Central State Bank v. Bloom

440 F. Supp. 782, 1977 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14780
CourtDistrict Court, District of Columbia
DecidedJuly 27, 1977
DocketCiv. A. No. 77-0484
StatusPublished

This text of 440 F. Supp. 782 (Central State Bank v. Bloom) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, District of Columbia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Central State Bank v. Bloom, 440 F. Supp. 782, 1977 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14780 (D.D.C. 1977).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

WADDY, District Judge.

On July 22, 1976, Michigan National Bank — Grand Traverse, a national banking association (Applicant), filed an application with the Office of the defendant Comptroller of the Currency (Comptroller), requesting permission to establish a branch in the Village of Benzonia, Benzie County, Michigan.

Shortly thereafter plaintiff filed a protest and requested a public hearing. The hearing was held November 16, 1976.

At the hearing, plaintiff introduced evidence designed to show: (1) that Applicant, an affiliate of Michigan National Corporation, a bank holding company, was de facto a branch of another affiliate bank, Michigan National Bank — Lansing which intended to operate the bank; (2) that Michigan law permits the establishment of a branch bank only within 25 miles of the “parent” bank; (3) that Applicant was not the “parent” bank; (4) that Michigan National Bank — Lansing was the “parent” bank; (5) that Michigan National Bank — Lansing was more than 25 miles from the village in which the branch was to be located and therefore, the establishment of the proposed branch would violate Michigan law. Plaintiff also proffered other evidence designed to show “unitary operation” in support of its de facto theory, and its claim that Applicant was a member of an illegal statewide branch banking network operated by Michigan National Corporation under the guise of a bank holding company system. This evidence was held to be irrelevant and immaterial.

On or about February 28, 1977, the defendant Comptroller approved Applicant’s application. Plaintiff brought this action on March 18, 1977, seeking declaratory and injunctive relief from that order of approval.

With its complaint plaintiff filed motions for a temporary restraining order and for a preliminary injunction. The motion for a temporary restraining order was denied and a hearing on the merits was ordered advanced and consolidated with the hearing on the motion for a preliminary injunction pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 65(a)(2). Thereupon defendant moved to dismiss the action or, in the alternative, for summary judgment, and plaintiff moved for summary judgment. These motions have been fully briefed and argued and are now before the Court for disposition.

Plaintiff contends in this action, as it did before the Comptroller, that Applicant is a de facto branch of Michigan National Bank— Lansing, the true “parent” bank, and, as such, is precluded by Section 171 of the Michigan Banking Code of 1969,1 Michigan Statutes Annotated, § 23.710 (171) (1971), Michigan Compiled Laws Annotated, § 487.-[784]*784471, as implemented by 12 U.S.C. § 36(c),2 from establishing a branch of a branch bank, and from establishing a branch bank more than 25 miles from the parent. (But see footnote 6, page 7 of defendant’s Memorandum of Points and Authorities in Support of Motion to Dismiss, etc.).

In its Complaint and Motion for a Preliminary Injunction plaintiff contends that Applicant is a part of an illegal statewide banking network operated by the Michigan National Corporation under the guise of a bank holding system.3 However, in its Memorandum in Support of its Motion for Summary Judgment and in Opposition to defendant’s motions, plaintiff argues that its “allegations are directed toward the Comptroller’s approval of a branch bank, the authority for which comes solely under Sec. 36 of the National Bank Act.”4

Plaintiff claims further that it was deprived of due process at the hearing on the application to establish the Benzonia branch by the Comptroller’s refusal to accept evidence on the question of “unitary operation”, which plaintiff argues is the crucial issue in determining whether Applicant is a de facto branch of Michigan National Bank— Lansing.

Finally, plaintiff argues that the Comptroller’s approval of Applicant’s application was arbitrary, capricious, and an abuse of discretion and not otherwise in accordance with law.

In response to plaintiff’s contention that Applicant is a de facto branch of Michigan National Bank — Lansing, defendant asserts that the establishment of a national bank as a subsidiary of a bank holding company, and the relationship of that bank within the holding company structure are matters within the sole discretion and jurisdiction of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, subject to review by the Court of Appeals.

With respect to this case, the Comptroller conditionally approved the application to charter Michigan National Bank — Grand Traverse in 1975. Michigan National Corporation, a registered bank holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act, then applied to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System for permission to acquire control of the voting shares of Michigan National Bank — Grand Traverse. That permission was granted.5 Plaintiff did not participate in those proceedings, and has never raised questions about the operation of Michigan National Bank — Grand Traverse before the Federal Reserve Board.

Relying principally on Whitney National Bank in Jefferson Parish v. Bank of New Orleans, 379 U.S. 411, 85 S.Ct. 551, 13 L.Ed.2d 386 (1965), defendant contends that [785]*785the Comptroller is bound by the Federal Reserve Board’s determination that Applicant is a national bank and not a branch, and that therefore this case should be dismissed for lack of subject matter jurisdiction.

If the establishment of a national bank as a subsidiary of a bank holding company, and the relationship of that bank within the holding company structure, were the determinative issue of this case, this Court would agree with the defendant. That is clearly an issue over which this Court lacks jurisdiction and apparently plaintiff agrees. However, this Court does have jurisdiction to review decisions of the Comptroller under the National Banking Act. Plaintiff argues that that is all it seeks, and both parties agree that the standard of review is whether the Comptroller’s adjudication was arbitrary, capricious, and an abuse of discretion, or otherwise not in accordance with law. Camp v. Pitts, 411 U.S. 138, 93 S.Ct. 1241, 36 L.Ed.2d 106 (1973).

As the Supreme Court held in Camp v. Pitts, supra:

. In applying that standard, the focal point for judicial review should be the administrative record already in existence, not some new record made initially in the reviewing court. 411 U.S. at 142, 93 S.Ct. at 1244.

In this case, the Comptroller has filed an administrative record over 300 pages in length in which he has set forth the background and history of this controversy, the investigations made under his direction, the hearings requested and granted, and the findings in support of his approval of the application.

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Related

Camp v. Pitts
411 U.S. 138 (Supreme Court, 1973)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
440 F. Supp. 782, 1977 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14780, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/central-state-bank-v-bloom-dcd-1977.