Beal Bank USA v. Business Bank of St. Louis

874 F. Supp. 2d 837, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 81801, 2012 WL 2154466
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Missouri
DecidedJune 13, 2012
DocketNo. 4:11 CV 561 DDN
StatusPublished

This text of 874 F. Supp. 2d 837 (Beal Bank USA v. Business Bank of St. Louis) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Beal Bank USA v. Business Bank of St. Louis, 874 F. Supp. 2d 837, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 81801, 2012 WL 2154466 (E.D. Mo. 2012).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

DAVID D. NOCE, United States Magistrate Judge.

This action is before the court on the motion of plaintiff Beal Bank USA1 (Beal [840]*840Bank) for summary judgment against defendant The Business Bank of St. Louis (BBSL). (Doc. 29.) Oral arguments were heard on February 22, 2012. For the reasons set forth below, the court grants partial summary judgment to Beal Bank and sets the action for a non-jury trial.

I. BACKGROUND

Beal Bank’s claims

Beal Bank commenced this judicial action against BBSL, generally invoking for all of its claims the court’s diversity of citizenship subject matter jurisdiction granted by 28 U.S.C. § 1832.2 Beal Bank alleges that the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), as the receiver of failed bank Champion Bank, transferred to Beal Bank an interest in certain loan repayment proceeds, which were an asset of Champion Bank, (Champion Bank participation) and that BBSL, the contractual promisor, has not paid to Beal Bank all the proceeds due it under a Participation Agreement to which Champion Bank had been a party.

In Count I, Beal Bank seeks a declaratory judgment that the FDIC had the authority to sell or assign to it, and that it acquired, the Champion Bank participation and that this transaction was valid.

In Count II, Beal Bank seeks a declaratory judgment that (a) any claim asserted by BBSL arises from the FDIC assignment of the Champion Bank participation to Beal Bank and relates to the independent, intervening acts or omissions of the FDIC; (b) any such claim by BBSL is cognizable, if at all, solely against the FDIC; (c) BBSL is required to pursue any such claims through the exclusive claims process provided by the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989, Pub.L. No. 101-73, 103 Stat. 183 (1989) (FIRREA);3 (d) BBSL has failed to invoke, pursue, and exhaust these processes; (e) absent BBSL’s compliance with the procedures required by FIRREA, BBSL’s claims are jurisdictionally barred by 12 U.S.C. § 1821(d)(13)(D); and (f) any such claim cannot be used as a basis to deny payments to Beal Bank under the Participation Agreement.

In Count III, Beal Bank seeks a declaratory judgment that BBSL has no claim against it related to any alleged violation of the Participation Agreement that occurred before the transaction date.

In Count IV, Beal Bank seeks an order (a) directing BBSL to perform its duties under the Participation Agreement and to make payments to Beal Bank when due;4 and (b) directing BBSL to account to Beal Bank for all amounts due under the Participation Agreement.

Finally, in Count V, Beal Bank seeks an award of attorneys’ fees and costs.

BBSL’s answer and counterclaims

In its answer and affirmative defenses, BBSL denies that Beal Bank is entitled to any of the relief it seeks, claims that Beal Bank is not a valid party to the Participation Agreement, and asserts that BBSL has performed all of its obligations under the Participation Agreement and has at all times acted in good faith.

[841]*841In its Count I counterclaim, BBSL alleged that Beal Bank, under the terms of the FDIC assignment to it of the Champion Bank participation, assumed liability for the FDIC’s failure to comply with the right-of-first-refusal provision in the Participation Agreement. BBSL sought monetary damages in excess of $75,000.00 for damages caused by this breach, as well as incidental damages, prejudgment interest, attorneys’ fees, and litigation costs.

In its Count II counterclaim, BBSL sought (a) an order from this court directing Beal Bank to disclose the price it paid for the assignment of the Champion Bank participation; (b) rescission of the FDIC assignment and an order that BBSL be given the option to repurchase the Champion Bank participation; and (c) an award of costs, expenses, and attorneys’ fees.

On August 8, 2011, the court sustained Beal Bank’s motion to dismiss BBSL’s counterclaims for lack of subject matter jurisdiction and because BBSL failed to join the FDIC as a necessary party to its counterclaims. The court held that BBSL failed to exhaust its administrative remedies against the FDIC under FIRREA and thus FIRREA’s jurisdictional bar precluded subject matter jurisdiction. (Doc. 27); Beal Bank Nevada v. The Business Bank of St. Louis, No. 4:11 CV 561 DDN, 2011 WL 3444241 (E.D.Mo. Aug. 8, 2011).

The court also held that, without having the FDIC present in this case, there was not then in the record a sufficient basis for deciding whether the FDIC repudiated BBSL’s right of first refusal. This ruling was consistent with a similar decision by a judge of this court in Bank of Commerce v. Business Bank of St. Louis, No. 4:11 CV 428 JCH.

Now before the court is the motion of Beal Bank for summary judgment. (Doc. 29.)

II. MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

Summary judgment must be granted when the pleadings and proffer of evidence demonstrate that no genuine issue of material fact exists and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c); Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986); Ashanti v. City of Golden Valley, 666 F.3d 1148, 1150 (8th Cir.2012). The court must view the evidence in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party and accord it the benefit of all reasonable inferences. Ashanti, 666 F.3d at 1150. A fact is “material” if it could affect the ultimate disposition of the case, and a factual dispute is “genuine” if there is substantial evidence to support a reasonable jury verdict in favor of the non-moving party. Die-Cutting Diversified, Inc. v. United Nat’l Ins. Co., 353 F.Supp.2d 1053, 1054-55 (E.D.Mo.2004).

Initially, the moving party must demonstrate the absence of an issue for trial. Celotex, 477 U.S. at 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548. Once a motion is properly made and supported, the nonmoving party may not rest upon the allegations in its pleadings but must instead proffer admissible evidence that demonstrates a genuine issue of material fact. Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(e); Crawford v. Van Buren Cnty., Ark., 678 F.3d 666, 670-71 (8th Cir.2012). Even if all of the relief sought by the movant is not granted, the court may make findings of undisputed facts that will guide the court in the further disposition of the case. See Fed. R.Civ.P. 56(g).

The relevant undisputed facts

The following facts are undisputed although the parties dispute their legal effect:

1. On or before September 6, 2007, The Business Bank of St.

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Bluebook (online)
874 F. Supp. 2d 837, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 81801, 2012 WL 2154466, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/beal-bank-usa-v-business-bank-of-st-louis-moed-2012.