Federal Deposit Insurance v. Giammettei

34 F.3d 51
Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit·Decided August 24, 1994·No. No. 1622, Docket 93-6235·Published·Cited by 2 cases

Opinion

OAKES, Senior Circuit Judge:

Eleven individual defendants, each a limited partner in the Northeastern Heritage Limited Partnership (“NHLP”), appeal from judgments of the District of Connecticut, Ellen Bree Burns, Judge, granting the motion of the plaintiff, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”), for summary judgment and awarding damages in favor of the FDIC against each of the eleven individual defendants. We affirm.

I. Background

A. The Underlying Transaction

This litigation arose out of a real estate venture promoted by two individuals, Arnold Peck and Michael Belfonti. Peek and Bel-fonti formed NHLP and established themselves as general partners. NHLP was to purchase a 164-unit apartment complex in Vernon, Connecticut and convert the apartments into condominiums.

Peck and Belfonti promoted the partnership to prospective limited partners through a Private Placement Memorandum (“PPM”) dated July 22,1987. The PPM offered qualifying investors the opportunity to purchase “units” in NHLP. The purchase price of a unit was $50,000, payable with $1,100 in cash and a promissory note for the balance.1 As Magistrate Judge F. Owen Eagan found,

[t]he notes were to be paid off in six annual installments of varying amounts, and the timing of the payments was to coincide with annual disbursements from the partnership to the -limited partners, or with tax benefits which the limited partners were to receive.

Recommended Ruling on Plaintiffs Motions for Summary Judgment at 4-5, FDIC v. Giammettei, No. 5:91-CV-00490 (EBB) (D.Conn. July 22,1992) (“Recommended Ruling”). The PPM further provided that City-trust was to hold the notes, together with the down payments, in escrow pending approval of the limited partners. Upon approval of the limited partners, the notes were to be assigned to a financial institution to secure additional financing for NHLP.

Each of the eleven defendants purchased an interest in NHLP,2 effectively becoming limited partners in NHLP. Peck and Bel-fonti assigned the notes to Citytrust as collateral for a $3,325,000 loan.

Despite the assurances in the PPM, no disbursements were ever made from NHLP to the limited partners. The limited partners made no payments on any of the notes, defaulting under the terms of the notes assigned to Citytrust. This litigation-ensued.

B. Procedural History

Citytrust commenced collection actions against each of the eleven defendants in Connecticut Superior Court in 1990. On December 20, 1990, the defendants filed identical answers, each raising eight affirmative defenses to liability for repayment of the debts evidenced by their promissory notes.

On August 9, 1991, the Commissioner of Banking of the State of Connecticut declared Citytrust insolvent and brought a petition in [54] Superior Court for an order appointing the FDIC Receiver of Citytrust.3 The FDIC accepted its appointment and, by operation of law, succeeded to all rights, titles, powers and privileges of Citytrust to Citytrust’s assets, including its rights to collect on the promissory notes. 12 U.S.C. § 1821(d)(2)(A)(i) (1988 & Supp. IV 1992). Pursuant to 12 U.S.C. § 1819(b)(2)(A) and (B) (1988 & Supp. IV1992), the FDIC moved on September 5, 1991, to remove each of the eleven collection actions to the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut. Also on that date, the FDIC moved for the substitution of the FDIC for Citytrust as plaintiff. The district court referred the case to Magistrate Judge F. Owen Eagan on September 30, 1991. Magistrate Eagan consolidated the eleven actions on June 2, 1992.

On July 22,1992, Magistrate Eagan signed a Recommended Ruling on the FDIC’s motion for Summary Judgment. On February 11, 1993 — over an objection by the defendants and after appearances by counsel for the defendants and the FDIC regarding the recommended ruling — Judge Burns by endorsement approved the recommended ruling. The order granted summary judgment to the FDIC on each of the defendants’ affirmative defenses and held that each of the defendants was hable to the FDIC for the debt evidenced by his or her promissory note. The order did not calculate damages, however. Final judgment was entered against all but one of the defendants on August 11, 1993, and against the remaining defendant two days later. This judgment resolved the precise amounts to be paid by each defendant to the FDIC. The defendants filed a timely joint notice of appeal on August 19, 1993.

II. Jurisdiction

The district court had jurisdiction pursuant to 12 U.S.C. § 1819(b)(2) and 28 U.S.C. § 1331 (1988). This court has jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1291 (1988).

III. Discussion

A Review of an Award of Summary Judgment Striking an Affirmative Defense

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Federal Deposit Insurance v. Giammettei, 34 F.3d 51 (2d Cir. 1994).

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