Glenborough Corp. v. Sherman & Howard

910 P.2d 329, 121 N.M. 253
CourtNew Mexico Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 8, 1995
DocketNo. 15590
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 910 P.2d 329 (Glenborough Corp. v. Sherman & Howard) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Mexico Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Glenborough Corp. v. Sherman & Howard, 910 P.2d 329, 121 N.M. 253 (N.M. Ct. App. 1995).

Opinion

OPINION

ALARID, Judge.

1.Glenborough Corporation, Glenborough Development Corporation, BOS Associates, Glenborough Ocotillo Associates, and Glenborough New Mexico Associates (Plaintiffs) appeal the grant of summary judgment in favor of Sherman & Howard (Defendants) on claims of legal malpractice. The malpractice action arose out of a federal court dismissal of Plaintiffs’ claims against certain banks and the Resolution Trust Corporation (RTC). Plaintiffs’ tort claims were dismissed for lack of subject matter jurisdiction due to Defendants’ failure to file administrative claims. We hold that Plaintiffs could not have prevailed on the merits of their claims in federal court, and therefore we affirm summary judgment in favor of Defendants. In light of this determination, we need not address the collateral estoppel issue.

BACKGROUND

2. In 1987, Plaintiffs entered into a series of agreements and loan transactions with ABQ Bank (ABQ) and its wholly owned subsidiary ABQ Development (ABQD) to build a business park in Albuquerque. ABQ loaned $1.5 million to Plaintiffs, and ABQD became a joint-venturer with Plaintiffs’ development project. ABQD agreed to fund the project in the amount of $6 million over a period of time. Plaintiffs then agreed to pay $5 million for property in Arizona to a company which had ABQD as the managing venture partner. Plaintiffs borrowed another $1.5 million to cover this purchase. Thereafter, ABQD did not provide the promised $6 million in funding.

3. Defendants’ legal representation of Plaintiffs began in February 1990, representing Plaintiffs’ interest under its notes and contracts with ABQ and ABQD, and any potential litigation with the RTC. ABQ was declared insolvent in March 1990, and the RTC was appointed receiver. The RTC and ABQ sought to enforce the two outstanding promissory notes; however, Plaintiffs countered with defenses based on ABQD’s failure to fund the Albuquerque development project.

4. During negotiations, the RTC published a notice in two Albuquerque newspapers pursuant to the Financial Institutional Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act (FER-REA), 12 U.S.C. § 1821(d)(3) — (13) (Supp. 1990). The notices directed creditors to present their claims against ABQ and the RTC before July 16, 1990. See § 1821(d)(3)(B)®. Defendants failed to file administrative claims as required under FIR-REA, because they had never received personal notice as required under § 1821(d)(3)(C). In February 1991, Plaintiffs sued ABQ and ABQD in federal court, claiming that: ABQD failed to fulfill its contract obligations in New Mexico and Arizona; Plaintiffs were therefore unable to develop their projects and pay off loans from ABQ; and the RTC was unfairly demanding payment on the notes.

5. The tort claims brought in federal court against ABQ and the RTC were dismissed for lack of subject matter jurisdiction due to Plaintiffs’ failure to file administrative claims. Glenborough N.M. Assocs. v. Resolution Trust Corp., 802 F.Supp. 387, 393 (D.N.M.1992). The federal court found that FIRREA required dismissal, regardless of the lack of personal notice to Plaintiffs. Id. The claims against ABQD, however, were not dismissed for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. Those claims, which were based upon the same alleged side agreements as the claims against ABQ, were instead dismissed as unenforceable under 12 U.S.C. § 1823(e) (Supp.1990) and the D’Oench, Duhme & Co. v. Federal Deposit Ins. Corp., 315 U.S. 447, 62 S.Ct. 676, 86 L.Ed. 956 (1942), doctrine. Glenborough, 802 F.Supp. at 393-95. After the federal court decision, in May 1992, Plaintiffs settled their claims against ABQ, ABQD, and the RTC. Plaintiffs then filed this action for legal malpractice based on the failure of Defendants to file administrative claims against ABQ and the RTC.

6. In September 1993, Defendants filed a motion for summary judgment based on lack of proximate cause and collateral estoppel. In October 1993, Plaintiffs moved to file a first amended complaint. At a December 7, 1993, hearing on a motion to compel, Plaintiffs’ counsel inquired about Defendants’ objection to the filing of an amended complaint. Defendants withdrew their objection. The district judge then asked Plaintiffs’ counsel what effect the amended complaint would have on the summary judgment motion to be heard the next day. Plaintiffs’ counsel replied, “[n]ot a thing, same claims.”

7. At the December 8, 1993, summary judgment hearing there was no discussion regarding any new claims. On December 10, 1993, the judge sent a letter to counsel for each of the parties that announced his intention to grant summary judgment in favor of Defendants. On December 15, 1993, the first amended complaint was filed. Then, on February 7, 1994, judgment in favor of Defendants was entered. Plaintiffs’ motion to reconsider was denied, following oral argument, on March 15, 1994. This appeal followed.

DISCUSSION

8. To recover on a claim of legal malpractice based on negligence, plaintiffs must prove: (1) the defendant attorneys represented them; (2) the defendant attorneys did not exercise a reasonable duty of care; and (3) that negligence resulted in and was the proximate cause of loss to the plaintiffs. Hyden v. Law Firm of McCormick, Forbes, Caraway & Tabor, 115 N.M. 159, 162-63, 848 P.2d 1086, 1089-90 (Ct.App.), cert. denied, 115 N.M. 60, 846 P.2d 1069 (1993). There is no dispute that Defendants were employed by Plaintiffs to represent them in their actions against ABQ, ABQD, and the RTC or that Defendants failed to timely file administrative claims required under FIRREA. Rather, Plaintiffs argue that Defendants’ failure to timely file the administrative claims prejudiced their claims. Defendants contend that this non-action had no prejudicial effect on Plaintiffs’ claims. Defendants further assert that Plaintiffs could not have won on the merits of their claims against ABQ and the RTC.

9. Summary judgment is to be granted only when there is an absence of any genuine issues of material fact or when a party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Sarracino v. Martinez, 117 N.M. 193, 194, 870 P.2d 155, 156 (Ct.App.1994). A party opposing summary judgment may not merely argue that facts requiring a trial on the merits may exist or rest upon the allegations of the complaint. Dow v. Chilili Coop. Ass’n, 105 N.M. 52, 55, 728 P.2d 462, 465 (1986). Plaintiffs must show that they could have prevailed on the merits of their claims against ABQ and the RTC but for Defendants’ negligence. Because there is no evidence to show that Plaintiffs could have prevailed under the D’Oench doctrine or § 1823(e), even if Defendants had timely filed, summary judgment was appropriate.

A. SECTION 1823(e) AND THE D’OENCH DOCTRINE

10. Under the rule asserted in D’Oench, codified at § 1823(e), the FDIC (in our case, the RTC) is a holder-in-due-course of instruments from an insolvent bank. See D’Oench, 315 U.S. at 458, 62 S.Ct. at 679-80.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
910 P.2d 329, 121 N.M. 253, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/glenborough-corp-v-sherman-howard-nmctapp-1995.