Heide v. Hunter Hamilton Ltd. Partnership

826 F. Supp. 224, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9579, 1993 WL 261567
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Michigan
DecidedJune 25, 1993
DocketNo. 92-CV-77273
StatusPublished

This text of 826 F. Supp. 224 (Heide v. Hunter Hamilton Ltd. Partnership) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Michigan primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Heide v. Hunter Hamilton Ltd. Partnership, 826 F. Supp. 224, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9579, 1993 WL 261567 (E.D. Mich. 1993).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

FEIKENS, District Judge.

Introduction

Plaintiff Uta Heide (“Heide”) moves for summary judgment pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(a). Plaintiff filed this case to enforce the terms of a promissory note executed by defendant Hunter Hamilton Limited Partnership (“Hunter Hamilton”) through its general partners, defendant Spyros St. Kontos (“Kontos”) and defendant J.D.H. Management, Inc. II (“J.D.H.”). All defendants have admitted execution of the promissory note on May 10, 1991 in answer to the Complaint.

Defendant Kontos executed a guaranty of payment of the promissory note. Plaintiff also seeks to enforce the terms of this guaranty of payment signed by Kontos. In his answer to the Complaint, Kontos admits execution of the guaranty.

Pursuant to the terms of the Note and the Guaranty, plaintiff sent to all defendants a cure notice dated September 23, 1992. Defendant Hunter Hamilton failed to make the payments required under the note and failed to cure after receiving notice of same.

The parties have submitted briefs, and oral arguments have been heard. For the reasons set forth below, pursuant to Fed. R.Civ.P. 56(d), I grant partial summary judgment in plaintiffs favor. Specifically, I grant judgment against all three defendants in the principal amount of $150,000. Because there appear to be questions of material fact, I decline to grant summary judgment to plaintiff with regard to interest charged prior to the May 10,1991 Note, and I decline to grant summary judgment to plaintiff with regard to the 12% interest charged in the May 10, 1991 Note. I deny plaintiffs request for costs and attorney fees.

Background

On July 27, 1989 and September 8, 1989, plaintiff loaned to defendant Kontos $50,000 and $100,000 respectively. In consideration of the loans made to him, Kontos executed two promissory notes in favor of plaintiff; each note was dated the same day of each transaction. These promissory notes called for repayment of the loan principal together with interest at a rate of 12% on or before twelve months from the date of execution.

As a result of Kontos’ inability to repay the principal on accrued interest amounts due under the July 27 and September 8, 1989 promissory notes on or before their respective due dates,- Kontos executed two additional promissory notes on October 12, 1990. These October 12, 1990 Notes, with an interest rate of 12%, were intended to replace the July 27 and September 8, 1989 Notes and to allow Kontos six additional months in which [226]*226to repay the outstanding principal and accrued interest.

As a result of Kontos’ inability to repay the principal and accrued interest on or before the due date in the October 12, 1990 Notes, and as a result of plaintiffs request for additional collateral and security prior to any further extensions of time, the parties entered into an additional promissory note and guaranty of payment on May 10, 1991. The May 10, 1991 promissory note was executed by Kontos in his capacity as general partner of defendant Hunter Hamilton. The May 10, 1991 Note was also executed by defendant J.D.H. in its capacity as general partner of Hunter Hamilton. The May 10, 1991 Note called for a principal loan amount of $182,-360.06 with an interest rate of 12%. This amount consisted of the combined principal amounts of $50,000 and $100,000 plus accrued interest at a 12% rate in the amount of $32,260.06. The accrued interest amount was carried over from the previous promissory notes. In addition to this promissory note, Kontos executed a guaranty of payment in his individual capacity guaranteeing both the principal and interest amount set forth in the promissory note of May 10, 1991.

To date, Kontos has made payments of approximately $21,968.

Analysis

I. Usury

A. Previous Notes

Defendants argue that the Notes executed prior to May 10, 1991 were usurious. Defendants argue that the monies referred to in the May 10,1991 documents upon which plaintiff bases her claim consist of amounts carried over from prior related usurious transactions; as a result, say defendants, the transactions upon which plaintiff now attempts to collect are tainted with usury.

Specifically, the 1989 and 1990 notes set interest at a rate of 12% which, under the circumstances, is usurious unless the money loaned was “an extension of credit to a business entity.” M.C.L. § 438.61(3). Defendant Kontos has stated in a June 15, 1993 affidavit that the 1989 loan he received from plaintiff was personal to him and used by him to discharge his personal obligations. Kontos declares that as a result of his longstanding personal relationship with plaintiff, she agreed to loan him the money in his individual capacity and personal to him. Kontos states that plaintiff dictated the terms of the promissory notes, including the 12% rate of interest. Thus, defendants argue, the rate of 12% in the 1989 Notes is usurious since it was loaned to an individual for non-business reasons.1 The same argument applies, contend defendants, to the 1990 Notes.

Contrarily, plaintiff Heide states in her May 12, 1993 affidavit that she understood Kontos would use the funds in pursuit of his real estate business; she would not have loaned the money to him for personal purposes. She says she and Kontos never discussed an interest rate in 1989; the interest rate of 12% on the 1989 Note was entirely his idea. She says she relied completely on Kontos, a long-time friend, to prepare an enforceable promissory note.

Accordingly, there is a genuine issue of material fact as to whether the interest rates in the 1989 and 1990 Notes are usurious. As stated above, the amount of $182,360.06 in the May 10, 1991 Note consisted of the combined principal amounts of $50,000 and $100,-000, plus previously accrued interest at 12% in the amount of $32,260.06. Thus, because there is a genuine question of material fact as to whether the 12% interest rate in the previous Notes is usurious, I can not grant plaintiffs motion for summary judgment which includes this $32,260.06 amount.

B. Interest on May 10, 1991 Note

As stated above, the interest rate charged by plaintiff on the May 10, 1991 Note is 12%. Because this amount is greater than 7%, it is not usurious if there was “an extension of credit to a business entity”. M.C.L. §§ 438.-61(3), 438.31. Plaintiff argues there was an extension of credit to a business entity because the principal obligor under the May 10, 1991 Note is a partnership. However, it [227]*227appears that plaintiff did not loan defendants any new money at the time the May 10,1991 note was executed. It appears that the only times plaintiff loaned money to any party was on July 27, 1989, and September 8,1989, when plaintiff loaned defendant Kontos $50,-000.00 and $100,000.00, respectively. As explained above, in his June 15, 1993 affidavit, Kontos says he used the funds borrowed from plaintiff for personal obligations and finances. Heide states in her May 12, 1993 affidavit that she understood Kontos would use the funds in pursuit of his real estate business; she would not have loaned the money to him for personal purposes.

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Bluebook (online)
826 F. Supp. 224, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9579, 1993 WL 261567, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/heide-v-hunter-hamilton-ltd-partnership-mied-1993.