Hayes v. Federal Deposit Insurance

156 F. Supp. 3d 961, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 173122, 2015 WL 9480471
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Arkansas
DecidedDecember 29, 2015
DocketCase No. 5:09-CV-05122
StatusPublished

This text of 156 F. Supp. 3d 961 (Hayes v. Federal Deposit Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hayes v. Federal Deposit Insurance, 156 F. Supp. 3d 961, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 173122, 2015 WL 9480471 (W.D. Ark. 2015).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

P.K. HOLMES, III, CHIEF UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Before the Court are a motion for summary judgment (Doe. 34) filed by Defendant Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation as receiver of ANB Financial NA (“the FDIC”), Plaintiff Clifford Hayes’s response (Doc. 38), the FDIC’s reply (Doc. 40), and the parties’ supporting documents.1 For the following reasons, the Court finds that the FDIC’s motion for summary judgment should be DENIED.

1. Background

ANB Financial, NA, formerly Arkansas National Bank, (“ANB”) was established on June 1, 1994. On June 6, 1994, Clifford Hayes opened an account with ANB.2 Hayes formed CHE, LLC (“CHE”) on February 19, 1997, by filing CHE’s Articles of Organization (Doc. 37-7) with the Nevada Secretary of State. CHE’s Articles of Organization provide that “[n]o member of the Company shall have the authority to bind the Company unless such member is also a manager of the Company or except as provided in the Company’s Operating Agreement.” (Doc. 37-7, Article V). CHE’s Operating Agreement has been referenced by Hayes, but has not yet been included with any filing in this case. However, in a case previously before this Court involving similar circumstances, Judge Robert Daw[963]*963son noted that it was undisputed that “the Operating Agreement of CHE provides that only Clifford [Hayes] is authorized to incur debt on behalf of CHE, and the Articles of Organization of CHE designate Clifford as its sole manager.” Assets Resolution Corp. v. CHE LLC, 2010 WL 1345284, at *1 (W.D.Ark. Mar. 31, 2010); see also (Doc. 37-7, Exhibit 5, Article V).

On December 5, 2003, CHE purportedly received a loan (“2003 loan”) from ANB. On August 31, 2004, Hayes executed a Guaranty for all present and future debts of CHE payable to ANB. (Doc. 34-1, pp. 8-9). On August 10, 2006, Randy Hayes executed a Limited Liability Company Authorization Resolution for the use of ANB, in which Randy certified that he was a manager or designated member of CHE; however, the only signature on this purported authorization is that of Randy Hayes. On August 10, 2007, Randy Hayes, ostensibly on behalf of CHE, executed a renewal note for the 2003 loan with ANB listing the principal amount as $139,915.10, with later-accruing interest. Randy Hayes was also the only signatory on the renewal note. On May 9, 2008, ANB was declared insolvent, and the FDIC was eventually appointed as receiver. Based upon the records of ANB that the FDIC obtained after becoming receiver, including Clifford Hayes’s Guaranty, and the 2003 loan and renewal note executed by Randy Hayes, the FDIC withdrew funds from Clifford Hayes bank account to setoff CHE’s purported debts from the 2003 loan and renewal note.’

Clifford Hayes filed this lawsuit seeking reimbursement of the funds he claims were wrongfully withdrawn. In its motion for summary judgment, the FDIC argues that (1) it is entitled to rely solely on ANB’s records in collecting on assets acquired from ANB (including the renewal note executed by Randy Hayes and the Guaranty executed by Clifford Hayes); (2) nothing in those records reflects that Randy Hayes was not authorized to incur debt on behalf of CHE or otherwise negates the validity of any of the documents at issue; and (3) according to 12 U.S.C. § 1823(e) Clifford Hayes cannot assert his claim based on outside agreements — i.e., CHE’s Operating Agreement — that would tend to diminish or defeat the FDIC’s interest in the 2003 loan and renewal note. In response, Hayes argues that (1) he alone was authorized to incur debt on behalf of CHE; (2) he was not aware of the 2003 loan executed on behalf of CHE at any time before or after signing the Guaranty; (3) CHE never received any payment for such; and (4) the loan documents used to obtain a loan in CHE’s name were executed by Randy Hayes, who was not authorized to incur debt on behalf of CHE, making the debt invalid as against CHE or Clifford Hayes and making Hayes’s Guaranty for CHE’s debts inconsequential.

II. Legal Standard

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56(a) provides that “[t]he court shall grant summary judgment if the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. In order to grant summary judgment, the evidence must be such that no reasonable jury could return a verdict for the non-moving party. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 250, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). Therefore, the moving party must demonstrate the absence of genuine issues of material fact to be resolved. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). In ruling on a motion for summary judgment, the Court must resolve all controversies in favor of the non-moving party, take the non-moving party’s evidence as true, and draw all justifiable inferences in favor of that party. Matsushita Elect. Indus. v. [964]*964Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 587, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986). However, in opposing a motion for summary-judgment, the non-moving party may not rest on allegations or denials in its pleadings but must “set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.” Anderson, 477 U.S. at 256, 106 S.Ct. 2505.

III. Analysis

A. Applicability of 12 U.S.C. § 1823(e) as a Bar to Plaintiffs Claim

The FDIC’s primary contention in its motion for summary judgment is that, under 12 U.S.C. § 1823(e), Hayes may not introduce evidence of CHE’s Operating Agreement to show that the 2003 loan and renewal note were not authorized and are therefore invalid against CHE because doing so will diminish the FDIC’s interest in the 2003 loan, subsequent renewal note, and Hayes’s Guaranty. The FDIC appears to maintain that § 1823(e) is a bar to Hayes’s claim no matter whether the 2003 loan or renewal note were actually obtained by an individual without authority to incur debt on behalf of CHE because the FDIC is permitted to rely solely on ANB’s records. Section 1823(e) provides:

No agreement which tends to diminish or defeat the interest of the [FDIC] in any asset acquired by it ... as a receiver of any insured depository institution, shall be valid against the [FDIC] unless such agreement—
(A) is in writing,
(B) was executed by the depository institution and any person claiming an adverse interest thereunder, including the obligor, contemporaneously with the acquisition of the asset by the depository institution,

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156 F. Supp. 3d 961, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 173122, 2015 WL 9480471, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hayes-v-federal-deposit-insurance-arwd-2015.