Curry Management Corp. v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.

CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedNovember 30, 2022
Docket1:22-cv-05006
StatusUnknown

This text of Curry Management Corp. v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (Curry Management Corp. v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Curry Management Corp. v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., (S.D.N.Y. 2022).

Opinion

Ee, x DOCUMENT a a □ oe iin ELECTRONICALLY FILED CURRY MANAGEMENT CORP. and CURRY | DOC #: CORPURATION, | DATE Ta libobe Plaintiffs, □

-against- No. 22-CV-05006-CM

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., Defendant. aa ee ee MEMORANDUM DECISION AND ORDER GRANTING IN PART, DENYING IN PART DEFENDANT’S MOTION TO DISMISS McMahon, J.: Curry Management Corp. (“Management”) and Curry Corporation (“Corporation”) (together “Plaintiffs’’) filed this lawsuit on May 13, 2022, against JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (“Defendant”), due to the alleged misconduct of Employee Benefit Solutions LLC (“EBS”). (Dkt. No. 1-1 (“Compl.”), 95). Plaintiffs plead that, between September, 2018, and March, 2019, EBS fraudulently negotiated and deposited twenty-three checks that were made payable to the Curry Corporation into its own account with Defendant, misappropriating no less than $1,069,400.12 from Plaintiffs. (/d., §6). Plaintiffs plead that, by allowing EBS to deposit the fraudulently negotiated checks in EBS’ bank account, Defendant violated § 3-419(1)(c) of the New York Uniform Commercial Code (“UCC”) (Count I). (/d., at 8). Plaintiffs also plead common law claims for money had and

]

received (Count II); unjust enrichment (Count III); negligence (Count IV); and conversion (Count V). (/d., at 9-12). Defendant filed a motion to dismiss the complaint in its entirety pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6). (Dkt. No. 11 (“MTD Br.”)). Defendant argues that Plaintiffs’ claims are fatally flawed since Plaintiffs never possessed the checks, Defendant did not benefit from the deposits, some of the claims are time barred, and Management lacks standing. (Dkt. No. 14). The motion is opposed. (Dkt. No. 16). For the reasons that follow, Defendant’s motion to dismiss the complaint is GRANTED in part, DENIED in part. BACKGROUND A. Parties Plaintiff Management is a New York corporation with its principal place of business in New York. (Compl., 42). Management is an automobile dealership management company. (/d.). Plaintiff Corporation is a closely held New York corporation with its principal place of business in New York. (/d., §3). Defendant is a national bank conducting business in New York. (/d., 4). Defendant’s main office is located in Ohio, as set forth in its articles of association. (Dkt. No. 1, 95). “For diversity jurisdiction purposes . . . Congress has discretely provided that national banks ‘shall... be deemed citizens of the States in which they are respectively located.’ ... we hold that a national bank, for § 1348 purposes, is a citizen of the State in which its main office, as set forth in its articles of association, is located.” Wachovia Bank v. Schmidt, 546 U.S. 303, 306-07 (2006). Defendant is therefore a citizen of Ohio for the purpose of diversity of citizenship.

B. Plaintiffs’ Relationship With EBS Plaintiffs maintained, and continue to maintain, a self-funded employee medical plan (the “Plan’’), in order to provide medical insurance to some of its employees. (Compl., 48). EBS and Plaintiffs entered into a written agreement that EBS would serve as the Plan’s third-party administrator (“TPA”). (/d., J99-10); (Dkt. No. 12-2). The written agreement constituted “the entire Contract between the parties.” (/d., at 5). As part of the agreement between Plaintiffs and EBS, EBS was authorized to, among other things, “Manage the checking account(s) established in the name of the Benefit Plan, prepare checks for payment of approved claims and forward checks to the Employer, employee, or any eligible health care provider. . .” (/d., at 2). EBS was not authorized to endorse, cash, negotiate, or deposit any checks made payable to Plaintiffs. (Compl., §12). C. EBS’ Use of Checks Made Payable to Plaintiffs Partners Managing General Underwriters (“Partners”) issued a stop-loss insurance policy to Plaintiffs for the calendar year 2018. (/d., 416). In connection with that policy, Partners issued twenty-three checks made out to Curry Corporation between September 2018 and March 2019, as reimbursement for medical claims submitted by Plaintiffs’ employees. (/d., 17). Partners sent these checks to EBS. (/d., 918). Curry pleads that it was the normal course of business for Partners to send the checks to EBS as Curry’s TPA. (/d.). After receiving the checks, EBS was supposed to immediately send the checks to Curry. (/d.). EBS allegedly endorsed the checks as “For Deposit Only” and then deposited them into its own account at Chase. (/d., 19-21). Although the checks were payable only to Curry Corporation, Defendant processed the checks and the money ended up in EBS’ account. (/d., Defendant allegedly did this without any inquiry, concern, or due diligence. (/d., §23).

Curry does not allege that it had any prior contractual relationship with Defendant, nor any account at Chase. Curry does not plead how it discovered EBS’ actions or whether Partners was forced to issue new checks to reimburse Curry for the medical claims. Nonetheless, Partners obviously learned about EBS’ actions, because it submitted a fraud claim to Defendant, asking that the proceeds of the checks be returned. (/d., ]25). Defendant denied Partners’ request and refused subsequent requests to reopen its fraud investigation. (/d., 4926-27). Plaintiffs made additional requests that Defendant reopen the fraud investigation and return the proceeds, which Defendant allegedly ignored. (/d., 428). D. Procedural Posture Plaintiffs filed this lawsuit against the Bank on May 13, 2022. (/d., at 14). Plaintiffs pleaded claims for violations of the New York UCC, as well as several common law claims. (Compl.). The complaint was initially filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York in New York County, but was removed to this Court in accordance with 28 U.S.C. § 1446(a). (Dkt. No. 1). Defendant has moved to dismiss the complaint pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6). (Dkt. No. 11). Defendant argues that Plaintiffs’ UCC claim fails because Plaintiff never possessed the checks, (MTD Br., at 4), and the common law claims are simply an impermissible attempt to circumvent the UCC. Defendant also argues that each common law claim is insufficiently pleaded. (/d., at 10-16). Defendant also contends that Management lacks standing because it was not the payee of the checks. (/d., at 16-18). Finally, Defendant contends that the UCC and conversion claims for some of the checks are time barred. (/d.).

LEGAL STANDARD Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) allows a party to move to dismiss a complaint for “failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.” In assessing a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss, the Court is required to accept all material facts alleged in a complaint as true, and to draw all reasonable inferences from its allegations in the plaintiff's favor. Wharton v. Duke Realty, LLP, 467 F. Supp. 2d 381, 386-87 (S.D.N.Y. 2006). The court is, however, limited to the facts stated in the complaint or in documents attached to the complaint. Kramer v. Time Warner Inc., 937 F.2d 767, 773 (2d Cir. 1991). “To survive a motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6) . .. acomplaint must contain sufficient factual matter accepted as true, to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.” Mabry v. Neighborhood Def. Serv., 769 F.

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Curry Management Corp. v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/curry-management-corp-v-jpmorgan-chase-bank-na-nysd-2022.