Flanagan v. White

29 Mass. L. Rptr. 204
CourtMassachusetts Superior Court
DecidedNovember 30, 2011
DocketNo. 110388
StatusPublished

This text of 29 Mass. L. Rptr. 204 (Flanagan v. White) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts Superior Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Flanagan v. White, 29 Mass. L. Rptr. 204 (Mass. Ct. App. 2011).

Opinion

Tucker, Richard T., J.

This matter came on for hearing upon cross motions for summary judgment under Rule 56 Mass.R.Civ.P. After careful review of the written submissions of counsel, and having the benefit of each counsel’s oral arguments, I find and rule as follows.

Applicable Standard

Summary judgment shall be granted only where there are no genuine issues of material fact in dispute and where the summary judgment record entitles the moving party to judgment as a matter of law. Opara v. Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, 441 Mass. 539, 544 (2004); Cassesso v. Commissioner of Correction, 390 Mass. 419, 422 (1983); Community Nat’l Bank v. Dawes, 369 Mass. 550, 553 (1976); Mass.R.Civ.P. 56(c). In deciding a motion for summary judgment, the court views the facts “in the light most favorable to . . . [the non-moving party], taking all the facts set forth in its supporting affidavits as true.” G.S. Enters., Inc. v. Falmouth Marine, Inc., 410 Mass. 262, 263 (1991). The moving party bears the burden of affirmatively demonstrating the absence of a genuine issue of material fact on every relevant issue. Pederson v. Time, Inc. 404 Mass. 14, 17 (1989). Once the moving party demonstrates the absence of a triable issue, “the non-moving party may not simply rest on pleadings, but his response, by affidavits or as otherwise provided in this rule, must set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.” Correllas v. Viveiros, 410 Mass. 314, 317 (1991), quoting Mass.R.Civ.P. 56(e). “A complete failure of proof concerning an essential element of the non-moving party’s case renders all other facts immaterial” and mandates summary judgment in favor of the moving party. Kourouvacilis v. General Motors Corp., 410 Mass. 706, 711 (1991), citing Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323 (1986).

FINDINGS OF FACT

From the pleadings, admissions and affidavits submitted, I make the following general findings of fact, reserving further specific findings for the Discussion of the issues.

1. On August 12, 2009, defendants executed a promissory note (the “Note”) under seal in the original face amount of $100,000.00 to defendants.

2. The defendant, Lisa M. Barnes, an attorney, drafted the Note.

3. The Note provides that the defendants are obligated to pay the entire outstanding principal balance and any and all other charges and expenses due under the Note in full by August 9, 2010.

4. The Note provides that interest shall be at a rate of two percent per month or $2,000.00 made payable to Flanagan commencing 30 days after funding of the note and continuing on the like day of the month thereafter.

5. The Note further provides that upon default, the defendants shall pay Flanagan the balance due plus three percent interest from the maturity date.

6. Default is defined in the Note as “(1) The Borrower shall fail to make any required payment of interest (or principal as per note terms) on this Note and such failure shall continue for more than Five (5) business days after written notice from the Lender to the Borrower thereof, [or] (2) Borrower (JoJo’s 10) becomes insolvent.”

7. The Note also provides that, upon default and notice, defendants must pay Flanagan for his attorneys fees and costs of collection.

8. The Note contains the signatures of defendants as managers and individually. The Note was signed as follows:

WITNESS TO ALL:
/s/ Jason Carrón
Jason Carrón
JoJo’s 10 Restaurant, LLC
/s/ Joseph H. White
Joseph H. White, as manager and Individually
/s/ Deborah E. White
Deborah E. White, as manager and Individually
/s/ Lisa M. Barnes
Lisa M. Barnes, as manager and Individually

9. The Note specifically states that “each reference in this Note to the undersigned, any endorser, or any guarantor, is to such person individually and also to any such persons jointly.”

10. Defendants failed to make their installment payment of $2,000.00 which was due and owing after December of 2009.

11. Flanagan then sent written notices to defendants of their failure to make their installation payment on September 3, 2010 and September 10, 2010. Such written notices advised defendants of plaintiffs claim being made pursuant to G.L.c. 93A.

12. Despite these written notices, defendants have failed to make any further payments to Flanagan pursuant to the Note.

13. The plaintiff is the holder of the Note. The Note is made payable to him, and his attorney has possession of the original signed Note.

14. The signatures that appear on the Note are valid and were signed by the defendants.

[206]*206DISCUSSION

The plaintiff John Flanagan (Flanagan) seeks summary judgment arguing that the defendants executed the promissory note in issue individually and that therefore he is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Defendants, Joseph and Deborah White,1 allege that the so called guarantees are void and/or unenforceable due to plaintiffs violation of the Federal Equal Credit Opportunity Act, 15 USC, §1691 etseq. (ECOA) and Regulation B, 12 CFR 202.1 et seq.; that the loan is usurious and unenforceable under G.L.c. 271, §49; that the defendants were not guarantors or individual makers of the note in question; and that at all times the loan obligation was that of the “Borrower,” JoJo’s 10 Restaurant, LLC. Accordingly the defendants seek summary judgment in a cross motion.

Normally, actions “to enforce promissory notes are specially suited to summary disposition.” United States Trust Company of New York v. Herriott, 10 Mass.App.Ct. 313, 320 (1980). Here, however, substantial defenses are raised by the defendants against the enforceability of the note against them. These defenses are discussed in turn.

1. The Federal Equal Credit Opportunity Act, 15 USC, §1691 et seq. and Regulation B, 12 CFR 2002.1 et seq. The defendants allege that it is a violation of the federal Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) to discriminate against applicants with respect to credit transactions on the basis of marital status. 15 USC, §1691(a). In the Federal Reserve System Regulations, it is provided that “a creditor shall not require the signature of an applicant’s spouse or other person other than a joint applicant, on any credit instrument if the applicant qualifies under the creditor’s standards of credit worthiness for the amount in terms of the credit requested.” 12 CFR 2002.7(d). The defendants argue that the signatures of the individuals purported to be affixed to the note individually, violates the ECOA since there is no showing that the Borrower, JoJo’s 10 Restaurant, LLC, was not credit worthy on its own.

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Related

Guinness Import Co. v. DeStefano
518 N.E.2d 858 (Massachusetts Appeals Court, 1988)
Pederson v. Time, Inc.
532 N.E.2d 1211 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1989)
First Safety Fund National Bank v. Friel
504 N.E.2d 664 (Massachusetts Appeals Court, 1987)
United States Trust Co. of New York v. Herriott
407 N.E.2d 381 (Massachusetts Appeals Court, 1980)
Correllas v. Viveiros
572 N.E.2d 7 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1991)
Community National Bank v. Dawes
340 N.E.2d 877 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1976)
Kourouvacilis v. General Motors Corp.
575 N.E.2d 734 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1991)
Cassesso v. Commissioner of Correction
456 N.E.2d 1123 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1983)
G.S. Enterprises, Inc. v. Falmouth Marine, Inc.
571 N.E.2d 1363 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1991)
Beach Associates, Inc. v. Fauser
401 N.E.2d 858 (Massachusetts Appeals Court, 1980)
Loew v. Minasian
280 N.E.2d 688 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1972)
Opara v. Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance
441 Mass. 539 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 2004)

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Bluebook (online)
29 Mass. L. Rptr. 204, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/flanagan-v-white-masssuperct-2011.