Continental Western Insurance v. Federal Housing Finance Agency

83 F. Supp. 3d 828, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12228, 2015 WL 428342
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Iowa
DecidedFebruary 3, 2015
DocketNo. 4:14-cv-00042
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 83 F. Supp. 3d 828 (Continental Western Insurance v. Federal Housing Finance Agency) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Continental Western Insurance v. Federal Housing Finance Agency, 83 F. Supp. 3d 828, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12228, 2015 WL 428342 (S.D. Iowa 2015).

Opinion

ORDER

ROBERT W. PRATT, District Judge.

Before the Court are two Motions to Dismiss and a Supplemental Motion to Dismiss filed by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (“FHFA”), Melvin L. Watt (“Watt”), and the United States Department of the Treasury (“Treasury”) (collectively “Defendants”). Continental Western Insurance Company (“Plaintiff’ or “Continental Western”) filed a complaint against Defendants on February 5, 2014. Clerk’s No. 1. On April 29, 2014, FHFA and Watt filed a Motion to Dismiss, or in the alternative, a Motion to Transfer or Stay the Action. Clerk’s No. 23. Treasury also filed a Motion to Dismiss, or in the alternative, a Motion to Transfer or Stay the Action. Clerk’s No. 24. Plaintiff filed a response to both motions on August 29, 2014. Clerk’s No. 45. On September 29, 2014, FHFA and Watt filed a reply (Clerk’s No. 47), as did Treasury (Clerk’s No. 46). Plaintiff filed a supplemental brief in opposition to Defendants’ Motions on October 28, 2014 (Clerk’s No. 52); Defendants replied on October 30, 2014 (Clerk’s No. 54). Defendants collectively filed a Supplemental Motion to Dismiss on October 30, 2014. Clerk’s No. 55. Plaintiff responded on November 17, 2014. Clerk’s No. 56. Defendants replied on December 5, 2014. Clerk’s No. 62. An oral argument on Defendants’ Motions to Dismiss and Supplemental Motion to Dismiss was held on December 16, 2014. Clerk’s No. 63. The matters are fully submitted.

I. FACTS

Continental Western is an Iowa corporation that owns shares of preferred stock in the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie”) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie”). Compl. ¶ 31. Fannie and Freddie are government-sponsored entities (“GSEs”) that were created by Congress in part to “promote access to mortgage credit throughout the Nation ... by increasing the liquidity of mortgage investments and improving the distribution of investment capital available for residential mortgage financings.” 12 U.S.C. § 1716(4). Since their creation, the GSEs have been reorganized as for-profit, stockholdei'-owned corporations. Compl. ¶ 29.

In 2008, a major economic and housing crisis was occurring in the United States; as a result, the GSEs incurred significant losses to their portfolios. Id. ¶¶ 3, 33-34. To address the crisis, Congress passed the Home and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (“HERA”). Id. ¶ 34. HERA created [831]*831FHFA as an independent agency with power to supervise and regulate Fannie and Freddie. 12 U.S.C. § 4511(b)(2). HERA also authorized FHFA to place the GSEs under conservatorship or receivership. 12 U.S.C. § 4617(2). According to HERA, FHFA'as conservator or receiver would “immediately succeed to — (i) all rights, titles, powers, and privileges of the [GSEs], and of any stockholder, officer, or director of such [GSEs] with respect to the [GSEs] and the assets of the [GSEs].” 12 U.S.C. § 4617(b)(2)(A)®. Importantly, HERA also states that “[e]xcept as provided in this section or at the request of the Director, no court may take any action to restrain or affect the exercise, of powers or functions of [FHFA] as a conservator or receiver.” 12 U.S.C. § 4617(f).

On September 6, 2008, FHFA exercised its power under HERA and placed the GSEs under conservatorship. Compl. ¶¶ 35-36. Shortly thereafter, pursuant to authority granted by HERA, Treasury entered into a Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement (“PSPA”) with FHFA. Id. ¶ 6; see 12 U.S.C. §§ 1465(0, 1719(g). Under the PSPA, Treasury committed to provide up to $100 billion to both Fannie and Freddie to ensure that the GSEs maintained a positive net worth. Compl. ¶ 44. On May 6, 2009, FHFA and Treasury agreed to amend the PSPA and increase Treasury’s funding cap to $200 billion. Id. ¶ 52. On December 24, 2009, FHFA and Treasury again amended the PSPA, 'this time to allow Fannie and Freddie to draw unlimited sums of money to cure any negative net worth until the end of 2012, at which time Treasury’s funding cap would be fixed according to an agreed-upon formula. Id. ¶ 53.

In return for its funding commitment, Treasury received shares of a newly created class of securities, known as Senior Preferred Stock, in both GSEs. Id. ¶ 6. The stock entitled Treasury to several contractual rights: (1) a senior liquidation preference over other preferred stock of $1 billion which would increase to match the amount of any funds the GSEs drew from Treasury (¿&¶ 46); (2) quarterly dividend payments from the GSEs equal to 10% of Treasury’s existing liquidation preference (id. ¶ 47); (3) warrants to purchase 79.9% of the common stock of both GSEs (id. ¶ 45); and (4) a quarterly periodic commitment fee paid by the GSEs to Treasury to compensate Treasury’s ongoing support (id. ¶ 48).

In order to pay Treasury the 10% quarterly dividend required by the PSPA, the GSEs occasionally had to engage in the circular practice of drawing funds from Treasury, which would then be paid directly back to Treasury to meet the dividend obligation (“the circular draws”). Compl. ¶ 55. On August 17, 2012, Treasury and FHFA entered into a third amendment to the PSPA (“the Third Amendment”). Id. ¶ 68. The Third Amendment, among other things, altered the dividend obligation by eliminating the quarterly 10% dividend payments and instead requiring the GSEs to make quarterly payments to Treasury equal to their total net worth (“the Net Worth Sweep”). Id. ¶ 70. The Net Worth Sweep took effect January 1, 2013, and has been in operation since. Id. The GSEs returned to profitability in 2012. Id. ¶ 58.

On July 10, 2013, Continental Western’s parent company, Berkley Regional Insurance Company (“Berkley”), as well as Berkley’s parent company, Berkley Insurance Company (collectively “the Berkley plaintiffs”) filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia (“the D.C. court”). See Clerk’s Nos. 23-12, 55-1 at 1-2. That suit was filed against the same Defendants that are involved in this case, and alleged the same seven claims that Continental Western [832]*832makes here. Compare Compl. ¶¶ 94-166 with Clerk’s No. 23-12 at 34-46. On September 30, 2014, the D.C. court issued an order dismissing the Berkley plaintiffs’ claims for lack of subject matter jurisdiction, among other things. See Perry Capital, Inc. v. Lew, 70 F.Supp.3d 208, 2014 WL 4829659 (D.D.C. Sept. 30, 2014). The Berkley plaintiffs appealed the Perry Capital order to the District of Columbia Circuit; the appeal is still pending. See Clerk’s No. 55-5.

Continental Western filed this suit on February 5, 2014, alleging that FHFA and Treasury acted outside the statutory authority granted to them by HERA, and that FHFA and Treasury violated the Administrative Procedure Act (“APA”). Compl. ¶¶ 94-136.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Saxton v. Federal Housing Finance Agency
245 F. Supp. 3d 1063 (N.D. Iowa, 2017)
Roberts v. Federal Housing Finance Agency
243 F. Supp. 3d 950 (N.D. Illinois, 2017)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
83 F. Supp. 3d 828, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12228, 2015 WL 428342, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/continental-western-insurance-v-federal-housing-finance-agency-iasd-2015.