Branch Banking & Trust Co. v. Pahrump 194, LLC

51 F. Supp. 3d 993, 2014 WL 3747644, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 103870
CourtDistrict Court, D. Nevada
DecidedJuly 30, 2014
DocketNo. 2:12-CV-1462 JCM (VCF)
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 51 F. Supp. 3d 993 (Branch Banking & Trust Co. v. Pahrump 194, LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Nevada primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Branch Banking & Trust Co. v. Pahrump 194, LLC, 51 F. Supp. 3d 993, 2014 WL 3747644, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 103870 (D. Nev. 2014).

Opinion

ORDER

JAMES C. MAHAN, District Judge.

Presently before the court are plaintiffs motions for summary judgment (doc. # 28) and for a deficiency hearing (doc. #29). Defendants have responded (doc. # 35) and plaintiff has replied (doc. # 40).

Also before the court is defendants’ motion for partial summary judgment. (Doc. # 34). Plaintiff has responded (doc. # 39) and defendants have replied (doc. # 41).

I. Background

Plaintiff Branch Banking is the successor in interest to non-party Colonial Bank by acquisition of assets from the FDIC as receiver for the bank.

Branch Banking’s claims arise out of a September 30, 2005, promissory note secured by a deed of trust executed by defendant Pahrump 194, LLC, (“Pahrump 194”). The note secured a loan from Colonial Bank in the original principal amount of $13,650,000. The deed of trust encumbered real property referred to as Nye County assessor’s parcel numbers 35-041-25, 35-041-37, 35-041-39, 35-041-63, 35-041-67, and 35-041-68 (“the property”). The individual and corporate defendants executed guaranties, promising to repay the present and future indebtedness of Pahrump 194.1

On May 8, 2007, the note was amended to increase the principal to $14,556,779 and the maturity date was extended to April II, 2008. The note was then amended an additional three times to extend the final maturity date to May 1, 2009.

On August 14, 2009, Colonial Bank was closed and the FDIC was named as receiver. That same day, the FDIC assigned all of its rights, title, and interest in, to, and [995]*995under the loan documents to Branch Banking.

On August 9, 2011, Branch Banking served a demand letter upon Pahrump 194 and the individual guarantors. Pahrump 194 and the guarantors failed to pay the balance due.

On February 29, 2012, a trustee’s sale was held, and the property was sold to non-party Pahrump Town Square, LLC, for a cash bid in the amount of $2,640,001 in partial satisfaction of the note. According to Branch Banking, the principal balance remaining under the note is $14,556,779, with accrued interest at the time of filing in the amount of $2,151,168.47, for a total of $16,707,947.47.

The complaint asserts claims for breach of guaranty, breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and seeks a deficiency judgment.

II. Legal standard

The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure provide for summary adjudication when the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that “there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the movant is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.” Fed. R.Civ.P. 56(a). A principal purpose of summary judgment is “to isolate and dispose of factually unsupported claims.” Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323-24, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986).

In determining summary judgment, a court applies a burden-shifting analysis. “When the party moving for summary judgment would bear the burden of proof at trial, it must come forward with evidence which would entitle it to a directed verdict if the evidence went uncontrovert-ed at trial. In such a case, the moving party has the initial burden of establishing the absence of a genuine issue of fact on each issue material to its case.” C.A.R. Transp. Brokerage Co. v. Darden Rests., Inc., 213 F.3d 474, 480 (9th Cir.2000) (citations omitted).

In contrast, when the nonmoving party bears the burden of proving the claim or defense, the moving party can meet its burden in two ways: (1) by presenting evidence to negate an essential element of the nonmoving party’s case; or (2) by demonstrating that the nonmoving party failed to make a showing sufficient to establish an element essential to that party’s case on which that party will bear the burden of proof at trial. See Celotex Corp., 477 U.S. at 323-24, 106 S.Ct. 2548. If the moving party fails to meet its initial burden, summary judgment must be denied and the court need not consider the nonmoving party’s evidence. See Adickes v. S.H. Kress & Co., 398 U.S. 144, 159-60, 90 S.Ct. 1598, 26 L.Ed.2d 142 (1970).

If the moving party satisfies its initial burden, the burden then shifts to the opposing party to establish that a genuine issue of material fact exists. See Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 586, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986). To establish the existence of a factual dispute, the opposing party need not establish a material issue of fact conclusively in its favor. It is sufficient that “the claimed factual dispute be shown to require a jury or judge to resolve the parties’ differing versions of the truth at trial.” T.W. Elec. Serv., Inc. v. Pac. Elec. Contractors Ass’n, 809 F.2d 626, 631 (9th Cir.1987).

In other words, the nonmoving party cannot avoid summary judgment by relying solely on conclusory allegations that are unsupported by factual data. See Taylor v. List, 880 F.2d 1040, 1045 (9th Cir.1989). Instead, the opposition must go beyond the assertions and allegations of [996]*996the pleadings and set forth specific facts by producing competent evidence that shows a genuine issue for trial. See Celotex Corp., 477 U.S. at 324, 106 S.Ct. 2548.

At summary judgment, a court’s function is not to weigh the evidence and determine the truth, but to determine whether there is a genuine issue for trial. See Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 249, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). The evidence of the nonmovant is “to be believed, and all justifiable inferences are to be drawn in his favor.” Id. at 255, 106 S.Ct. 2505. But if the evidence of the nonmoving party is merely colorable or is not significantly probative, summary judgment may be granted. See id. at 249-50, 106 S.Ct. 2505.

III. Discussion

Following a trustee’s sale, Nevada law entitles a creditor to a deficiency judgment “if it appears from the sheriffs return or the recital of consideration in the trustee’s deed that there is a deficiency of the proceeds of the sale and a balance remaining due to the judgment creditor or the beneficiary of the deed of trust, respectively.” NRS 40.455(1). This statutory scheme also requires that the court, prior to awarding a deficiency judgment, hold a hearing regarding the fair market value of the property as of the date of the trustee’s sale. NRS 40.457(1).

Following the hearing, the court must award a judgment for the lowest amount amongst the following calculations:

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Bluebook (online)
51 F. Supp. 3d 993, 2014 WL 3747644, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 103870, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/branch-banking-trust-co-v-pahrump-194-llc-nvd-2014.