Fisher v. Samuels

691 F. Supp. 63, 1988 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17674, 1988 WL 70590
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Illinois
DecidedJune 14, 1988
Docket84 C 3385
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 691 F. Supp. 63 (Fisher v. Samuels) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fisher v. Samuels, 691 F. Supp. 63, 1988 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17674, 1988 WL 70590 (N.D. Ill. 1988).

Opinion

*66 MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

ANN C. WILLIAMS, District Judge.

On October 3, 1984, the plaintiffs Barry Fisher, Kenneth Fisher, Lloyd Berhoff, Richard Goldstein, and Marvin Kaufman filed a twelve count amended complaint against the defendants Howard Samuels, Eriador Drilling Partners (“Eriador”), Caliber Properties, Ltd. (“Caliber”), and Jubilee. Energy Corporation (“Jubilee”). 1 The amended complaint alleges causes of action under the federal securities laws, RICO and state law. The defendants have moved for summary judgment on all counts. For the following reasons, the court grants the motion in part and denies it in part.

I

Rule 56 Summary Judgment

Summary judgment pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56(c) is appropriate when the moving party uses the

pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file together with the affidavits, if any, [to] show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.

Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c). A material fact is one that “must be outcome determinative under the applicable law.” Big O Tire Dealers, Inc. v. Big O Warehouse, 741 F.2d 160, 163 (7th Cir.1984); See also Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248-49, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 2510, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986) (substantive law determines material facts); Egger v. Phillips, 710 F.2d 292, 296 (7th Cir.) (en banc), cert. denied, 464 U.S. 918, 104 S.Ct. 284, 78 L.Ed.2d 262 (1983). A genuine dispute about a material fact arises when “the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for that party.” Anderson, 477 U.S. at 251, 106 S.Ct. at 2511.

After the movant has made a properly supported summary judgment motion, “the nonmovant does have the burden of setting forth specific facts showing the existence of a genuine issue of fact for trial.” Shlay v. Montgomery, 802 F.2d 918, 920 (7th Cir.1986). The nonmovant may not rely on the allegations or denials in its pleadings to establish a genuine issue of fact. See Fed. R.Civ.P. 56(e). Furthermore, summary judgment must be entered “against a party who fails to make a showing sufficient to establish the existence of an element essential to that party’s case, and on which that party will bear the burden of proof at trial.” Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2552-53, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). Finally, “the trial judge must accept as true the nonmovant’s evidence, must draw all legitimate inferences in the nonmovant’s favor, and must not weigh the evidence on the credibility of witnesses.” Valentine v. Joliet Township High School District, 802 F.2d 981, 986 (7th Cir.1986).

II

Factual Background

The facts as alleged in the amended complaint are as follows. In late 1981, the defendant Samuels solicited the plaintiffs to invest in oil and gas production for the purpose of receiving current tax benefits as well as future income. Samuels, who was acting individually and as an agent of Caliber, made several representations that induced the plaintiffs to invest in Eriador. Specifically, Samuels represented “that the partnership funds would not be invested in a few wells but would be spread out among many.” Amended Complaint at 4, ¶ 12. The defendants’ prospectus further reinforced the above representation. The defendants also represented that Eriador’s funds would only be invested in oil and gas wells in Texas and New Mexico. The plaintiffs relied on these representations when making their decisions to invest. Notwithstanding their representations, the defendants invested in only six wells, four of which were in Oklahoma. In addition, the defendants invested over eighty percent of *67 Eriador’s funds in only two wells. Finally, the defendants provided the plaintiffs with untrue and deceptive reports during the course of the investment. These reports failed to reflect facts that were contrary to representations that the defendants had previously made to the plaintiffs.

General Rules 12(e) and (f) of the Northern District of Illinois provide further instructions for any party making or opposing a Rule 56 motion for summary judgment. General Rule 12(e) provides that the movant must file a statement of undisputed material facts with its motion. General Rule 12(f) states that the opposing party must file “a concise ‘statement of genuine issues’ setting forth all material facts as to which it is contended there exists a genuine issue necessary to be litigated____” Failure to provide a Rule 12(f) statement will result in the admission of all of the material facts in the movant’s Rule 12(e) statement. N.D.Ill.General R. 12(f); See also ACC Chemical Co., Inc. v. Old Dutch Materials Co., 633 F.Supp. 703, 704 (N.D.Ill.1986) (Shadur, J.). In this case, the defendants filed a Rule 12(e) statement and the plaintiffs neglected to file a Rule 12(f) statement. Consequently, the material facts set forth in the defendants’ Rule 12(e) statement are deemed admitted.

The material facts as set forth in the defendants’ Rule 12(e) statement are as follows:

1). Prior to making his investment, each plaintiff received an Eriador investment memorandum and a copy of the Eriador Limited Partnership Agreement.
Amended Complaint at 1114 & Exhibit A; Berhoff Deposition at 153; B. Fisher Deposition at 8-9, 19-20; K. Fisher Deposition at 76-77, 81-88.
2). Each plaintiff also signed an Eriador subscription agreement prior to investing in Eriador. By signing this agreement, each plaintiff represented that he had carefully read and understood the Eriador investment memorandum and partnership agreement, that no representations or warranties had been made to him other than those in the investment memorandum, that he was an experienced investor who was capable of evaluating Eriador and the risks associated with investments in the partnership, and that he understood that investments in Eriador were speculative and involved a high degree of risk.
Defendants’ Deposition Exhibits 4, 8, 15.
3).

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Bluebook (online)
691 F. Supp. 63, 1988 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17674, 1988 WL 70590, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fisher-v-samuels-ilnd-1988.