Federal Deposit Ins. v. Kuser

57 F. Supp. 75, 1944 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1867
CourtDistrict Court, D. New Jersey
DecidedAugust 15, 1944
DocketNo. C-2840
StatusPublished

This text of 57 F. Supp. 75 (Federal Deposit Ins. v. Kuser) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. New Jersey primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Federal Deposit Ins. v. Kuser, 57 F. Supp. 75, 1944 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1867 (D.N.J. 1944).

Opinion

FORMAN, District Judge.

This action is brought by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation against John L. Kuser, Jr., individually, and John L. Kuser, Jr., and Walter G. Kuser, as executors of the estate of John L. Kuser. In its original complaint plaintiff demanded that a conveyance of certain real estate by John L. Kuser, deceased, to his son, John L. Kuser, Jr., before his death, be declared void, and that the plaintiff’s claim against the estate be declared a lien on the property 'or, if the property has been sold or conveyed, that a judgment be entered against John L. Kuser, Jr., for the value of the property.

John L. Kuser died testate on August 11, 1937, naming John L. Kuser, Jr., and Walter G. Kuser as executors. The will was admitted to probate by the Surrogate of the County of Burlington and letters testamentary were issued to the executors named as aforesaid. A claim of the Trust Company of New Jersey as a creditor, evidenced by promissory notes, was presented by it and allowed by the executors. The estate was declared insolvent by a decree of the Orphans’ Court in the County of Burlington, State of New Jersey, .on July 14, 1938. The aforesaid claim was subsequently assigned to the plaintiff.

Defendants moved to dismiss the action upon the ground that “this Court should not exercise and lacks jurisdiction”. Their motion is based on the following objections :

(1) That the plaintiff acting alone has no rights and cannot maintain this action for its own benefit;

(2) That the estate is now being administered in the Burlington County Orphans’ Court and plaintiff has an adequate remedy in that it must pursue its claim in that proceeding;

(3) That the deceased was indebted to the individual defendant, John L. Kuser, Jr., who has a right to set off the amount due him from the funds of the deceased in his possession;

(4) That defendant John L. Kuser, Jr., has a common law right to retain assets of the estate in his hands as an executor for a debt in his favor incurred by decedent in his lifetime ;

(5) That the Burlington County Orphans’ Court has jurisdiction over the parties and the subject matter herein and is the only court that can determine the rights of all creditors to any funds in the hands of John L. Kuser, Jr., by reason of the aforesaid conveyance;

(6) That the fund is in the hands of an officer of the Orphans’ Court of Burlington County and that this action is in rem against the fund.

An amended complaint has been filed, subsequent to defendants’ motion to dismiss, making the complaint for the benefit of plaintiff and in behalf of other creditors similarly situated, and demanding relief as set forth in the following prayers:

“1. That the aforesaid conveyance to John L. Kuser, Jr., be declared void and that the claims of the plaintiff herein and of all other Creditors similarly situated who may be entitled to participate therein, be declared a lien on said premises and the order of the priorities of plaintiff and other creditors be determined as this Court may deem equitable and just.
“2. That said Defendant, John L. Kuser, Jr. be decreed to account to Plaintiff and to such other creditors similarly situated for the amount of the consideration for which the said premises were sold as aforesaid, and to pay as directed by this Court, the amount or amounts found due on such accounting.
“3. That said Defendant, John L. Kuser, Jr. be decreed to account to Plaintiff and to such other creditprs similarly situated, entitled to participate in said funds, for the reasonable value of said premises and to pay as directed by this Court, the amount or amounts found due on such accounting.
[77]*77“4. That the respective rights and priorities, and their participation in said funds, of Plaintiff and the various creditors similarly situated, be determined and decreed by this Court.
“5. That Plaintiff have judgment against the defendants for costs.” 1

The amendment cures the objection made by the defendants numbered (1) above, which complained that the plaintiff could not bring this action solely in its own behalf. The court may take jurisdiction of the action under the law permitting the plaintiff to sue and be sued in any state or federal court. 12 U.S.C.A. § 264 (j) Fourth.

The sole question to be determined is whether this court should exercise its jurisdiction and if so to what extent.

The objections numbered (3) and (4) above need not be considered. They are defenses which are not the subject for consideration in a motion to dismiss on the ground that the court should not exercise its jurisdiction.

The remaining objections made by defendants, numbered (2), (5), and (6), above, will be considered together.

It is argued in behalf of the defendants that plaintiff has an adequate remedy in the Burlington County Orphans’ Court in which the assets of the estate are now being administered and that all questions should be adjudicated in that proceeding. The defendants contend that said court alone can determine the claim made by plaintiff because it has jurisdiction over the parties, the subject matter and the assets; that this action is one in rem and this court would interfere with the administration of the assets which it has no right to do, for the reason that the court which first obtains jurisdiction of the res has exclusive jurisdiction; that there is no fund in defendant John L. Kuser, Jr., and therefore nothing upon which the court can exercise its jurisdiction; that if a fund is created it is a fund in the hands of an officer of the Orphans’ Court for distribution and this court cannot grant relief to plaintiff; that under a decree of this court the rights of certain creditors who have filed claims in the Orphans’ Court would be thrown out of equilibrium and the decree of that court would be affected; and moreover the law is settled in New Jersey that the proceeds in an insolvent estate go to all creditors equally.

The federal courts have refused to exercise jurisdiction where a state' court has assumed jurisdiction over the particular property in question. The settled law gives the court first assuming jurisdiction over property the right to maintain and exercise it exclusive of other courts. United States v. Bank of New York & Trust Co., 296 U.S. 463, 477, 56 S.Ct. 343, 80 L.Ed. 331. These principles of comity between federal and state courts extend to cases where property has been actually seized under judicial process before a second suit is instituted in another court, and include the administration of estates and liquidation of insolvent estates. Farmers’ Loan, etc., Co. v. Lake St. El. R. Co., 177 U.S. 51, 61, 20 S.Ct. 564, 44 L.Ed. 667. Where, however, the judgment sought is in personam and the relief applied for, if granted, would not defeat or impair the jurisdiction of the other court, the federal and state courts have concurrent jurisdiction and either may proceed to render a judgment granting that relief, which may be set up as res adjudicata in the other court. In such cases there is no interference with a fund being administered in another court as it is not a proceeding in rem.

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Bluebook (online)
57 F. Supp. 75, 1944 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1867, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/federal-deposit-ins-v-kuser-njd-1944.