Ashbrook v. Block

917 F.2d 918, 1990 WL 161265
Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit·Decided October 25, 1990·No. No. 89-1443·Published·Cited by 164 cases

Opinion

NATHANIEL R. JONES, Circuit Judge.

Plaintiffs-appellants, Robert Charles Ashbrook and Rose Marie Elaine Ashbrook (the Ashbrooks) appeal the dismissal of their lawsuit against the United States, the Farmers Home Administration (FmHA) and various federal and local officials within the FmHA. The Ashbrooks’ action, sounding in tort, contract law and constitutional tort, was brought as an adversary proceeding in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Michigan pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 106(a). Although the Ashbrooks raise several issues on appeal, we believe the most significant question presented is whether a counterclaim brought pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 106(a) or (b) (1988) seeking damages against an agency of the United States obviates the filing of an administrative claim pursuant to the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), 28 U.S.C. §§ 1346(b) and 2671 et seq. We hold that it does.

I.

The Ashbrooks have operated a hog and apple farm in Van-Buren County, Michigan since 1976. They had acquired several loans from the FmHA totalling $659,355.73 as of October 10, 1985. Although the Ash-brooks have not made a payment on their indebtedness since 1979, the FmHA had not, as of the date this appeal was briefed, accelerated the Ashbrooks’ account or foreclosed on their farm. The Ashbrooks’ first loan from the FmHA was in part for the purpose of constructing a farrowing barn. The Ashbrooks hired Jerry L. Brower to construct the barn, but Brower delayed to the point that the Ashbrooks sought the assistance of William J. Gregor, a County Supervisor for the FmHA, in order to coax Brower into performing.

The Ashbrooks maintain that when they began looking for other contractors in November of 1979, Gregor informed them that they would have to allow Brower to complete the barn, even though Brower’s initial work was slow and defective. However, the record reflects that Gregor merely informed the Ashbrooks that the FmHA would not pay the difference if they hired a more expensive contractor. J.App. at 127-28. Soon after Brower completed the barn, a section of its floor collapsed while hogs were upon it. The Ashbrooks attempted to acquire another loan from the FmHA to replace the injured livestock, but they were informed that they did not qualify. Brow-er refused to repair the barn until the Ashbrooks cleaned the site. Gregor also determined that the Ashbrooks should clean the site prior to requiring Brower to repair the floor. The Ashbrooks were unable to meet this demand, and the barn was left unrepaired. The Ashbrooks sued Brower for his faulty construction of the farrowing barn. The suit was settled in 1984 but the Ashbrooks’ total unrecovered loss was $73,741.60.

In 1983, Robert Ashbrook filed a petition for relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. In 1985, Rose Marie Ash-brook also filed a Chapter 11 petition. Robert and Rose Marie’s cases were consolidated on December 31, 1985. The FmHA filed a proof of claim on June 23, 1983 for $573,160.87. On August 20, 1985, the Ash-brooks filed what purported to be a compulsory counterclaim under 11 U.S.C. § 106(a), commencing an advisory proceeding against the Secretary of United States Department of Agriculture, John Block, individually and in his official capacity, the Department of Agriculture, and numerous federal and local officials within the FmHA: Allen Brock, individually and in his capacity as Acting Assistant Administrator for Farmer Programs and former Acting Administrator of the Farmers Home Administration; Charles Shuman, individually and in his capacity as Acting State Director for Michigan; Calvin Lutz, individually and in his capacity as Acting State Director for Michigan; Richard Keech, individually and in his capacity as District Director; William [921] J. Gregor, individually and in his capacity as County Supervisor. The gist of the Ashbrooks’ complaint is that FmHA officials failed to abide by regulations promulgated pursuant to the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (CFRDA), 7 U.S.C. § 1989 (1988) in their transactions with the Ashbrooks.1 The Ashbrooks’ complaint alleges tort and contract violations as well as a violation of the due process clause of the fifth amendment based on the following conduct by FmHA officials:

Total failure to comply with the aforesaid CFRDA and its regulations ... specifically but not limited to failure to provide management assistance and supervision, credit counselling, and failure to defer or extend payments as provided for in the aforesaid regulations.
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Failure to provide reduction of payments to provide sufficient monies to pay living and operating expenses as provided by 7 U.S.C. 1981a.
Failure to inform Plaintiff of his rights to consolidation, rescheduling, remortization and deferral of his indebtedness to the FmHA.
Refusing and denying Plaintiff’s requests and applications for Operating and Emergency Loans.
Wrongfully denying Plaintiff income to which he was otherwise entitled to from the operation of his pig herd.
Wrongfully accusing Plaintiff of poor management and laziness when FmHA was remiss in its obligation to assist Plaintiff in the management of his farm.

Id. at 82 (quoting “Complaint” at p. 8).

On September 3,1985, the defendants-appellees moved to dismiss the Ashbrooks’ action, or in the alternative, for summary judgment. Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 157(c)(1), the bankruptcy court entered findings and recommendations in which it recommended granting the defendants-appellees’ motion for summary judgment. Before submission of the matter to the district court, the bankruptcy court permitted the Ashbrooks to amend their complaint to add the United States as a defendant. By Judgment Order dated March 10, 1989, the district court adopted the bankruptcy court’s report and recommendation granting the defendants-appellees summary judgment.

II.

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