Citizens Federal Bank v. Cardian Mortgage Corp. (In Re Cardian Mortgage Corp.)

122 B.R. 255, 1990 Bankr. LEXIS 2686
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Virginia
DecidedSeptember 28, 1990
Docket14-33804
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 122 B.R. 255 (Citizens Federal Bank v. Cardian Mortgage Corp. (In Re Cardian Mortgage Corp.)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Citizens Federal Bank v. Cardian Mortgage Corp. (In Re Cardian Mortgage Corp.), 122 B.R. 255, 1990 Bankr. LEXIS 2686 (Va. 1990).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

DOUGLAS 0. TICE, Jr., Bankruptcy Judge.

Citizens Federal Bank (“Citizens”) filed a complaint against the chapter 11 debtor Cardian Mortgage Corporation (“Cardian”) seeking a turnover from Cardian in the amount of $643,759.11 plus interest, fees and costs. Both parties filed motions for summary judgment, and hearing on the motions was held on May 22, 1990. The court has considered the extensive memo-randa of law and arguments of counsel and makes the following rulings on the motions:

(1) Citizens’ motion for summary judgment is granted in the amount of $201,-011.41. Otherwise the motion is denied.

(2) Cardian’s motion for summary judgment is granted except to the extent of $201,011.41, and except for Citizens’ claim to the amount of $2,962.27 described in paragraphs 17-20 of the complaint.

Findings Of Fact

Cardian filed a chapter 11 bankruptcy petition on January 30, 1989, and since that time has operated as debtor in possession.

During the year 1988 and previously Car-dian held the contractual right to service various pools of mortgage loans from Pioneer Federal Savings and Loan Association, n/k/a Pioneer Savings Bank, including the right to service mortgage pools owned by Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”). As servicer of mortgage loans beneficially owned by entities such as Freddie Mac, Cardian collected mortgage payments and remitted funds to the mortgage pool owners, for which servicing Cardian earned a fee.

Prior to September 16, 1988, Cardian’s mortgage pool servicing accounts were maintained in depository or custodial checking accounts with Ultimate Savings Bank, F.S.B. (“Ultimate”). On that date Ultimate was closed, and plaintiff Citizens acquired the Ultimate depository accounts including the account Cardian used for Freddie Mac funds.

After acquiring the Ultimate deposit accounts, Citizens planned to convert the data processing for these accounts to its own system. On or about November 10, 1988, Citizens notified the checking account customers on the former Ultimate accounts that the conversion of the accounts would take place on December 10, 1988, and that the customers would receive a new supply of checks with their new account numbers during the week prior to conversion; this letter did not provide the customers with their new account numbers.

Cardian’s account at Ultimate which included the mortgage pool funds of Freddie Mac (and others) bore number 25668. The new number assigned this account by Citizens was 38000235.

The five claims described below which Citizens asserts in its complaint for turnover arose as a result of processing or bookkeeping errors made by Citizens during the period of transition of data processing from the Ultimate system to Citizens’ system.

CLAIM ONE.

As part of its banking business Citizens maintained a clearing account (no. 3-360-545) with the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta. On December 9, 1988, this account was charged (debited) in the amount of $234,154.49. These funds were transferred to Freddie Mac and represented a payment of Cardian collections held in Cardi- *258 an’s account no. 38000235 maintained with Citizens. Since the transfer to Freddie Mac represented a payment by Citizens on behalf of Cardian, an equal amount was supposed to have been removed from or charged to Cardian’s account no. 38000235 maintained with Citizens. However, due to an error by Citizens, Cardian’s account no. 38000235 was never charged (debited) for this payment.

CLAIMS TWO and THREE.

On December 27, 1988, Citizens made on Cardian’s behalf two wire transfers of funds: (1) $629.56 to Atlantic Permanent Savings & Loan, and (2) $3,989.97 to Pioneer Savings Bank. These transfers should have been charged to Cardian’s account no. 38000235 maintained with Citizens. However, as a result of Citizens’ errors, these funds were never charged (debited) to Cardian’s account.

CLAIM FOUR.

On January 6, 1989, Citizens’ account no. 3-360-545 maintained with the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta was charged (debited) the sum of $201,011.41. These funds were transferred to Freddie Mac and represented a payment of Cardian collections held in Cardian’s account no. 38000235 maintained with Citizens. Since the transfer to Freddie Mac represented a payment by Citizens on behalf of Cardian, an equal amount was supposed to have been removed from or charged to Cardian’s account no. 38000235. Instead, however, due to Citizens’ error, this account was increased (credited) by the sum of $201,-011.41. As a result of these transactions Citizens suffered a double loss. It had paid Freddie Mac $201,011.41 out of its own funds and also increased Cardian’s account no. 38000235 by $201,011.41.

On the date Cardian filed its chapter 11 bankruptcy petition, its account no. 38000235 maintained with Citizens held the sum of $2,900,000.00. The errors described under the above four claims were not discovered until after Cardian had filed its bankruptcy petition and had removed all funds in account no. 38000235 to another bank. Therefore, none of these sums has been paid to Citizens.

CLAIM FIVE.

On January 5, 1989, Citizens transmitted $2,962.27 to Maryland National Bank on behalf of Marcasco Co., Inc., in payment of check no. 16118, dated September 1, 1988; this check had been drawn by Cardian on its account no. 3010004129 maintained with Citizens. Cardian’s account no. 3010004129 had been closed on October 4, 1988, and consequently the check was rejected for payment. Citizens contacted Cardian to request the. substitution of another account number that could be charged for the check. However, Cardian failed to respond. On May 19, 1989, Citizens exercised its statutory right of setoff by debiting the amount of $2,962.27 to Cardian’s account no. 38000219 maintained with Citizens. Counsel for Cardian then notified Citizens that Cardian had filed a bankruptcy petition. Because the automatic stay prevented Citizens from exercising its right of setoff, Citizens reinstated the $2,962.27 to Cardian’s account no. 38000219. The check remains unpaid by Cardian.

Discussion and Conclusions

Citizens claims to have a beneficial ownership of funds held by Cardian resulting from the transactions described above. It is thus fundamental to Citizens’ position that the funds do not properly constitute assets of Cardian’s bankruptcy estate pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 541. The Supreme Court has examined the legislative history of the Bankruptcy Code and determined that the bankruptcy estate does not include “property of others held by the debtor in trust at the time of the filing of the petition.” United States v. Whiting Pools, Inc., 462 U.S. 198, 205 n. 10, 103 S.Ct. 2309, 2314 n. 10, 76 L.Ed.2d 515 (1983).

As will be seen, the principle issue here is whether Cardian holds the funds in constructive trust for Citizens. The determination of a property interest is to be made under appropriate state law. Butner v. United States, 440 U.S. 48

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122 B.R. 255, 1990 Bankr. LEXIS 2686, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/citizens-federal-bank-v-cardian-mortgage-corp-in-re-cardian-mortgage-vaeb-1990.