Credit Life Insurance v. Federal Deposit Insurance

870 F. Supp. 417, 26 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 808, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20430
CourtDistrict Court, D. New Hampshire
DecidedOctober 18, 1993
DocketCiv. 92-283-JD
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 870 F. Supp. 417 (Credit Life Insurance v. Federal Deposit Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. New Hampshire primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Credit Life Insurance v. Federal Deposit Insurance, 870 F. Supp. 417, 26 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 808, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20430 (D.N.H. 1993).

Opinion

ORDER

DiCLERICO, Chief Judge.

The plaintiff, The Credit Life Insurance Company (“CLIC”), seeks judicial review of a decision by the FDIC, in its capacity as receiver for the failed Amoskeag Bank (“FDIC-Receiver”), denying CLIC’s proof of claim. The plaintiff brings this action against FDIC-Receiver and the FDIC in its corporate capacity (“FDIC-Corporate”). CLIC presents three theories of liability against FDIC-Corporate. Pursuant to Fed. R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6), FDIC-Corporate moves to dismiss the plaintiffs complaint for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted (document no. 7). In the alternative, FDIC-Corporate moves for summary judgment pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 56 (document no. 13). FDIC-Receiver also moves for summary judgment (document no. 12). For the following reasons, the court grants the motions for summary judgment.

Background

On October 1, 1987, Amoskeag Bank (“Amoskeag”) issued a “clean, irrevocable and unconditional” standby letter of credit (“LOC”) for the account of New England *420 States Re, Ltd. (“N.E. States”) and the benefit of CLIC. The LOC secured N.E. States’s obligation to make payment on certain reinsurance obligations. Amoskeag promised to promptly honor CLIC’s sight drafts, with the condition that any funds obtained be used only for one or more of the following purposes:

(1) to reimburse CLIC for N.E. States’ share of premiums returned to the owners of policies or certificates of credit insurance reinsured to N.E. States’ on account of cancellation;
(2) to reimburse CLIC for N.E. States share of benefit or losses paid by CLIC under policies reinsured to N.E. States; and
(3) to pay amounts due to CLIC from N.E. States under the terms of the Agreements of Reinsurance between those parties.

The LOC was backed by the personal guaranty of Charles F. Yanco and the guaranty of 0 & C Realty secured by a real estate mortgage. CLIC agreed to satisfy any demand for funds in the first instance from a trust account and to access the LOC only after all funds from the trust account were exhausted. Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment as to FDIC-Receiver, attachment 2 (letter from CLIC to Amoskeag). Amoskeag did not pay an insurance premium on the LOC. Croteau Affidavit at 2.

On October 10, 1991, Amoskeag was declared insolvent and closed by the Bank Commissioner for the State of New Hampshire. The FDIC was appointed receiver of the bank. See 12 U.S.C.A. §§ 191 and 1821(c) (West 1989) (general grounds for appointment of FDIC as receiver of insolvent national bank). FDIC-Receiver entered into a purchase and assumption agreement with First New Hampshire Bank.

On or about October 30, 1991, the FDIC, Division of Liquidation, notified CLIC the LOC might be disaffirmed pursuant to 12 U.S.C.A. § 1821 (West 1989 & Supp.1993) (receiver has authority to disaffirm burdensome contracts). On or about December 20, 1991, CLIC received a second letter, which stated in part:

Letters of credit are not provable claims against the Receiver, unless a triggering event occurred prior to the appointment of the Receiver.... To the extent that the letter of credit in question does constitute a provable claim, the letter of credit is hereby repudiated.

Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment as to FDIC-Receiver, attachment 4. CLIC responded by filing an administrative proof of claim for payment under the LOC. FDIC-Receiver denied the proof of claim, stating the obligation was contingent at the time Amoskeag was declared insolvent and CLIC suffered no damage prior to the appointment of FDIC-Receiver. Complaint, ¶10.

Discussion

I. The Claims Against FDIC-Corporate

FDIC-Corporate initially moved to dismiss the complaint pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6). In its objection to the motion to dismiss, CLIC raised new theories of liability. CLIC subsequently moved to amend its complaint. The motion was granted and two additional bases of liability were included. While the motion to amend was pending, FDIC-Corporate filed a motion for summary judgment on all claims alleged in the initial complaint and the request to amend.

In its amended complaint, CLIC first claims FDIC-Corporate - succeeds to the bank’s liability on the LOC as a successor to a portion of Amoskeag’s assets. CLIC next claims FDIC-Corporate is responsible to pay the LOC because an LOC secured by personal guaranty and a guaranty backed by a mortgage is an insured deposit. CLIC finally claims FDIC-Corporate is liable because CLIC, as the beneficiary of a secured letter of credit, is entitled, pursuant to N.H.Rev. StatAnn. § 382-A:5-117 (1961), to assets that may be in FDIC-Corporate’s possession.

Summary judgment is appropriate when material facts are undisputed and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Rodriguez-Garcia v. Davila, 904 F.2d 90, 94 (1st Cir.1990) (citing Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c)). The burden is on the moving party to establish the lack of a genuine, material fac *421 tual issue, Finn v. Consolidated Rail Corp., 782 F.2d 13, 15 (1st Cir.1986), and the court must view the record in the light most favorable to the nonmovant, according the non-movant all beneficial inferences discernable from the evidence. Caputo v. Boston Edison Co., 924 F.2d 11, 13 (1st Cir.1991). Once the movant has made a properly supported motion for summary judgment, however, the adverse party “must set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.” Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 256, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 2514, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986) (citing Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(e)).

A Liability Based on Succession to Assets

CLIC offers no ease law or any other authority in support of its assertion that FDIC-Corporate assumes the liability of the failed bank as a successor to the bank’s assets. In fact, statutory authority and case law recognize that the FDIC may act simultaneously in two separate legal capacities. See 12 U.S.C.A. § 1821 et seq. (West 1989); FDIC v. La Rambla Shopping Center, Inc., 791 F.2d 215, 218 (1st Cir.1986).

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Bluebook (online)
870 F. Supp. 417, 26 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 808, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20430, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/credit-life-insurance-v-federal-deposit-insurance-nhd-1993.