Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. v. Fidelity & Deposit Co. of Maryland

827 F. Supp. 385, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9749
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Louisiana
DecidedJuly 6, 1993
DocketCiv. A. 87-319-B
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 827 F. Supp. 385 (Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. v. Fidelity & Deposit Co. of Maryland) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. v. Fidelity & Deposit Co. of Maryland, 827 F. Supp. 385, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9749 (M.D. La. 1993).

Opinion

POLOZOLA, District Judge.

Capital Bank & Trust Company (Capital Bank) originally filed this suit against Fidelity and Deposit Company of Maryland (F & D) to recover for loan losses under a Bankers Blanket Bond (Bond) issued by F & D. After Capital Bank was closed, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) was appointed as receiver for Capital Bank and succeeded Capital Bank as the plaintiff in this ease.

This case was tried to a jury for almost three weeks. The jury, after deliberating one week, returned the following verdict in favor of the FDIC: 1

(a) On the Allie Ray Pogue loans, the jury found liability on 17 loans totalling $5.3 million. 2

(b) On the Gulfport/Belello loan, the jury found Capital Bank disbursed funds in good faith reliance on the Belello ordinance and had physical possession of the ordinance at the time of the loan. 3

After the verdicts were entered, the parties timely filed the following motions:

*388 (1) Plaintiff’s request for prejudgment and postjudgment interest;

(2) Motion to allocate collateral and loan payments; and

(3) Defendant’s motion to exclude coverage on the Gulfport/Belello loan.

Each of these motions will be discussed separately by the Court.

I. PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR AWARD OF PREJUDGMENT AND POST-JUDGMENT INTEREST

The FDIC seeks both prejudgment and postjudgment interest. Specifically, the FDIC seeks prejudgment interest from the date of judicial demand to the date of the judgment. The FDIC also seeks post-judgment interest on the full amount of the damages awarded by the jury plus prejudgment interest, from the date of entry of judgment until the judgment is paid in full.

F & D opposes plaintiffs motion for award of prejudgment interest from the date of judicial demand. F & D contends that prejudgment interest begins to accrue 60 days from the time that F & D received a sworn proof of loss with full particulars from Capital Bank. F & D also opposes plaintiffs request for postjudgment interest calculated on the principal amount of the judgment plus the amount of prejudgment interest.

A. Prejudgment Interest

Since this action was brought pursuant to the Court’s diversity jurisdiction, state law governs the issue of prejudgment interest. 4 Under Louisiana law, prejudgment interest begins to accrue from the date of judicial demand, regardless of whether the damages are unliquidated, disputed, or not ascertainable until judgment. 5 Therefore, plaintiff is entitled to recover prejudgment interest from the date of judicial demand to the date of entry of judgment. 6

B. Postjudgment Interest

Postjudgment interest on money judgments which are awarded in a federal district court is governed by 28 U.S.C. § 1961(a). 7 It is clear that § 1961(a) applies in diversity cases. 8 Therefore, plaintiff is entitled to recover postjudgment interest from the date of entry of judgment until the judgment is paid on the entire amount of the final judgment, including damages and prejudgment interest. 9

II. MOTION TO ALLOCATE COLLATERAL AND LOAN PAYMENTS

The jury awarded judgment in favor of the FDIC in the amount of $5.3 million for certain loan losses sustained by Capital Bank. The Bond issued by F & D to Capital Bank contains maximum policy limits of $4 million. The parties now seek a determination of the proper allocation of collateral, now held by the FDIC, which secures various loans and the proper allocation of loan payments made to the FDIC after the discovery of the loss.

*389 Section 7 of the Bond, which pertains to “assignment-subrogation-recovery-cooperation,” provides in pertinent part:

(a) In the event of payment under this bond, the Insured shall deliver, if so required by the Underwriter, an assignment of such of the Insured’s rights, title and interest and causes of action as it has against any person or entity to the extent of the loss payment.
(b) In the event of payment under this bond, the Underwriter shall be subrogated to the Insured’s rights of recovery therefor against any person or entity to the extent of such payment.
(c) Recoveries, whether effected by the Underwriter or by the Insured, shall be applied net of the expense of such recovery first to the satisfaction of the Insured’s loss in excess of the amount paid under this bond, secondly, to the Underwriter as reimbursement of amounts paid in settlement of the Insured’s claim, and thirdly, to the Insured in satisfaction of any Deductible Amount....
(e) The Insured shall execute all papers and render assistance to secure the Underwriter the rights and causes of action provided for herein. The Insured shall do nothing after discovery of loss to prejudice such rights or causes of action. 10

A. Collateral

The FDIC holds security on many of the loans for which the jury found coverage under the Bond. The FDIC contends that F & D is entitled to obtain the FDIC’s rights in the security only after F & D has paid the verdict. In response to the FDIC’s contention, F & D contends that it should be given credit for the estimated value of the security which would reduce the amount of the damages it owes to the FDIC.

Sections 7(a) and (b) clearly provide that the underwriter is entitled to the Insured’s rights of recovery by assignment or subrogation against any person or entity to the extent of payment after F & D makes payment under the Bond. Therefore, F & D is entitled to the rights which FDIC has in the security, loans, or claims only after it pays the judgment. 11 F & D is not entitled to a credit or reduction of the jury verdict by the estimated value of the security.

If F & D chooses to take advantage of its rights under sections 7(a) and (b), F & D is entitled, after payment, to the assignment or subrogation of all the rights, title, interest, and causes of action which the FDIC has against any person or entity, including any collateral held by the FDIC as security for the loans. Under such circumstances, section 7(e) requires the FDIC to execute all papers and render assistance to effectuate these rights of recovery that F & D acquires from the FDIC.

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Bluebook (online)
827 F. Supp. 385, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9749, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/federal-deposit-insurance-corp-v-fidelity-deposit-co-of-maryland-lamd-1993.