American Continental Corp. v. United States

22 Cl. Ct. 692, 1991 U.S. Claims LEXIS 90, 1991 WL 38131
CourtUnited States Court of Claims
DecidedMarch 22, 1991
DocketNo. 344-89C
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 22 Cl. Ct. 692 (American Continental Corp. v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
American Continental Corp. v. United States, 22 Cl. Ct. 692, 1991 U.S. Claims LEXIS 90, 1991 WL 38131 (cc 1991).

Opinion

OPINION

ANDEWELT, Judge.

This is a fifth amendment takings case. The property alleged to have been taken is Lincoln Savings and Loan Association (Lincoln), a California-chartered, federally insured institution. The allegation of a taking focuses on the government’s appointment of a conservator, and then a receiver, to manage Lincoln’s affairs, and the receiver’s transfer of Lincoln’s assets to a new institution. Plaintiffs, American Continental Corporation (ACC) and First Lincoln Financial Corporation (First Lincoln), owned, either directly or indirectly, all of the common stock of Lincoln.1 This case is presently before the court on plaintiff’s motion for partial summary judgment and defendant’s motion to dismiss or, in the alternative, cross-motion for summary judgment. For the reasons set forth below, no fifth amendment taking has occurred and defendant’s cross-motion for summary judgment is granted.

I.

In an April 14, 1989, resolution, the Federal Home Loan Bank Board (the Board) appointed a conservator for Lincoln on the grounds that Lincoln was “in an unsafe and unsound condition to transact business” and that there had been a “substantial dissipation of [Lincoln’s] assets and earnings due to violations of law, rules and regulations and to unsafe and unsound practices.” (Board Resolution No. 89-1328 at 2 (Apr. 14, 1989).) Hours after the appointment, the conservator took over management of Lincoln and a representative of the conservator took possession of Lincoln’s books, records, property, and assets.

[694]*694Thereafter, Lincoln, ACC, and First Lincoln challenged the Board’s appointment of a conservator in consolidated district court actions. Prior to a decision by the district court, the Board appointed the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation (FSLIC) as receiver for Lincoln. (Board Resolution No. 89-2163 (Aug. 2, 1989).) The FSLIC promptly transferred Lincoln’s assets to a new institution, Lincoln Savings and Loan Association, F.A. (New Lincoln). The Board appointed the FSLIC as conservator of New Lincoln and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) as managing agent! On August 9, 1989, by operation of the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989, Pub.L. No. 101-73, 103 Stat. 355 (1989), the Resolution Trust Corporation (RTC) succeeded to the interests and power of the FSLIC and the FDIC in their respective capacities as conservator and managing agent of New Lincoln.

On August 22, 1990, the district court entered an order dismissing the plaintiffs’ challenge to the appointment of a conservator and then a receiver.2 In an accompanying decision, the district court concluded that the Board had acted properly in placing Lincoln first in conservatorship and then in receivership. Lincoln Savings & Loan Ass’n, et al. v. Wall, 743 F.Supp. 901 (D.D.C.1990). In the course of its decision, the district court strongly criticized Lincoln’s operations and ACC’s conduct in dealing with Lincoln. Inter alia, the court analyzed a variety of banking transactions between Lincoln and ACC and characterized their actions as “dishonest” and “abusive.” Id. The court concluded that (1) Lincoln and ACC had engaged in numerous unsafe and unsound banking practices, (2) Lincoln was in an unsafe and unsound condition to transact business, and (3) ACC officials had abused their positions as owners of Lincoln and engaged in actions that “amounted to a looting of Lincoln.” Id. at 906, 919.

Plaintiffs filed the instant takings action on June 20, 1989, prior to the district court decision. In their complaint, plaintiffs allege that the Board’s takeover of Lincoln constitutes a taking of property for which compensation is due under the fifth amendment. Plaintiffs clarified their takings claim in the course of briefing the instant motions and again during oral argument. In effect, plaintiffs are making two distinct takings claims. The first involves the alleged taking of property from Lincoln. Plaintiffs contend that the government took Lincoln’s assets, books, and records and the rights of Lincoln’s management to control Lincoln’s actions. Plaintiffs contend that because the receiver, appointed by the government, will not pursue such a claim, plaintiffs, as sole owners of Lincoln’s common stock, are entitled to pursue the claim through a shareholder derivative action.

Plaintiffs’ second claim involves an alleged taking of property directly from plaintiffs. Plaintiffs contend that as owners of Lincoln’s common stock, they were entitled to control Lincoln, this “right to control” constituted property protectable under the fifth amendment, and the government took this property when it appointed a conservator and then a receiver for Lincoln. Defendant contends that neither of these claims is properly before the court. In any event, however, assuming the two claims are properly before the court,3 neither is meritorious and, thus, de[695]*695fendant’s motion for summary judgment must be granted.

II.

“The Fifth Amendment’s guarantee that private property shall not be taken for a public use without just compensation was designed to bar the Government from forcing some people alone to bear public burdens which, in all fairness and justice, should be borne by the public as a whole.” Armstrong v. United States, 364 U.S. 40, 49, 80 S.Ct. 1563, 1569, 4 L.Ed.2d 1554 (1960). Assuming the correctness of the district court’s findings concerning Lincoln’s financial condition, ACC and Lincoln’s business practices, and ACC’s looting of Lincoln, the arrow of fairness and justice could not possibly point in plaintiffs’ direction. Rather than suggesting that the general public should assume fiscal responsibility, fairness and justice would require that any damage resulting from the government’s takeover of Lincoln be borne by plaintiffs.

Plaintiffs acknowledge that the doctrine of collateral estoppel precludes them from disputing the district court’s findings that Lincoln had engaged in numerous unsafe and unsound business practices and that Lincoln was in an unsafe and unsound condition to transact business. Plaintiffs contend, however, that they are not bound by the district court findings that relate to any wrongdoing by ACC because these findings were not necessary and essential to the district court’s decision. Mother’s Restaurant, Inc. v. Mama’s Pizza, Inc., 723 F.2d 1566, 1569 (Fed.Cir.1983). But the mere fact that plaintiffs First Lincoln and ACC controlled Lincoln during the time Lincoln’s financial condition deteriorated and Lincoln engaged in such improper practices would appear itself to be sufficient to direct the equities against plaintiffs. In any event, however, evaluation of the merits of plaintiffs’ takings claims is not dependent upon this court applying the doctrine of collateral estoppel so as to preclude plaintiffs from disputing any of the district court’s findings of fact. For the reasons set forth below, the regulatory structure under which Lincoln operated was such that, even if there was no district court decision, the government’s actions in assuming control of Lincoln’s operations could not be found to constitute a fifth amendment taking.

III.

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Bluebook (online)
22 Cl. Ct. 692, 1991 U.S. Claims LEXIS 90, 1991 WL 38131, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/american-continental-corp-v-united-states-cc-1991.