First American Federal Bank v. Ryan

791 F. Supp. 253, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7997, 1992 WL 112175
CourtDistrict Court, D. Arizona
DecidedMay 27, 1992
DocketNo. CIV 91-456 TUC JMR
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 791 F. Supp. 253 (First American Federal Bank v. Ryan) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Arizona primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
First American Federal Bank v. Ryan, 791 F. Supp. 253, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7997, 1992 WL 112175 (D. Ariz. 1992).

Opinion

OPINION & ORDER

ROLL, District Judge.

The Director of the Office of Thrift Supervision (Director) seeks summary judgment in this action arising from a complaint filed by First American Federal Bank (First American) challenging the Director’s appointment of a receiver for First American.

Following oral argument and a separate evidentiary hearing, the Court has under advisement the Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment. The Court has considered the legal arguments presented in the parties’ several briefs and has also considered the evidence presented at the hearing.

Scope and Standard of Review

The Court’s deliberations are guided by the Tenth Circuit’s opinion in Franklin Sav. Ass’n v. Director, Office of Thrift Supervision, 934 F.2d 1127 (10th Cir.1991), cert. denied — U.S. -, 112 S.Ct. 1475, 117 L.Ed.2d 619 (1992). Pursuant to Franklin, under 12 U.S.C. § 1464(d)(2)(D), review of the appointment of a receiver by the Director is governed by the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). 934 F.2d at 1141. The scope of review is limited, pursuant to the APA, to the administrative record relied on by the Director in making his decision:

The focus of the judicial review is to determine whether there exists sufficient evidence in the administrative record to form a reasoned opinion that the statutory grounds for the appointment of a conservator exist.

934 F.2d at 1140. The standard of review of the Director’s decision, pursuant to the APA, is “arbitrary and capricious, an abuse of discretion, or otherwise not in accordance with law.” Id. at 1142 (quoting 5 U.S.C. § 706(2)). To uphold the decision of the Director to appoint a receiver all that is necessary is that this Court find substantial evidence for any one of the statutory grounds for the Director’s appointment of a receiver. Franklin at 1142.

Although the scope and standard of review in this case are narrow, the instant motion is nevertheless still one for summary judgment pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56. In determining whether to grant summary judgment in favor of the Director, this Court must consider the evidence in the light most favorable to First American. See, e.g., United States v. Diebold, Inc., 369 U.S. 654, 655, 82 S.Ct. 993, 994, 8 L.Ed.2d 176 (1962).

To assist the Court’s determination regarding the existence of disputed material facts, evidence was taken by oral testimony pursuant to the Court's discretion under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(e). The poorly indexed record to be reviewed in this matter exceeds 1900 pages. This Court set the hearing to assist it in culling from the record evidence relating to the single issue of the management’s and board’s alleged incompetence to run the Bank. See Argus, Inc. v. Eastman Kodak Co., 801 F.2d 38, 42 n. 2 (2d Cir.1986), cert. denied, 479 U.S. 1088, 107 S.Ct. 1295, 94 L.Ed.2d 151 (1987).

The Director’s Grounds for Appointment

A regular examination by the Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) of First American commenced on April 8, 1991, and concluded [255]*255on June 28, 1991. See Administrative Record (A.R.) 80. The examiners reviewed the credit risk presented by the loan portfolio, conducted an assessment of the effectiveness of First American’s directors and management, reviewed asset quality, determined First American’s capital level and adequacy, analyzed the operating results over the review period, and assessed First American’s compliance with the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989. First American was found wanting and responded to the exam report, criticizing it.

Based on the exam report and with First American’s response before him, on August 16, 1991, by the authority granted him in 12 U.S.C.A. § 1464(d)(2)(E), the Director appointed the Resolution Trust Corp. receiver for First American because, in the Director’s opinion, three statutory grounds for appointment of a receiver existed:

(a) [First American] was in an unsafe and unsound condition to transact business due to having substantially insufficient capital or otherwise in that [First American] [1] has negative tangible, core, and risk-based capital and also [2] due to having management and a board of directors that are unable to operate [First American] competently [see 12 U.S.C. § 1464(d)(2)(A)(iii) ];
(b) [First American] has incurred or is likely to incur losses that will deplete all or substantially all of its capital, and there is no reasonable prospect for replenishment of [First American]^ capital without federal assistance [see 12 U.S.C. § 1464(d)(2)(A)(vii) ]; and
(c) there is a violation or violations of laws or regulations, or unsafe or unsound practice or condition which is likely to weaken the condition of [First American] or otherwise seriously prejudice the interests of depositors [see 12 U.S.C. § 1464(d)(2)(A)(viii) ].

A.R. 3-4 (filed Nov. 15, 1991).

Evidence Regarding Management’s Competence

With regard to the Director’s finding (a)[2], First American vehemently disagrees with the conclusion that the board of directors and management were incompetent.

In November 1990, Delwin Fassett, assistant regional director of the OTS, told a board meeting that he was “comfortable” with First American’s management. R.T. at 171.1 The previous assistant, John Beh-rens, had informed Fassett that the bank was “well managed.” R.T. at 172. Fas-sett concurred with that opinion until May 2, 1991, when, for the first time, Mr. Fas-sett became concerned about the competence of the management and the board based on “some really stark, very alarming numbers_” R.T. at 172-73.

First American was a locally owned and operated former thrift institution heavily invested in local real estate. The OTS stated in its supervisory memorandum recommending appointment of a receiver for First American:

First American’s failure to comply with the minimum capital requirements has resulted from severe asset quality problems that steadily deteriorated in the past few years. Asset quality problems have resulted, in part, from the dramatic decline in the Arizona real estate market, which has taken place in the past few years.

A.R. at 60 (emphasis added).

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791 F. Supp. 253, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7997, 1992 WL 112175, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/first-american-federal-bank-v-ryan-azd-1992.