Anderson v. Bank of South, N.A.

118 F.R.D. 136, 1987 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10702, 1987 WL 3495
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Florida
DecidedNovember 16, 1987
DocketNo. 85-1222-CIV-ORL-18
StatusPublished
Cited by29 cases

This text of 118 F.R.D. 136 (Anderson v. Bank of South, N.A.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Anderson v. Bank of South, N.A., 118 F.R.D. 136, 1987 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10702, 1987 WL 3495 (M.D. Fla. 1987).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

GEORGE KENDALL SHARP, District Judge.

This case is before the court upon plaintiffs’ motion for certification of a plaintiff class. In aid of possible settlement, and to give the parties the court's thoughts regarding both the difficult facts and issues in this case, this memorandum opinion is rendered.

In their amended complaint, plaintiffs seek damages under, § 5, § 12 and § 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 ('33 Act), 15 U.S.C. §§ 77e, 771 and 77q(a), § 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (’34 Act), 15 U.S.C. § 78j(b), Rule 10b-5, 17 CFR § 240.10b-5, and various Florida statutory and common law theories. Plaintiffs seek certification as class representatives of a plaintiff class of purchasers of the Volusia County (Florida) Health Facilities Authority First Mortgage Health Care Facilities Revenue Bonds (The Bishops Glen Foundation, Inc. Project) Series 1983 (the Bonds) from the date of issuance until the Bishops Glen Foundation, Inc. (Bishops Glen) filed for reorganization on December 28, 1984.

The court is aware that it must not consider the merits of the plaintiffs’ case in deciding the class certification issue. Eisen v. Carlisle & Jacquelin, 417 U.S. 156, 178, 94 S.Ct. 2140, 2153, 40 L.Ed.2d 732 (1974); Huff v. Cass, 485 F.2d 710, 712 (5th Cir.1973); A & J Deutscher Family Fund v. Bullard, 1986 Fed.Sec.L.Rep. (CCH) ¶ 92,938 at 99,582 (C.D.Cal.1986) [available on WESTLAW, 1986 WL 14903]; Stoller v. Baldwin United Corp., 1985 Fed.Sec.L. Rep. 1192,298 at 92,020 (S.D.Ohio 1985) [available on WESTLAW, 1985 WL 5809]. Nevertheless, the class certification issue generally involves considerations that are “enmeshed in the factual and legal issues comprising the plaintiff’s cause of action. ...” Coopers & Lybrand v. Livesay, 437 U.S. 463, 469, 98 S.Ct. 2454, 2458, 57 L.Ed. 2d 351 (1978) (citing Mercantile Nat. Bank at Dallas v. Langdeau, 371 U.S. 555, 558, 83 S.Ct. 520, 522, 9 L.Ed.2d 523 (1963)). It is necessary to analyze the plaintiffs’ factual allegations, the record evidence pertinent to class action issues, and the applicable law in order to understand and evaluate the propriety of the class action device in this case.

STATEMENT OF FACTS

The Bonds were issued and sold pursuant to, inter alia, an Official Statement dated September 29, 1983, a Preliminary Official Statement dated September 9, 1983, and a summary dealer memorandum dated August 1, 1983, which plaintiff collectively labels the Official Statement (OS). The proceeds from Bond sales were to be used, inter alia, to acquire, construct and equip the Bishops Glen Project (Project), a “life care facility.” Bishops Glen was organized as a Florida not-for-profit corporation in November, 1982.

The Project, which consisted of 300 residential units and sixty skilled nursing beds for the unit residents, was to be marketed to financially qualified people 62 and older, who would pay a one-time entrance fee and a monthly service fee. As of April, 1986, there were 3,776 Bishops Glen bondholders, who were residents of forty-eight states and five foreign countries. Just over one-half of these bondholders have Florida addresses. A significant number of Bishops [139]*139Glen bondholders also purchased bonds for the Royal Regency project discussed infra.

In their complaint, plaintiffs allege that defendants knew many material facts which they failed to disclose in the OS. According to plaintiffs, the defendants in this action all were involved in the issuance of the Bonds as professionals, principals or underwriters. The successful marketing of the Project by J.B. Development, Ltd. (the Developer) was identified in the OS as a crucial factor affecting the ability of Bishops Glen to meet its obligations, including debt service on the Bonds. Plaintiffs allege that defendants knew or recklessly disregarded numerous facts demonstrating the Developer’s inability to successfully market the Project and raising substantial doubts regarding the financial viability of the Project. Specifically, plaintiffs contend that defendants knowingly or recklessly failed to disclose in the OS that the Royal Regency of Winter Haven life card facility (Royal Regency Project), in which many of the entities participating in the Bishops Glen Project also were involved, was a “disaster,” in part because of the inability of some defendants to perform their marketing and construction obligations. Plaintiffs claim that the OS failed to disclose many of the problems with the Royal Regency Project and minimized other problems, characterizing them as caused by other, unrelated entities. Plaintiffs also allege that defendants inadequately investigated or recklessly failed to investigate the performance of those associated with Royal Regency because of the substantial relationship between the parties associated with the Bishops Glen and Royal Regency Projects.

Plaintiffs allege that defendants entered into a combination, conspiracy or course of conduct which, by their knowing or reckless omissions or misrepresentations, distorted the truth and misled plaintiffs in order to cause the issuance of the Bonds and to sell them at an artificial and excessive price. Plaintiffs appear to allege that absent the defendants’ combination, conspiracy or course of conduct to create an OS which was misleading because of omissions and misrepresentations, the tax-exempt financing for the Project and the issuance of the Bonds could not have occurred. Plaintiffs claim that the Developer manipulated the termination of its relationship with Royal Regency to avoid disclosure to plaintiffs of the problems with Royal Regency. Moreover, they allege that Bank South made a $716,000 payment prematurely, improperly and in contravention of its fiduciary obligations to Finerock Corporation. Finally, plaintiffs also allege that in the OS defendants misrepresented that the Bonds were Industrial Revenue Bonds exempt from registration under § 5 of the ’33’ Act.

Approximately fifteen months elapsed between issuance of the Bonds and the filing for reorganization by Bishops Glen. In that interval, a number of events occurred which are pertinent to defendants’ arguments on the class certification issue. According to Robert Sheddy, a Swink vice president in charge of underwriting, the Bishops Glen Bond distribution was unusual relative to other life and health care issues because sales from the Swink inventory for the initial offering extended over several months. In contrast, the Royal Regency Project issue sold out within less than one week. Sheddy commented in general that health care bonds usually are sold by brokers and dealers who contact customers by telephone, although in other instances brokers are called by customers who have seen that a particular bond is available or want to know what is available. The customers’ discussions with brokers vary from firm to firm and broker to broker.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
118 F.R.D. 136, 1987 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10702, 1987 WL 3495, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/anderson-v-bank-of-south-na-flmd-1987.