Adams v. Walker

767 F. Supp. 1099, 1991 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8553, 1991 WL 111068
CourtDistrict Court, D. Kansas
DecidedJune 20, 1991
Docket90-1145-C
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 767 F. Supp. 1099 (Adams v. Walker) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Adams v. Walker, 767 F. Supp. 1099, 1991 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8553, 1991 WL 111068 (D. Kan. 1991).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

CROW, District Judge.

The case comes before the court on a number of motions. Plaintiffs move to remand the case pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1447(c) and for attorney’s fees. (Dk. 7). The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) moves to dismiss and/or strike the amended third-party petition of Turón State Bank (Dk. 15, 20, 21). Turón State Bank (“TSB”) moves for summary judgment against the plaintiffs. (Dk. 39). Since oral argument would not materially assist the court in deciding the motions, this order is issued forthwith as the court’s decision.

The history to this case, though involved, is worthy of some discussion. In January of 1987, plaintiffs allegedly entered into an oral agreement with the defendant Gary Walker (“Walker”) to invest in Horizon Sales RV, Inc., a company which Walker owned, operated, or held a majority interest in. Plaintiffs guaranteed some notes of the company and Walker handled the company’s daily business. Walker was also president of Sylvia State Bank. Walker allegedly used his position with this Bank to obtain loans for the plaintiffs that were used then by plaintiffs to invest in Walker’s company. Plaintiffs allege Walker fraudulently misrepresented to them the condition of his company in order to induce them to invest in his company through the loans and guarantees.

On September 8, 1988, the Kansas Bank Commissioner appointed the FDIC as receiver for Sylvia State Bank. 1 On the same day, TSB purchased the assets and assumed the liabilities of Sylvia State Bank through a written agreement with FDIC as receiver. One of the assets purchased by TSB was the promissory note (“note”) of the plaintiffs Larry E. Adams and Donna J. Adams.

In December of 1988, plaintiffs filed an action in Harvey County District Court of Kansas against, inter alia, TSB and FDIC as receiver to declare the note unenforceable. In January of 1989, TSB filed an action against Larry Adams in Reno County District Court of Kansas to collect on the note. This subsequent suit was transferred and consolidated with the plaintiff’s suit pending in Harvey County District Court.

The plaintiffs’ claim against the FDIC as receiver was dismissed with prejudice by *1102 agreed order filed March 5,1990. The next day, TSB filed a cross-claim against the FDIC as receiver and a third-party petition against the FDIC as a corporation. In its cross-claim, TSB alleged that a part of the asset purchase agreement was that the FDIC receiver would repurchase the Larry Adams note if a court later determined the note was false or fraudulent as alleged by Adams. In its third-party petition, TSB alleged that the FDIC as a corporation agreed to indemnify TSB from any claim brought by Larry Adams.

On March 14, 1990, in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, the FDIC as a corporation filed its notice of removal pursuant to 12 U.S.C. § 1819(b)(2)(B).

MOTION TO REMAND

Plaintiffs contend remand is necessary because removal jurisdiction is derivative in nature and the FDIC as a corporation was never a proper party in the state court action. In particular, TSB never sought leave of the state court, as required by K.S.A. 60-214, before filing its third-party petition against the FDIC. In addition, TSB’s claim against the FDIC as a corporation is not one for indemnity as the plaintiff is seeking to have the note found unenforceable and TSB is seeking to collect on the note from the FDIC in the event it is found unenforceable. Plaintiffs’ arguments and authorities fall short of their mark.

Removal jurisdiction over suits involving the FDIC is expansively provided at 12 U.S.C. § 1819(b)(2)(B), which reads in pertinent part: “Except as provided in subparagraph (D), the Corporation may, without bond or security, remove any action, suit, or proceeding from a State court to the appropriate United States district court.” (emphasis supplied). See Triland Holdings & Co. v. Sunbelt Service Corp., 884 F.2d 205, 207 (5th Cir.1989) (Federal courts lack removal jurisdiction only if the case comes within the three circumstances set forth in subparagraph (D)). This broad grant of subject matter jurisdiction “evidences ‘Congress’ desire that cases involving FDIC should generally be heard and decided by the federal courts.” Kirkbride v. Continental Casualty Co., 933 F.2d 729, 731-32 (9th Cir.1991) (quoting Federal Deposit Ins. Corp. v. Nichols, 885 F.2d 633, 636 (9th Cir.1989)). The statute does not suggest in any meaningful way that removal jurisdiction is limited to those instances where the FDIC has been properly named a party in the state court action. See, e.g., Structural Systems, Inc. v. Sulfuro, 687 F.Supp. 22, 23 (D.Mass.1988) (Removal jurisdiction not defeated by the fact the FDIC has not yet formally been joined as a party to the suit).

The reasoning behind plaintiffs’ motion goes like this. The state court never obtained jurisdiction over the FDIC as a corporation because it was never properly named a party to the suit. The principle of derivative jurisdiction underlying removal jurisdiction forecloses the possibility of federal court jurisdiction if the state court never had jurisdiction over the FDIC. Plaintiffs’ reasoning is flawed. “[T]he derivative-jurisdiction principle only pertains to subject matter jurisdiction; a federal court can retain a removed case for new service if it determines that the state court lacked jurisdiction over the person of the defendant.” 14A C. Wright, A. Miller & E. Cooper, Federal Practice and Procedure § 3722 at 290 (1985). See Welsh v. Cunard Lines, Ltd, 595 F.Supp. 844, 845-46 (D.Ariz.1984). Indeed, nothing prevents a federal court on a removed case from determining whether the removing party is a proper party to the suit under both procedural and substantive law. Based upon the expansive removal jurisdiction conferred by statute and the inapplicability of the derivative-jurisdiction principle, this court denies plaintiffs’ motion to remand.

MOTION TO DISMISS AND MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

The FDIC in its capacity as receiver and corporation moves to dismiss the amended third-party petition. In support, the FDIC first argues that TSB will not suffer any damages since plaintiffs have no legal right to cancel the promissory note held by TSB. TSB seeks summary judgment against plaintiffs arguing their defenses are unavailable to them. In their respective mo *1103 tions, FDIC and TSB make the same contention that the plaintiffs’ defenses of fraud and other agreements are barred by 12 U.S.C. § 1823(e) and the D’Oench doctrine.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
767 F. Supp. 1099, 1991 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8553, 1991 WL 111068, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/adams-v-walker-ksd-1991.