§3733.1. Financial institution records; reproductions; recordkeeping; admissibility into evidence; definitions

A. As used in this Section and in R.S. 13:3733.2, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

(1) "Financial institution" means any mortgage or loan servicer or any entity organized to engage in the business of banking pursuant to the laws of the United States, the state of Louisiana, any other state, or the District of Columbia, including state banks, national banks, savings and loan associations, and all other entities which lend money or otherwise extend credit and which are supervised by any department, board, agency, or corporation of the United States, the state of Louisiana, any other state, or the District of Columbia.

(2) "Record" means any writing, entry, print, instrument, or document evidencing any transaction or event, including but not limited to books of account, vouchers, documents, agreements, contracts, security agreements, other collateral security documents, checks, and correspondence. The term also includes information that is stored in electronic or other medium and is retrievable in perceivable form.

(3) "Reproduce" means to make, generate, produce, or obtain a reproduction.

(4) "Reproduction" means a counterpart, duplicate, or copy, or a durable medium for making a counterpart, duplicate, or copy, produced from the same impression as the original, or from the same matrix, or produced or obtained by any photographic, photostatic, microfilm, microcard or miniature or microphotographic process, or by any mechanical or electronic recording or re-recording, electronic or optical imaging, chemical process or other process or technique which accurately reproduces the original or forms or creates a durable medium for so reproducing the original, including but not limited to computer and other printouts, and counterparts, duplicates, copies, and other output generated or produced by or from an electronic imaging system such as counterparts, duplicates, or copies produced or obtained from optical disks. A reproduction shall also mean a substitute check as defined under the federal Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act and Regulation CC, 12 CFR 229.2(aaa). The term also includes the reproduction of a record containing an electronic signature.

(5) "Electronic record" means a record created, generated, sent, communicated, received, or stored by electronic means.

(6) "Electronic signature" means an electronic sound, symbol, or process attached to or logically associated with a record and executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign the record.

B. Any financial institution may reproduce any of its original records used by such financial institution during the course of its business activities, and any such financial institution may thereafter destroy the original record in the regular course of its business activities; however, if the original record is held by the financial institution in a custodial or fiduciary capacity for or on behalf of another person or entity, the original record shall not be destroyed without the express consent of such other person or entity.

C. Notwithstanding any other statute, rule of law, regulation, ordinance, or other provision to the contrary, except Subsection G of this Section, each reproduction of a record made pursuant to this Section shall be considered to be an original of such record for all purposes and shall be admissible into evidence to the same extent as the original record itself in any judicial, administrative, and other proceedings in all courts, tribunals, and other bodies and in any proceedings before all boards, bureaus, departments, commissions, and agencies of this state, whether the original record is in existence or not, and shall be received in evidence as prima facie proof of its contents with the same force and effect as though the original document were produced, and shall be deemed authentic for all purposes, satisfying the requirements of Code of Evidence Articles 901 and 902. The introduction of a reproduction does not preclude introduction of the original record.

D. No destruction or other disposition of any original record by any financial institution in the regular course of its business activities, whether intentionally or unintentionally, shall be deemed to be bad faith on the part of the financial institution under any statute, rule of law, regulation, ordinance, or other provision.

E. Whenever any counterpart, duplicate, or copy or group of counterparts, duplicates, or copies shall be certified with a certificate reading substantially as follows, each such counterpart, duplicate, or copy shall be a reproduction as defined in this Section and shall be admissible into evidence as the original record. Except as prohibited in Subsection G of this Section, if the original record would be deemed to be authentic evidence, the reproduction, so certified, shall also be deemed authentic evidence for all purposes including but not limited to for purposes of Code of Civil Procedure Articles 2631 et seq.

STATE OF_____________________________

PARISH/COUNTY OF___________________

CITY OF ______________________________

I,__________________________, a representative of _________________________ (the Financial Institution or assignee) do hereby certify the following:

(a) The document(s) attached to this certificate, consisting of ____ page(s) is (are each) a true and correct reproduction of the original thereof, being a reproduction made from the records maintained by the Financial Institution or assignee in the course of its business activities and made in accordance with the provisions of R.S. 13:3733.1.

(b) If the document(s) attached to this certificate is (are each) an obligation sought to be enforced, including a promissory note, the Financial Institution or assignee does certify that it is a person or entity entitled to enforce the obligation(s) evidenced by the document(s) attached to this certificate.

__________________________________

NAME

__________________________________

TITLE

__________________________________

ADDRESS

F. Except as prohibited in Subsection G of this Section, each reproduction shall be an original as defined in Article 1001 of the Code of Evidence, and under any other similar codes of evidence or other evidentiary law or rule of any other jurisdiction.

G.(1) A reproduction of a letter of credit, certificated security, document of title, or a certificate of title pertaining to a motor vehicle shall not be deemed to be an original of such record for the following purposes:

(a) Transferring the record.

(b) Presenting the record for payment, acceptance, or honor.

(c) Use of the record in a judicial proceeding or action involving a claim based on such record, unless the original has been lost, stolen, or inadvertently destroyed, or unless the reproduction is certified in accordance with the provision of this Section.

(2) A reproduction of a check, as defined in R.S. 10:3-104, that has been destroyed by a financial institution in the regular course of its business activities shall be deemed to be an original of such check in a judicial proceeding or action involving a claim based on or involving such check. A substitute check, as defined in the federal Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act and Regulation CC, 12 CFR 229.2(aaa), shall be deemed to be an original of such check in a judicial proceeding or action involving a claim based on or involving such check.

(3) A reproduction of an original record bearing a signature shall not be admissible into evidence as the original record itself if the signature on the original is omitted from the reproduction.

H. It is further provided that the terms of any record described in Subsection G of this Section, the original of which has been lost, stolen, or inadvertently destroyed, may be enforced and, if applicable, a duplicate original of such record reissued, upon compliance with the provisions of this Section or compliance with any other applicable laws, rules, or regulations.

I. Notwithstanding any statute, rule of law, regulation, ordinance, or other provisions to the contrary, reproductions of records, including those described in Subsection G of this Section, shall satisfy all record retention and recordkeeping requirements, whether or not the original of such record is still in existence.

J. It is further provided that if any record specifically described in Subsection G of this Section contains a signature which is made or created by electronic or digital means, such that it is stored in a computer or similar device, any printout or other tangible output readable by sight, shown to reflect the data accurately, shall be deemed an original of such record.

K. Except as provided in Subsection H of this Section, the provisions of this Section that authorize the use of a reproduction shall not apply to a collateral mortgage note as defined in R.S. 10:9-102(d)(3).

L. A person that purchases, acquires, or otherwise obtains an interest in a promissory note, instrument, loan, asset, or other evidence of indebtedness previously held by a financial institution has the same rights, authority, and protections that the financial institution had under this Section relative to the use of a reproduction of a record pertaining to the promissory note, instrument, loan, asset, or other evidence of indebtedness.

Acts 1995, No. 1093, §2; Acts 1997, No. 39, §2; Acts 1999, No. 123, §2, eff. June 9, 1999; Acts 2004, No. 475, §1; Acts 2012, No. 505, §1; Acts 2014, No. 440, §2, eff. July 1, 2014; Acts 2015, No. 84, §2.