Bank of Dixie v. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

766 F.2d 175, 1985 U.S. App. LEXIS 20582
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
DecidedMarch 12, 1985
Docket84-4737
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 766 F.2d 175 (Bank of Dixie v. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bank of Dixie v. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, 766 F.2d 175, 1985 U.S. App. LEXIS 20582 (5th Cir. 1985).

Opinion

REAVLEY, Circuit Judge:

The Bank of Dixie (Bank), a Louisiana bank, appeals a decision of the Board of Directors (Board) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) issuing a Cease and Desist Order to the Bank pursuant to 12 U.S.C. § 1818(b) (1982). Finding no merit in the points of error raised by the Bank, we affirm.

BACKGROUND

As the result of a January 14, 1983, examination, the FDIC issued to the Bank a Notice of Charges and of Hearing, alleging that the Bank had conducted unsafe and unsound banking practices within the meaning of 12 U.S.C. § 1818(b)(1) (1982). 1 It included a proposed Cease and Desist Order designed to remedy the problems. The Bank denied the allegations and a hearing was conducted before an administrative law judge in February 1984.

At the administrative hearing, the FDIC introduced evidence of three loans which had been renewed without the collection in cash of interest due. An FDIC examiner testified that the renewal or extension of a loan without the collection of interest generally indicates that the borrower is having financial problems, that the failure to collect interest is more hazardous than the failure to collect principal, and that every possible effort should be made to collect interest. In response to questions posed by the Bank, he responded negatively to the question whether it is always an unsafe or unsound practice to extend or renew a loan without the collection of interest.

On the question of inadequate security for loans, the FDIC adduced testimony concerning only one loan; other loans were cited, however, in the January 14, 1983, Report of Examination introduced as evidence of the Bank’s financial condition. That report states that, although these loans were adequately secured when made, the value of the collateral securing these loans, contrary to the expectations of management, had declined so that the loans were no longer adequately protected.

The FDIC examiner testified that the Bank had very few written loan amortization or repayment schedules, although he was sure that oral agreements had been reached in some instances. He stated that the establishment of written repayment programs is a basic, sound lending principle. He concluded that oral agreements would lead to confusion and dispute over when loans were scheduled to be repaid because undocumented details could easily be forgotten. The FDIC introduced evidence of one loan which had been renewed without any collection of principal and in spite of an agreed repayment plan.

*177 The January 1983 Report of Examination also indicates that the Bank extended credit to David Lensing, brother of the Bank’s president, and his wholly-owned corporation. Considering the debts of Lensing and his corporation in the aggregate, the Bank had extended credit to Lensing in an amount equal to 47 percent of the Bank’s total equity capital. Although the loans were subsequently paid, more than half of the debt was classified “Substandard” at the time of the January 1983 examination.

Located in an agricultural community, the Bank extends the majority of its loans to farmers. Testimony at the hearing indicated that these loans are often subject to substantial prior liens. These prior liens are often real estate mortgages and due to the declining value of real estate in the area, the Bank’s collateral position in these loans had suffered. The FDIC examiner testified that the Bank could be placed in a position of being forced to take up the large prior liens on the properties pledged as collateral in order to liquidate the debt. He stated that the Bank’s highly leveraged position had deprived it of the liquid assets it would need to satisfy these large prior liens. He concluded that the Bank had only a diminished ability to realize its value in the collateral subject to prior liens.

The FDIC also introduced evidence that the Bank had failed to maintain an adequate reserve for loan losses. The Bank indicated that its reserve had been monitored by its board of directors and that the board did not believe the reserve was inadequate. Instead of periodically raising the reserve, the Bank had chosen to write off uncollectible loans in 1983 directly against current income. The FDIC examiner admitted that the ultimate effect of this method is identical to that achieved by increasing the loan loss reserve and charging losses against it. He testified further, however, that the method used by the Bank causes annual income to be misstated because losses may be recognized in a period other than the one in which they are realized.

The FDIC examiner testified that the capital accounts of the Bank as of January 14, 1983, could absorb less than half of the Bank’s problem loans before the funds of uninsured depositors would be at risk. The Bank introduced evidence of a capital infusion of $1.2 million which occurred after the January 1983 examination. Evidence was also introduced, however, indicating that the Bank has written off approximately $2.4 million in uncollectible loans during the same time period. These write-offs were charged directly against the Bank’s income, thereby reducing its capital.

FDIC testimony indicated that the bank has operated with inadequate provisions for liquidity. An FDIC examiner described liquidity as the ability to convert assets to cash in order to meet normal deposit demands and any unexpected highly volatile deposit outflow with a minimum of loss. The Bank disagreed with the FDIC’s conclusion due to the categorization of its “Jumbo” certificates of deposit (Jumbo CDs) (generally defined to include certificates of deposit in excess of $100,000) as potentially volatile liabilities in the computation of liquidity ratios. The Bank cited a FDIC study of its Jumbo CDs which indicated that a large portion of these deposits could generally be regarded as permanent in nature. If the Bank’s Jumbo CDs were considered, its liquidity ratios would be acceptable. The FDIC examiner also testified, however, that in the event of a highly volatile deposit outflow, the Jumbo CDs would not be stable.

On June 28, 1984, the AU issued an opinion recommending dismissal of the proceeding. The Board rejected the AU’s recommendation, and on October 19, 1984, it issued a decision and order finding that the Bank had engaged in unsafe or unsound banking practices and concluding that a Cease and Desist Order was appropriate.

The Cease and Desist Order requires the Bank to refrain from: (a) renewing or extending loans without collecting in cash interest due; (b) making loans without establishing and/or enforcing programs for their repayment; (c) failing to provide and *178 maintain adequate risk diversification in its assets; (d) operating with an inadequate valuation reserve for loan losses; (e) operating with inadequate capital; and (f) operating with inadequate liquidity provisions.

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Bluebook (online)
766 F.2d 175, 1985 U.S. App. LEXIS 20582, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bank-of-dixie-v-federal-deposit-insurance-corporation-ca5-1985.