First American Bank & Trust Company v. Ellwein

198 N.W.2d 84, 1972 N.D. LEXIS 177
CourtNorth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedApril 12, 1972
Docket8747
StatusPublished
Cited by42 cases

This text of 198 N.W.2d 84 (First American Bank & Trust Company v. Ellwein) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering North Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
First American Bank & Trust Company v. Ellwein, 198 N.W.2d 84, 1972 N.D. LEXIS 177 (N.D. 1972).

Opinions

C. F. KELSCH, District Judge (On Reassignment) .

This is an appeal from a judgment of the district court of Burleigh County entered August 20, 1971, wherein it determined and adjudged that the two Orders issued by the State Examiner on the 28th day of June, 1971, were in all things null and void.

The record shows, without dispute,

(1) That on the 28th day of June, 1971, G. W. Ellwein, as State Examiner, issued an Order directed to the First American Bank & Trust Company which, omitting the title, reads as follows:

Whereas, the Report of Examination of First American Bank & Trust Company, Bismarck, North Dakota, as of May 14, 1971 shows, and the undersigned finds that the First American Bank & Trust Company is insolvent. The report of insolvency has been certified to the State Banking Board.
Now therefore, you are duly directed to immediately relinquish possession of First American Bank & Trust Company’s books, records and other property to Mr. Victor Abraham, Bank Examiner for the State of North Dakota.
By order of the Commissioner, Department of Banking and Financial Institutions, this 28th day of June, 1971.
/s/ G. W. ELLWEIN
G. W. Ellwein, Commissioner Department of Banking and Financial Institutions

and

(2) That the State Examiner issued a second Order on the same day wherein he found, among other things:

(a) That the actual cash market value of all of its assets are insufficient to pay its liabilities;
(b) That notwithstanding such fact said Bank continued to receive and accept deposits and by reason thereof he directed said Bank to forthwith cease accepting deposits, cease disbursing funds, call in numerous loans, cease certain advertising of investment programs, follow approved accounting practices, file the required statements, furnish $400,000.-00 in new capital and divest the present stockholders of their ownership and control, or in the alternative, show cause before the State Banking Board at the office of the State Examiner in the State Capitol at Bismarck, North Dakota, on Thursday, the 1st day of July, 1971, at [90]*909:30 a. m., or at such other time as may be allowed, why a receiver for the First American Bank & Trust. Company should not be appointed as provided by law.
Dated this 28th day of June, 1971, at Bismarck, North Dakota.
/s/ G. W. Ellwein_
G. W. Ellwein, State Examiner and Commissioner

(3) That both of said Orders were served upon said Bank on the same day, whereupon it applied for and obtained a temporary injunction from the district court of Burleigh County

(a) Restraining the enforcement of both of said orders,
(b) Requiring the State Examiner and the State Banking Board to show cause why the temporary injunction should not be made permanent, and
(c) Why they should not be enjoined and restrained from issuing any further orders against said Bank.

(4) That upon the hearing on the 2nd of August, 1971, the court found and determined that both of said Orders were null and void ab initio. That judgment was entered accordingly on the 20th day of August, 1971, from which the State Examiner has taken this appeal.

Since both of these Orders were issued on the same day by the State Examiner we shall hereinafter, for the purpose of brevity, refer to the first, or short Order, as Order No. 1, and to the long Order in the alternative as Order No. 2.

Obviously the basic issue before us, in general terms, is the validity of the two Orders set out herein, but more precisely stated the crucial questions for decision are:

(1) Whether the State Examiner has the power and authority under § 6-07-04, N.D. C.C., to make an-administrative finding that a bank or trust company which he has examined is insolvent, and if so to issue an ex parte order appointing a temporary receiver to take possession of all of its property to collect and conserve its assets and business for the benefit of its depositors and creditors, and

(2) Whether his administrative finding of insolvency and ex parte order appointing a temporary receiver are valid and binding upon the financial institution so examined :

(a) without regular proceedings having first been had before the State Banking Board upon the filing of a proper complaint alleging it to be insolvent and fixing a time for the hearing thereof upon the merits;
(b) without giving said bank reasonable notice thereof and affording it an opportunity to present evidence upon the issue of its insolvency;
(c) without making specific findings of fact and separate conclusions of law upon which its decision of insolvency is based;
(d) without the right of appeal and judicial review thereof; and
(e) without a substantial compliance with the principles of law applicable to administrative action and the fundamental requirements of due process of law.

Manifestly the answers to all of these questions will depend primarily upon the interpretation of all of our statutes applicable thereto, and therefore we believe that a proper evaluation of the public importance and the far-reaching consequences of our decision require that we set out and consider all of the pertinent provisions of our statutes relating:

(1) To the powers and duties of the State Banking Board;

(2) To the powers and duties of the State Examiner;

[91]*91(3) To the procedural provisions of our Administrative Agencies Practice Act; and

(4) To the relevant canons of statutory construction; in order to determine the constitutional validity of both of said Orders.

We proceed first to a consideration of our statutes which create the State Banking Board and define its powers and duties.

The State Department of Banking and Financial Institutions was created by § 6-01-01, N.D.C.C., as amended by Chapter 96, Session Laws 1969. The Board consists of five members, and the State Examiner acts as chairman thereof. It is required to hold four annual meetings and such special meetings as the State Examiner may call upon proper notice.

The Board is expressly authorized by statute:

(1) To make all rules and regulations for the government of all banks and financial institutions (§ 6-01-04, N.D.C.C.);

(2) To receive and approve all reports made by financial institutions under its jurisdiction;

(3) To appoint receivers; and

(4) To make and enforce such orders as in its judgment may be necessary or proper to protect the public, depositors and creditors (§§ 6-01-04 and 6-01-09, N.D.C.C.).

We next consider the powers and duties of the State Examiner. On this issue our statutes provide in substance:

(1) That the State Examiner shall serve as chairman of the State Banking Board;

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Bluebook (online)
198 N.W.2d 84, 1972 N.D. LEXIS 177, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/first-american-bank-trust-company-v-ellwein-nd-1972.