Kitmitto v. First Pennsylvania Bank, N.A.

518 F. Supp. 297, 31 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. (West) 1751, 1981 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13515
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedJuly 15, 1981
DocketCiv. A. 80-3563
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 518 F. Supp. 297 (Kitmitto v. First Pennsylvania Bank, N.A.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kitmitto v. First Pennsylvania Bank, N.A., 518 F. Supp. 297, 31 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. (West) 1751, 1981 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13515 (E.D. Pa. 1981).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM

LUONGO, District Judge.

In this diversity action, plaintiff Tayseer D. Kitmitto (Kitmitto), alleges that defendant, First Pennsylvania Bank, N.A. (Bank), wrongfully sold certain United Parcel Securities pledged by Kitmitto as collateral for a loan made to a third party, Roy Hebebrand. Plaintiff contends that defendant (1) improperly applied the proceeds of the sale of the securities to satisfy additional advances made to Hebebrand, and (2) failed to give notice to plaintiff prior to the sale of the securities as allegedly required by the Uniform Commercial Code. Plaintiff further contends that the pledge agreement is voidable pursuant to 15 U.S.C. § 78cc(b) because defendant violated Regulation U of the Federal Reserve Board, 12 C.F.R. 222.3(a), by having plaintiff fill out two blank Regulation U-l forms. 1 Defendant moves to dismiss on the ground that plaintiff has failed to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. F.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6).

I. The Scope of the Security Interest

On July 26, 1978, plaintiff pledged 2,196 shares of United Parcel Service (UPS) stock with the Bank as collateral for a $12,000 real estate loan to Roy Hebebrand. At the time of the loan plaintiff executed a pledge document, a request for withdrawal of his shares for hypothecation, and three Regulation U-l forms, two of which were in blank. Subsequently, on three occasions, the Bank advanced additional sums to Hebebrand. Upon Hebebrand’s default the Bank sold the stock and applied the proceeds to all of Hebebrand’s outstanding indebtedness. Plaintiff claims that he pledged his securities for the initial $12,000 real estate loan only, and that the Bank's action in selling the securities and applying the proceeds to the subsequent advances constituted a wrongful conversion of his property. Defendant’s motion to dismiss is based on its *299 contention that the pledge agreement executed on July 26, 1978, unambiguously authorized the application of plaintiff’s shares to future advances to Hebebrand.

Security agreements covering future advances are valid under Pennsylvania law. 13 Pa.Cons.Stat.Ann. § 9204(e), Beyer Estate v. Bank of Pennsylvania, 449 Pa. 24, 26, 295 A.2d 280 (1972). Whether a particular security agreement covers such advances depends on the intent of the parties. Id. Marine National Bank v. Airco, Inc., 389 F.Supp. 231, 234 (W.D.Pa.1975).

“Under Pennsylvania law, the intent of the contracting parties is exclusively determined from the written instrument if its words are ‘clear and unambiguous’ .... However, when the language of the written contract is ambiguous, extrinsic or parol evidence is admissible to resolve the ambiguity. . . . Although the interpretation of a written contract that is clear and unambiguous is for the court .. . once the court determines that parol evidence is pertinent to the construction of an ambiguous contract; (sic) it is for the jury to resolve the ambiguities and find the parties’ intent.”
Chuy v. Philadelphia Eagles Football Club, 595 F.2d 1265, 1271 (3d Cir. 1979) (footnote and citations omitted).

A contract is ambiguous if, viewed as a whole, it is reasonably susceptible of differing constructions. Gerhart v. Henry Disston Sons, Inc., 290 F.2d 778, 782 (3d Cir. 1961); Walther and Cie v. U. S. Fidelity & Guaranty Co., 397 F.Supp. 937, 942 (M.D.Pa.1975). Therefore, once the non-moving party presents a reasonable reading of the contract which varies from that offered by the moving party “a question of fact as to the meaning of the contract exists which can only be resolved at trial.” Landtect Corporation v. State Mutual Life Assurance Company of America, 605 F.2d 75, 80 (3d Cir. 1979). See Mellon Bank, N.A. v. Aetna Business Credit, Inc., 619 F.2d 1001, 1011 (3d Cir. 1980).

Defendant contends that the pledge agreement is a security agreement which unambiguously covers future advances; that it is a conclusive indication of the parties’ intent; and the parol evidence rule bars any evidence to the contrary. The pledge agreement does not contain an integration clause and I am satisfied that it was not an integrated contract. The peculiar nature of the U.P.S. stock at issue in the instant case, (see part II infra) made any pledge of the stock impossible unless Kitmitto executed a request for hypothecation of the shares to U.P.S. Further, the bank required Kitmitto to execute three U-l forms prior to forwarding any sums to Hebrebrand. Accordingly, the scope of the agreement must be determined by all three documents. 2 After studying all of the documents it is not clear to me whether the parties intended the pledge of plaintiffs’ stock to cover future advances.

The pledge provides, in pertinent part: “I [Tayseer D. Kittmito] hereby authorize you to receive, accept, or hold as security for all sums or debts now or hereafter owed to you by Roy Hebebrand the Borrower (including all extensions or renewals of the same), any and all of my property of any nature . . . especially 2196 shares United Parcel Service stock .... I expressly authorize you to treat my property and all other property held as collateral for such sums or debts in every respect as if it were the property of the Borrower and upon the release of any property to deliver the same to the Borrower, and I expressly declare all such property to be subject to all terms and any agreement made at any time with you by the Borrower and especially all terms of any collateral note executed by the Borrower.”

In Heffner v. First National Bank, 311 Pa. 29, 33-34, 166 A. 370 (1933) the Pennsyl *300 vania Supreme Court stated “A pledge, like any other contract, where there is any doubt as to its meaning, must be construed with some degree of strictness against the party preparing it .... The form signed . . . was the usual printed form note of appellee, and it was for the bank that prepared it to word it clearly in accordance with the meaning it now insists upon, by inserting words which adequately conveyed that meaning.”

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Ross v. Rothstein
92 F. Supp. 3d 1041 (D. Kansas, 2015)
Reno Financial, Ltd. v. Valleroy
229 S.W.3d 622 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2007)
In Re Gibson
249 B.R. 645 (E.D. Pennsylvania, 2000)
In Re Brice
225 B.R. 124 (W.D. Virginia, 1998)
Blair v. Crestar Bank (In re Blair)
225 B.R. 124 (W.D. Virginia, 1998)
Wyoming Valley West School District v. Northwest School District
695 A.2d 949 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1997)
Potomac Coal Co. v. $81,961.13, In the Hands of an Escrow Agent
679 A.2d 800 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1996)
AG-Chem Farm Services, Inc. v. Coberly
733 P.2d 15 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1987)
In Re Sunshine Books, Ltd.
41 B.R. 712 (E.D. Pennsylvania, 1984)
In Re Bates
35 B.R. 475 (M.D. Tennessee, 1983)
Ocean National Bank of Kennebunk v. Odell
444 A.2d 422 (Supreme Judicial Court of Maine, 1982)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
518 F. Supp. 297, 31 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. (West) 1751, 1981 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13515, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kitmitto-v-first-pennsylvania-bank-na-paed-1981.