Branch ex rel. Maine National Bank v. United States

31 Fed. Cl. 626, 1994 U.S. Claims LEXIS 132, 1994 WL 380903
CourtUnited States Court of Federal Claims
DecidedJuly 20, 1994
DocketNo. 93-133C
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 31 Fed. Cl. 626 (Branch ex rel. Maine National Bank v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Federal Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Branch ex rel. Maine National Bank v. United States, 31 Fed. Cl. 626, 1994 U.S. Claims LEXIS 132, 1994 WL 380903 (uscfc 1994).

Opinion

OPINION

NETTESHEIM, Judge.

This case, before the court after argument on cross-motions for summary judgment, raises the issue of whether application of the cross-guarantee assessment provisions of the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act, Pub.L. No. 101-73, 103 Stat. 183 (1989) (codified in scattered sections of 12 U.S.C.) (“FIRREA”), constitutes a taking without just compensation in violation of the Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution.

FACTS

The following facts are undisputed. Dr. Ben Branch (“plaintiff’) is the Chapter 7 Trustee of the Estate of the Bank of New England Corp. (“BNEC”). Plaintiff brings this claim derivatively on behalf and in the name of Maine National Bank (“MNB”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of BNEC.

MNB was a national banking association established in 1889. In 1985 MNB was acquired by BNEC, a bank holding company that owned a number of other subsidiary banks, including Bank of New England, N.A. (“BNE”), and Connecticut Bank and Trust Co., N.A. (“CBT”). In the late 1980’s, MNB and CBT maintained healthy account balances and were considered to be in good financial health.

On August 9,1989, FIRREA became effective. FIRREA was enacted in response to the growing concern over the well-being of the nation’s financial institutions and the continued viability of the Federal Deposit Insurance Fund. FIRREA gave the federal government broad powers to address this concern. Among these powers was the cross-guarantee assessment power, which provides:

Any insured depository institution shall be liable for any loss incurred by the [Federal Deposit Insurance] Corporation, or any loss which the [Federal Deposit Insurance] Corporation reasonably anticipates incurring, after August 9, 1989 in connection with—
(i) the default of a commonly controlled insured depository institution; or
(ii) any assistance provided by the [Federal Deposit Insurance] Corporation to any commonly controlled insured depository institution in danger of default.

12 U.S.C. § 1815(e)(1)(A) (Supp. IV 1992) (the “cross-guarantee statute”). A company is deemed to “control” a bank if

(A) the company directly or indirectly ... owns, controls, or has power to vote 25 per centum or more of any class of voting securities of the bank or company;
(B) the company controls in any manner the election of a majority of the directors or trustees of the bank or company; or
(C) the Board determines, after notice and opportunity for hearing, that the company directly or indirectly exercises a control[629]*629ling influence over the management or policies of the bank or company.

12 U.S.C. § 1841(a)(2).

Beginning in 1986, BNE encountered financial difficulties caused by management problems and a risky loan portfolio.1 Despite BNE’s grave problems, the bank was allowed to stay open while attempts were made to stabilize the bank by transferring substantial assets to it from BNE’s parent company, BNEC. These efforts were unsuccessful. On January 3, 1991, BNEC’s management met with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (the “OCC”) in Washington, DC, and advised the officials that BNE’s capital accounts were exhausted.

On January 6, 1991, the OCC declared BNEC and BNE insolvent and appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”) as their receiver. On the same date, the FDIC served MNB with a Notice of Assessment of Liability for $1,015,900,000.00 pursuant to the cross-guarantee statute.2 This amount represented the FDIC’s estimate of loss anticipated as a result of BNE’s failure. On January 6,1991, MNB had a net worth of approximately $65 million. MNB informed the FDIC that it was unable to pay the amount of the assessment. Treating the assessment as a valid debt of MNB’s, the OCC declared MNB insolvent, closed the bank, and appointed the FDIC as receiver. Similar action was taken with regard to BNE and CBT. On January 7, 1991, BNEC filed for bankruptcy.

Upon MNB’s, BNE’s, and CBT’s closure, the FDIC was named receiver for each of the banks and took possession of all of the assets of those banks. The FDIC then transferred most of those banks’ respective assets and liabilities to three “bridge banks” created by the FDIC to continue operation of the insolvent banks until they could be sold. The bridge banks (New MNB, New BNE, and New CBT) were owned’and operated by the FDIC until the Fleet/Norstar Financial Group, Inc. (“Fleet Bank”), was declared the successful bidder for the closed BNEC banks. Most of the assets and liabilities of the bridge banks were then transferred to Fleet Bank. Some assets, though, remained in the bridge bank receiverships, just as some assets had remained in the BNE, CBT, and MNB receiverships.

Plaintiff filed suit in the Court of Federal Claims on March 5,1993, seeking recovery of an amount not less than $65 million. Plaintiff alleges that when the FDIC forced the failure of MNB and seizure of the bank’s assets, the FDIC took MNB’s property for a public purpose without just compensation. Since the value of MNB’s assets exceeded its liabilities by at least $65 million at the time of the seizure, plaintiff would hold the Government hable for at least that amount.

DISCUSSION

1. Summary judgment standard

Summary judgment is appropriate when there are no genuine issues of material fact in dispute and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. RCFC 56(e). Only disputes over material facts, or facts that might significantly affect the outcome of the suit under the governing law, preclude an entry of judgment. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 2510, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). A dispute about a material fact is genuine if the evidence would permit a reasonable jury to return a verdict in favor of the non-movant. Id. Both plaintiff and defendant, as the moving parties, have the burden of establishing that there are no genuine material issues in dispute and that the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322-23, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2552-53, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986).

[630]*630In the capacity of opposing each other’s motions, the parties must provide sufficient evidence, not necessarily admissible at trial, to show that a genuine issue of material fact indeed exists. Celotex, 477 U.S. at 322, 324, 106 S.Ct. at 2552, 2553. When reviewing a motion for summary judgment in a ease asserting an unconstitutional taking, a court should avoid “precipitous grants of summary judgment” due to the “fact-intensive” nature of such claims. Yuba Goldfields, Inc. v. United States, 723 F.2d 884, 887 (Fed.Cir.1983); see also Whitney Benefits, Inc. v.

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31 Fed. Cl. 626, 1994 U.S. Claims LEXIS 132, 1994 WL 380903, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/branch-ex-rel-maine-national-bank-v-united-states-uscfc-1994.