WPC I4jE ?L(K[}JkQm?WAw-=DRRrXrd 7l!~&R`5֓G0Qm+L`- CP=~ S*hj㐾MIq8MM)0+6[68fn 6=yc29e">\M>$*H.uJsXg-m5IAnJ:awP& GLQ]h3qajx/օRD}w]c(hW4܂R{j.b8k`)vRqO%c}KSz;aL  ^F>QcrE^zdVD lv?i~ޢqDMmqC%^Y U6dAC>q2jTI ΄rZ-Fp>]KBo ҟU##$ h2UQb#\ % ^ # 0/ UN w 4 z  i x mz 0c    F 0D NPR 1ZEUN 1u1 72 1 72___________________b 0 B 0 D3E D-x 0K ASC 0  0D AHP LaserJet 40500+, (`$.8dd8    ("  Z6Times New Roman RegularyG*:i+00 C:\PROGRA~1\COREL\WORDPE~1\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~1\REVISE~1.WPTC:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Template\Custom WP Templates\revised standard opinion.wpt3|xU(;3$2#  0  .3  0  Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(#$  0   (EhCEKQW]cioAutoList21.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.(9 Z6Times New Roman Regular3#37=CIQYag1.a.i.(1)(a)(i)1)a)i)(UhCEKQW]cioAutoList31.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.- -(|G2$ !.8Cdd8         0  X 9X d(|3$ !.8Cdd8     VVVV'dxd)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  ^_X`YE<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(|3$ !.8Cdd8     ($$   1  X[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK !.8Cdd8     _C8 9XXdd8@ INTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE  @$ATKNOXVILLE  @44October16,2001Session $ X 9XC #CXX 9#  BEALBANK,S.S.B.,v.RBMCOMPANY,d/b/aWEBSTER " ENTERPRISES,ESTATEOFH.A.( BAM)WEBSTER,W.MICHAEL  6 WEBSTER,ANDRICHARDJ.WEBSTERX 9XC   J @  DirectAppealfromtheChanceryCourtforHamiltonCounty  J @ No.980175Hon.W.FrankBrown,III.,Chancellor  6     `     h FILEDJANUARY11,_2002_   @*AV) ` dE<` A߈   @No.E200100520COAR3CV   AV) ` dE<|` A }  TheTrialCourtadmittedintoevidencetheloanrecordsfromNationsBankthroughawitnesswho P wasthoroughlyfamiliarwiththerecordkeepingprocess.Onappeal,weaffirm. < #CXX 9#X 9XC Tenn.R.App.P.3AppealasofRight;JudgmentoftheCircuitCourtAffirmed.  P HerschelPickensFranks#CX 9D#X 9X.C,J.,deliveredtheopinionofthecourt,inwhichHoustonM.Goddard,#CX 9 #X 9X.C  P.J.,andD.MichaelSwiney,#CX 9#X 9X.CԀJ.,joined.  RichardT.KlinglerandRichardC.Kennedy,Chattanooga,Tennessee,forDefendant/Appellant.  JamesR.Kelley,MarcT.McNameeandPhilipD.Irwin,Nashville,Tennessee,for `!  Plaintiff/Appellee. L"! @66' OPINION #CXX 9#X 9XCԈ %L!% #CXX 9 #X 9XC   ` X 9XXX 9Inthisaction,theissueonappealiswhetherMargaretDiamondshouldhavebeen )$) allowedtotestifyastotheamountofmoneyowingtotheplaintiffs. *%*    ` ThedefendantwasageneralpartnershipandexecutedapromissorynotetoCitizens p,', Bankfor6.3milliondollarsforaloanonMarch30,1989.OnNovember1,1991,defendant \-(- defaultedonthenote,andonJanuary1,1992,NationsBankacquiredCitizensBank.Defendant  executednewpromissorynotesinfavorofNationsBankonMay1,1993,andtheBanksoldthese  notestoBealBank,plaintiffherein.DefendantmadepaymentstoBealBankuntilNovember1,  1997,andthisactionwasfiledinFebruary,1998onthesenotes. t      ` TheTrialCourtmadereferencetotheMastertodeterminetheamountsowingonthe L  notes,andatahearingbeforetheMasterDiamondtestifiedthatshewasemployedbyNationsBank, 8  andhadbeenthere(andwithitspredecessor)fortwentyfouryears.Shepreviouslyworkedfor $ t MarylandNationalBank,whichmergedwithNationsBank,andhadworkedinNationsBanks  ` Baltimoreoffice.Shetestifiedthatshewasthemanageroftheloanadministrationgroupforreal  L  estatemanagedaccounts,andthatherdutiesincludedprocessingpayments,trackingcollateral,  8  providingresearch,andcustomerservice.Shefurthertestifiedthatshewasresponsibleforkeeping $  therecordsandloanhistoriesofassetssoldbyNationsBank,andthatshewascustodianofthe   recordsinquestion.      ` DiamondidentifiedthepromissorynotesexecutedbyRBM,andpresentedahistory   oftheloansfrom1993untiltheyweresoldonDecember10,1996.Sheexplainedthatloanhistories p aremaintainedontheirsystemforoneyear,andarethenplacedonmicrofilm.Shestatedthatthe \ loanhistoryfortheseloanswastakenfromthemicrofilm.Shetestifiedthattheloanhistorieswere H regularlypreparedandkeptinthecourseofbusinessatNationsBank,andtheinformationcontained 4 intheloanhistorywasrecordedbyaNationsBankemployeeatoraboutthetimeitwasreceived.  p Shefurthertestifiedthattheemployeeswhosupplyandrecordtheinformationareunderabusiness  \ dutytodoso,andthatthissystemhasprovedtobereliable.Overtheobjectionofthedefendant, H shewasallowedtotestifytothebalanceowingonthenotes. 4    ` Duringcrossexamination,Diamondtestifiedtheloanhistorieswerekepton   microfilminonecentrallocationfortheentireNationsBanksystem.Itwasfurtherdevelopedthat  theloansinquestionwerehandledforaperiodoftimebyaseparatecompanycalledAMRESCO  withwhomNationsBankcontracted.Diamondtestifiedthatmorerecently,priortothesale,the  accountswerehandledbyaloanofficerintheirBaltimoreoffice.ShetestifiedthatAMRESCOused l thesameloansystem,suchthattheirentrieswouldalsobereflectedintheloanhistories,andthat X  AMRESCOwouldreceivepayments,andthenforwardsametoAtlantaorCharlottewherethey D! wouldbeprocessedinthenormalcourseofbusiness.Shetestifiedshehadpersonalknowledge 0"  regardinghowtheinformationwouldbeprocessedinAtlantathroughhertransactionswiththe #l! Atlantaoffice. $X"    ` TheChancelloroverruledtheobjectionstotheMastersReport,andenteredjudgment %0!$ basedontheMastersReport,anddefendantappealed. &"%    ` TheTrialCourtruledthattheloandocumentswouldbeadmittedunderthebusiness (#' recordshearsayexception.Wehaveheldthatinordertoqualifyasanhearsayexceptionunder )$( TennesseeRulesofEvidence803(6),thedocumentsmustmeetfivecriteria: |*%)  h+&* Ї (Uh83" 3"  0  0` (#(# 32Uh  1  .3  0 ` (#` (#  Thedocumentmustbemadeatornearthetimeoftheeventrecorded; 3 ݌ (# (# Ќ  " 3"  0  0` (#(# 32Uh  2  .3  0 ` (#` (#  Thepersonprovidingtheinformationinthedocumentmusthavefirsthand  knowledgeoftherecordedeventsorfacts; 3A݌t (# (# Ќ  " 3"  0  0` (#(# 3o2Uh  3  .3  0 ` (#` (#  Thepersonprovidingtheinformationinthedocumentmustbeundera L  businessdutytorecordortransmittheinformation; 3o݌8  (# (# Ќ  " 3"  0  0` (#(# 3 2Uh  4  .3  0 ` (#` (#  Thebusinessinvolvedmusthavearegularpracticeofmakingsuch  ` documents;and 3 =!݌ L  (# (# Ќ  " 3"  0  0` (#(# 3G"2Uh  5  .3  0 ` (#` (#  Themannerinwhichtheinformationwasprovidedorthedocumentwas $  preparedmustnotindicatethatthedocumentlackstrustworthiness.#X 9XXX 92 #X 9XXX 9#CXX 9 #X 9XCԀ 3G""݌  (# (# Ќ  Alexanderv.Inman,903S.W.2d686,700(Tenn.Ct.App.1995).#CXX 9##X 9XC#X 9XXX 9##X 9XXX 9ԀInaddition,apersonseekingto   introducetherecords,mustbeacustodianorotherqualifiedwitness.Id.      ` Diamondtestifiedthatshewasthecustodianoftherecordsinquestion,althoughthey \ werenotkeptinherphysicalpossession.TheRulesdonotdefinetheterm custodian,butour H casesareinstructiveastoitsmeaning.InStatev.Key,1995WL366096(Tenn.Crim.App.June 4 21,1995),theCourtsaidthat inorderforawitnesstobequalifiedasacustodianoftherecords  p underTenn.R.Evid.803(6),thewitnessmustbeabletotestifyastotheidentityoftherecord,the  \ modeofpreparation,andwhethertherecordwasmadeintheregularcourseofbusiness.Alsosee H Witterv.Nesbit,878S.W.2d116(Tenn.Ct.App.1993);Statev.Goldston,29S.W.3d537(Tenn. 4 Crim.App.1999);andStatev.Hawkins,1998WL352095(Tenn.Crim.App.July2,1998).      ` Inthealternative,Diamondwaspresentedasa qualifiedwitnesspursuanttoTenn.  R.Evid.803(6).Theterm qualifiedwitnessistobegivenabroadinterpretation,andhasgenerally  beendefinedasawitnesswhohaspersonalknowledgeofthebusinesssrecordkeepingmethods  andcanexplainsametothecourt.Alexander.Thewitnessisnot,however,requiredtohave l personalknowledgeofthefactsrecorded,nortohavebeenpersonallyinvolvedinpreparingthe X  documentsorevenknowwhodid.Id.Thus,wehaveheldthatalawyerwhohadpersonal D! knowledgeofthefirmsbillingpracticesandthemannerinwhichthebillingrecordswereprepared 0"  andkept,wasqualifiedtotestifyaboutandintroducesamepursuanttoTenn.R.Evid.803(6).Id; #l! seealsoPattyv.State,556S.W.2d776(Tenn.Crim.App.1977).Diamondiscustodianofrecords $X" ofthistype,andwasabletotestifyhowtherecordswerekeptandthetypeofsystemusedby $D # NationsBankanditsreliability.Herevidenceestablishestherewasnoindiciaoflackof %0!$ trustworthinessintherecordssoughttobeintroduced,suchaslackofdutytorecord,orsignsthat &"% thedocumentswerepreparedforlitigation.SeeTenn.R.Evid.803(6); Statev.Kennedy,7S.W.3d '#& 58(Tenn.Crim.App.1999).WeholdthatDiamondmettherequirementsasdetailed,andthe (#' recordswereproperlyadmitted. )$(    ` Accordingly,weaffirmtheJudgmentoftheTrialCourtandremand,withthecost h+&* oftheappealassessedtotheappellants,theEstateofH.A.( Bam)Webster,W.MichaelWebster,  andRichardJ.Webster.  #X 9XXX 9%##CXX 9$#X 9XC   `     h     _________________________ L     `     h     HerschelPickensFranks,J. 8