Central Arkansas Savings & Loan Ass'n v. Federal Home Loan Bank Board

495 F. Supp. 703, 1980 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17241
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Arkansas
DecidedAugust 1, 1980
DocketNo. LR-C-80-151
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 495 F. Supp. 703 (Central Arkansas Savings & Loan Ass'n v. Federal Home Loan Bank Board) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Central Arkansas Savings & Loan Ass'n v. Federal Home Loan Bank Board, 495 F. Supp. 703, 1980 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17241 (E.D. Ark. 1980).

Opinion

ORDER

EISELE, Chief Judge.

The plaintiffs, two savings and loan associations located in Conway, Faulkner County, Arkansas, filed this action for review1 of the decision of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board (FHLBB) authorizing First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Little Rock, Arkansas, to establish a branch in Conway, pursuant to 12 U.S.C. § 1464(a). The record containing filings, letters and the transcript of the hearing held before the FHLBB’s supervisory agent in Little Rock, as directed by FHLBB’s regulations, is before the Court. The defendants have filed motions to dismiss or in the alternative for summary judgment. Plaintiffs have filed a motion for summary judgment and response. Because matters outside the pleadings must be considered, the Court will consider this as a motion for summary judgment pursuant to Rule 56 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (FRCP). See Rule 12(b), FRCP. Neither party asserts that there are genuine issues of material fact remaining.

The FHLBB was created by Congress to regulate savings and loan associations and to charter new associations or to allow the establishment of a branch if the Board finds: that a community needs an institution and it will be useful; that there is a reasonable likelihood of success; that the new institution will not unduly threaten properly managed institutions already in the community; and that the applicant’s record of meeting the credit needs of its existing local communities is adequate. 12 C.F.R. § 545.14(c). The FHLBB’s policy has been to encourage branching. 12 C.F.R. § 556.5(b)(5).

The standard of review of the decisions concerning branching is found in 5 U.S.C. § 706(2)(A):

The reviewing court shall—
* * * 4! * #
(2) hold unlawful and set aside agency action, findings, and conclusions found to be—
(a) arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion or otherwise not in accordance with the law.
* * * * * *
In making the foregoing determinations the court shall review the whole record or those parts of it cited by a party.

The Court has reviewed the record in comparison with the agency action, giving particular attention to those matters raised in the plaintiffs’ response to the motion for summary judgment. The question now is, “whether the decision was based on a consideration of the relevant factors and whether there has been a clear error of judgment.” Citizens to Preserve Overton Park v. Volpe, 401 U.S. 402, 416, 91 S.Ct. 814, 824, 28 L.Ed.2d 136 (1971).

The FHLBB is not required to make extensive findings of fact or give a detailed explanation for its decision. See Madison County Building & Loan Ass’n., supra at 396-398. In this case, its decision, adopted in Resolution No. 80-83, dated February 14, 1980, was that the applicant had shown the necessity for the branch, a reasonable probability of success and the improbability of injury to other institutions. The decision summarized its findings:

a. Faulkner County is the proposed market area (PMA) for First Federal Savings and Loan Association’s proposed branch in Conway. The PMA is a realistic area with a strong economic base and good growth potential. The area has 10 commercial banking facilities but only four approved savings and loan offices. The establishment of this facility will improve the imbalance of S&L representation and provide the area with a [705]*705more competitive choice of thrift and home-financing services.
b. The probability of success is good because the PMA has a median family income of $15,427 and a reasonable population base of 42,247. Additionally, the office will be situated in an area with substantial commercial draw and easy accessibility.
c. The possibility of undue injury is minimal. Savings and loans and the commercial banks are well established in the PMA and all appear to have a successful operation. The establishment of this facility should have no effect on any well managed and properly conducted institution or their ability to attract a reasonable share of the savings and loan market.
d. First Federal of Little Rock has a favorable community service record and there is no evidence in the protest material, the application or the Bank Board records of consumer complaints or of any CRA or nondiscrimination violations.

Certain elements of the complaint were apparently not considered on the record or at the hearing.2 Failure to assert claims at the administrative level precludes review at the district court level. See First Federal Savings & Loan Ass’n. of Fayetteville v. FHLBB, 426 F.Supp. 454, 463 (W.D.Ark. 1977), aff’d. 570 F.2d 693 (8th Cir. 1978). Nor may additional evidence be submitted now. This is not a de novo review of the agency decision but rather a review of the administrative record to see whether the agency decision was arbitrary and capricious in view of the record before it. See Camp v. Pitts, 411 U.S. 138, 141-42, 93 S.Ct. 1241, 1243-1244, 36 L.Ed.2d 106 (1973).

1.

Concerning finding (a) the plaintiffs state that there is an inaccuracy, there being two rather than 10 commercial banking facilities in Faulkner County. The plaintiffs go on to say, “[t]hat seemed to be the only announced factual basis used by the Federal Home Loan Bank Board in determining that there was a need for this proposed branch.” Were that indeed the case the alleged inaccuracy would be of great importance. The record indicates that in fact there are two commercial banks with a total of 10 facilities within the Proposed Market Area (PMA), as stated by the Board. The language of the Board may have been confusing, but it accurately reflects the facts stated at B-6.1. The record shows thát bank assets total $135,137,000. (B-6.2). Assets of the three established savings and loans total $85,007,000. (B-8.3).

Furthermore, there were many other bases, albeit not undisputed, for the Board’s finding that there is a need for the proposed branch. Evidence indicates an excellent pattern of population growth in the past and projected for the future. (B-5.4 and B-5.5). From 1960 the rate of personal disposable income has increased 247%. (B-5.10). There were 713 housing starts in Conway in a three year period. The average annual growth rate of total payrolls in Faulkner County was 20.2% (B-2.2).

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495 F. Supp. 703, 1980 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17241, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/central-arkansas-savings-loan-assn-v-federal-home-loan-bank-board-ared-1980.