of diligence in the search for an allegedly lost or destroyed original in order to meet this burden. Therefore, the proponent of the evidence must show that a reasonable and diligent search has been made for the original without success. Sylvania Elec. Products, Inc. v. Flanagan, 352 F.2d 1005, 1008 (1st Cir.1965). This was not established in the record below. [¶ 30.] The record reveals that after the trial court granted Bank's summary judgment motion Scotts came forward with several of the original documents that would have helped in preparation of a summary. This demonstrates that Scotts' documents were not lost or destroyed but, rather, Scotts were not diligent in their efforts to discover the documents. Therefore, Scotts have failed to meet their burden of proving loss or destruction of the original documents and the amortization is not admissible as a summary. [7]