Check Reporting Services, Inc v. Michigan National Bank-Lansing

478 N.W.2d 893, 191 Mich. App. 614
CourtMichigan Court of Appeals
DecidedOctober 22, 1991
DocketDocket 115949
StatusPublished
Cited by32 cases

This text of 478 N.W.2d 893 (Check Reporting Services, Inc v. Michigan National Bank-Lansing) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Check Reporting Services, Inc v. Michigan National Bank-Lansing, 478 N.W.2d 893, 191 Mich. App. 614 (Mich. Ct. App. 1991).

Opinion

*616 Per Curiam.

Plaintiff appeals as of right a circuit court order granting defendants’ motion for summary disposition pursuant to MCR 2.116(C)(8) and (10) and dismissing plaintiffs complaint. Plaintiff raises numerous issues in challenging the dismissal of its complaint. Defendants cross appeal the denial of their motion for costs and sanctions. We affirm.

For nearly twenty-five years, plaintiff Check Reporting Services, Inc. (crs) provided a check reporting and guarantee service to the business community. Crs would purchase consumer checks from merchants at a discount and bear the responsibility of collection. As its business grew, crs entered into a payable through draft agreement with defendant Michigan National Bank-Lansing (mnb). Under this arrangement, crs’ customers (merchants) would endorse their consumer checks over to crs and mail the checks with a deposit slip to crs for deposit in crs’ check purchase account. The merchant, using a blank draft issued by crs, would then draw the discounted amount from crs’ draft account. Thus, the collected customer checks deposited in the check purchase account would fund the drafts drawn on the draft account.

Under the agreement, mnb was required to pay only those drafts for which there were sufficient collected funds in the check purchase account, i.e., funds representing checks that had cleared the Federal Reserve Bank. The checks mailed from crs’ customers had a longer processing time, because of the delay in mailing, than the drafts drawn by the merchants from the draft account. As a result, the check purchase account would evidence a "negative float” representing the amount of uncollected funds. This in turn could lead to an overdraft situation in the draft account.

To remedy this situation, mnb extended to crs *617 an unsecured line of credit of $50,000 in June, 1984. The purpose of this loan was to fund the check purchase account. In October, 1984, the line of credit was increased to $150,000, and crs granted mnb a security interest in crs’ accounts, inventory, equipment, and all funds that were then on deposit or in the future would be on deposit in the check purchase account. Paragraph 9 of the security agreement listed the events constituting default and the available remedies for mnb, including the right to immediate possession of the collateral.

The business loan agreement executed on February 22, 1985, increased the line of credit to $250,000 with a $50,000 "bulge line,” for a total credit line of $300,000. Mnb still was required to pay only those drafts for which there were sufficient collected funds on deposit in the check purchase account. Mnb was granted the right to set off any or all of crs’ deposit accounts, or any other property held by it, against any indebtedness of crs to mnb. The agreement described the events constituting default and the bank’s remedies, which included a "no waiver” provision. On February 22, 1985, crs signed a promissory note for the $300,000 line of credit loan, which stated that the loan amount was due on demand.

In 1985, crs experienced what it describes as "a period of explosive growth” in its business. Plaintiff admits that this growth "strained [its] lines of credit to the breaking point,” creating a "potential for negative float of between $1 million and $1.5 million.” 1 Further, crs admits that by October, 1985, its check purchase account "was almost continually in a negative float” and that "over *618 drafts were beginning to occur” even with the credit line fully extended.

Crs admits that it was aware of mnb’s "discomfort” with the situation, but that the bank continued to pay drafts presented daily, even when the payment created an overdraft in the check purchase account. Crs acknowledges its awareness that mnb’s "discomfort” was not just over the negative float, but over crs’ inability to track its net position on a daily basis.

On October 23, 1985, crs’ management met with mnb officials regarding the bank’s concern over the apparent problem with crs’ accounts. The bank demanded that crs not sign any new customers until it found additional capitalization to remedy the intolerable overdraft situation. Crs’ check purchase account was overdrawn thirteen times in both November and December, 1985, and nine times up to, and including, January 16, 1986.

Another meeting was held between mnb and crs on January 17, 1986. During this meeting, mnb hand-delivered to William Gerlach, crs’ chief executive officer, a "requirements letter” dated January 16, 1986. Because of the continual overdraft situation, crs’ inadequate capitalization, and crs’ failure to comply with the documentation requirements under the loan agreements, the bank made the following demands:

1. Crs must immediately initiate steps to eliminate the overdraft balance in the checking account. This must be accomplished no later than January 31st and no further overdrafts will be allowed after January 31st.
2. Crs must generate a meaningful and accurate Deposit/Draft Reconciliation Report and furnish report to the Bank on a daily basis, starting immediately.
3. $300,000 line of credit balance must have *619 100% coverage of net drafts receivable, as reported on the daily Deposit/Draft Reconciliation Report, plus cash balance in account.
4. Crs to furnish to the Bank monthly Balance and Operating Statements for November 30, 1985 no later than January 24th and for December 31, 1985 no later than January 31st.
5. Crs to furnish to the Bank proforma income statements for the period January 1 through June 30, 1985 no later than January 31st.
6. Crs to furnish to the Bank a plan in writing no later than February 15th for injection of a minimum of $500,000 new capital, and implementation of the plan no later than March 15th.

After reviewing the requirements, Gerlach informed mnb that the January 31 deadline for eliminating the overdraft situation was "impossible.” He also indicated that crs would be unable to provide the deposit/draft reconciliation reports, but would attempt to gather accurate information regarding its net position.

With respect to the infusion of $500,000 of capital, crs informed mnb of the prospective sale of its controlling shares to Paul Quinn, a millionaire real estate investor and future brother-in-law of the vice president of crs’ Ohio operations. However, the sale was never consummated, and mnb never received written confirmation, as required, of a commitment by anyone for the injection of new capital.

From February 13, 1986, to February 20, 1986, several meetings were held between mnb and crs. During these meetings, the bank’s attorney informed crs, and crs acknowledged, that the continuation of the loan relationship would be decided on a day-to-day basis. During the February 13 meeting, the bank learned that crs was holding nearly $960,000 in returned and uncollected cus *620 tomer checks purchased by crs.

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Bluebook (online)
478 N.W.2d 893, 191 Mich. App. 614, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/check-reporting-services-inc-v-michigan-national-bank-lansing-michctapp-1991.