Batsakis v. Federal Deposit Ins. Corp.

670 F. Supp. 749, 1987 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8797
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Michigan
DecidedSeptember 1, 1987
DocketG86-272 CA7
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 670 F. Supp. 749 (Batsakis v. Federal Deposit Ins. Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Michigan primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Batsakis v. Federal Deposit Ins. Corp., 670 F. Supp. 749, 1987 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8797 (W.D. Mich. 1987).

Opinion

OPINION

BENJAMIN F. GIBSON, District Judge.

Plaintiffs filed this potential class action in state court against the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) as receiver (“Receiver”) of the failed National Bank and Trust Co. of Traverse City (“NBT”) and against the FDIC in its corporate capacity (“the Corporation”) seeking damages in connection with the alleged mismanagement of the assets of certain trust funds previously administered by NBT. Plaintiffs also seek declaratory relief against Wausau Insurance Companies (“Wausau”) and Employers Insurance of Wausau (“Employers”) as insurers of NBT under a trust operation surcharge liability insurance policy. Plaintiffs seek a judgment as to liability as well as to the amount of coverage under the policy. Defendants Corporation and Receiver removed the case to this forum under the provisions of 12 U.S.C. § 1819 Fourth. Now before the Court is a motion to dismiss Counts I, II, and III of the second amended complaint and to strike class action allegations filed by defendants Corporation and Receiver. Also before the Court is defendant insurance companies’ motion for summary judgment on Count IV.

I. MOTION TO DISMISS

Plaintiffs are beneficiaries of two trusts formerly administered by NBT’s trust de *752 partment. Among the assets of each trust were shares of NBT common stock. In March, 1984, NBT was declared insolvent and FDIC was appointed receiver of the failed bank. National Bank of Detroit Northwest Bank, N.A. (“NBD”) purchased certain of NBT’s assets from the Receiver, while the Corporation acquired all unacceptable assets not assumed by NBD. NBT’s trust department was not acquired by either NBD or the Corporation but was sold to Northwestern Savings & Loan Association (“NWSL”) prior to the appointment of the Receiver. As a result of the failure of the bank, the NBT common stock held in plaintiffs’ trusts is now valueless. Plaintiffs contend that, during the period from 1980 to the bank’s insolvency in 1984, NBT’s management was aware of NBT’s unsatisfactory financial condition, but consistently denied and misrepresented NBT’s economic status. Plaintiffs further contend that NBT’s trust department knew or should have known of the Bank’s financial condition but it nevertheless continued to imprudently invest in NBT’s falling stock. Additionally, plaintiffs contend that they are entitled to an equitable lien against a trust security deposit held by the Treasurer of the State of Michigan, but that NBT either wrongfully assigned such deposit to NWSL upon consummation of the sale of the Trust department or that NBT received a refund of the deposit upon cancellation of NBT’s trust powers. As a result, plaintiffs have brought this action against the Receiver and Corporation, as successors in interest to NBT, alleging breach of fiduciary duty, fraud and deceit and wrongful disposition of a state security deposit. The Corporation and Receiver contend that the complaint is legally and/or factually deficient and should be dismissed for failure to state a claim.

The motion to dismiss is brought pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6). The Court’s inquiry at this point, before the reception of any evidence by affidavit or admission, is merely whether the challenged pleading sets forth allegations sufficient to make out the elements of a right to relief. In making this determination, the allegations in the pleading are taken at “face value,” California Motor Transport Co. v. Trucking Unlimited, 404 U.S. 508, 515, 92 S.Ct. 609, 614, 30 L.Ed.2d 642 (1972), and should be construed favorably to the pleader. Scheuer v. Rhodes, 416 U.S. 232, 236, 94 S.Ct. 1683, 1686, 40 L.Ed.2d 90 (1974). “[W]ell pleaded facts are taken as true, and the complaint is construed liberally in favor of the party opposing the motion.” Davis H. Elliot Co. v. Caribbean Utilities Co., 513 F.2d 1176, 1182 (6th Cir.1975). All reasonable inferences which might be drawn from the pleading must be indulged. Fitzke v. Shappell, 468 F.2d 1072, 1076 n. 6 (6th Cir.1972).

Provided that the claim for relief fulfills the requirements of Fed.R.Civ.P. 8(a), it “should not be dismissed for failure to state a claim unless it appears beyond doubt that the plaintiff can prove no set of facts which would entitle him to relief.” Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41, 45-46, 78 S.Ct. 99, 102, 2 L.Ed.2d 80 (1957).

A. The Corporation

The Corporation seeks dismissal on the basis that it cannot be liable to plaintiffs because, as a matter of law, it assumed no liabilities of NBT when it purchased the bank’s assets from the Receiver. The Court is in accord with the defendant and for the reasons set forth below, the defendant Corporation’s motion to dismiss is granted.

Pursuant to statutory authority and case law, the FDIC may often act simultaneously in two separate legal capacities with respect to a failed bank: one as a “receiver” when it sells the bank’s assets, and another as a “corporation” when it purchases assets from the receiver which are unacceptable to the assuming bank. 12 U.S.C. § 1823(c)(2); FDIC v. La Rambla Shopping Center, 791 F.2d 215 (1st Cir.1986); FDIC v. Ashley, 585 F.2d 157 (6th Cir.1978). The FDIC does not act as a receiver after the assignment of the unacceptable assets to itself in its corporate capacity. Ashley, 585 F.2d at 162. On the contrary, the FDIC, as a corporation, acquires those assets as an ordinary purchaser for value. FDIC v. Godshall, 558 F.2d *753 220, 222 (4th Cir.1977). As such, the corporation is merely an assignee of the claims and it assumes no liabilities of the receivership. FDIC v. Citizens Bank & Trust Co., 592 F.2d 364, 368 (7th Cir.1979).

In the instant case, the plaintiffs have alleged that the Corporation purchased from the receiver certain assets not purchased by NBD. It is clear from the facts as alleged that the Corporation was acting on its own behalf in its capacity as an insurance corporation when it assumed the unacceptable assets.

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Bluebook (online)
670 F. Supp. 749, 1987 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8797, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/batsakis-v-federal-deposit-ins-corp-miwd-1987.