Lahn v. Vaisbort

369 P.3d 85, 276 Or. App. 468, 2016 Ore. App. LEXIS 197
CourtCourt of Appeals of Oregon
DecidedFebruary 18, 2016
Docket10CV0382ST; A154575
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 369 P.3d 85 (Lahn v. Vaisbort) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Oregon primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lahn v. Vaisbort, 369 P.3d 85, 276 Or. App. 468, 2016 Ore. App. LEXIS 197 (Or. Ct. App. 2016).

Opinion

DEVORE, J.

Plaintiff Alexis Scharff appeals from a judgment entered for defendant Edward Vaisbort after the trial court granted his motion for summary judgment against plaintiffs claims for breach of contract, professional negligence, and securities fraud.1 Her claims arose when she provided a renewed loan to a real estate entity, then learned, upon its default, that her loan was essentially unsecured. Defendant had drafted the transaction documents.

As to each of her claims, plaintiff separately assigns error to the trial court’s decision to grant summary judgment. We reject without written discussion plaintiffs assignment regarding her breach of contract claim. As to her negligence and securities claims, we address several issues: first, whether there was evidence from which a reasonable juror could find that plaintiff had a lawyer-client relationship with defendant; second, whether plaintiffs securities claim was barred by the statute of limitations; and, third, whether plaintiffs note could constitute a security. For the reasons below, we reverse and remand on plaintiffs securities fraud claim, and otherwise affirm.

I. FACTS

“We take the following facts from the summary judgment record, viewing the facts and all reasonable inferences that may be drawn from them in the light most favorable to plaintiff, as the nonmoving party.” Oregon Steel Mills, Inc. v. Coopers & Lybrand, LLP, 336 Or 329, 332, 83 P3d 322 (2004). Plaintiff alleged a substantial history of loan transactions culminating in an ill-fated loan renewal. In prior transactions, defendant, a California attorney, had represented plaintiff and other lenders, although in the ill-fated transaction, his communication and documents declared that he represented only plaintiffs brother, Peter Scharff (hereafter “Scharff’), who played a key role among three lenders.

[?]*?Beginning in the 1990s, plaintiff, Seharff, and Elizabeth Lahn made a series of private loans to Dorn-Platz Properties, a California-based development corporation (hereafter “Dorn-Platz” or “borrower”). An investment broker working on behalf of Dorn-Platz had approached lenders to put together the transactions. In addition to participating as a lender, Seharff acted as an agent for plaintiff and Lahn by negotiating and closing the loans. Seharff “reviewed and made recommendations as to the making of the loans,” held power of attorney, and “maintained all the documents and records” for plaintiff. Plaintiff did not independently review documents to ensure that the loans were secured because she relied solely on her brother’s judgment. Defendant prepared loan documents and represented the group of lenders in some of the transactions with Dorn-Platz.2 Defendant began representing plaintiff in 1997.

In November 2003, loans from plaintiff and other lenders to Dorn-Platz were coming due. The borrowers’ broker encouraged plaintiff and the other lenders to roll over their outstanding loans into new loans to Dorn-Platz.3 The broker explained that defendant would “represent the lenders and prepare the documents” for a new loan for development of “The Round,” a mixed-use property in Beaverton. The lenders were presented with the opportunity either to end or to increase their loans to Dorn-Platz. Seharff recommended to plaintiff and Lahn that they extend their loans. Plaintiff, Seharff, and Lahn rolled their loans over and, at the same time, increased the amount of their loans.

In January 2004, Seharff, on behalf of plaintiff, signed an “Inter Creditor Agreement” for her rollover loan to Dorn-Platz. The collateral for the loan was described as a note “that was originally given to CHUO Bank and Trust by * * * [Mr. Platz],” an interest in the Round, and real property [472]*472owned by Platz in California.4 A loan summary advised that the lenders would be “represented by [defendant] who will draw all the documents and do all the legal work.”5

In October 2004, the lenders received another memorandum from the broker urging yet another loan rollover with Dorn-Platz. The broker stated that, “[b]asically, the partners are ‘splitting the sheets.’” The broker declared, “If you want out, we need to know right away. If you want to add money we need to know right away. Peter Scharff is putting in $100,000 more. *** Our attorney, [defendant], will do the documents. This must close before Christmas.” A loan summary prepared in December described the new loan arrangement as a “Rollover/Recast” of the January 2004 loan.6 The rollover/recast arrangement entailed the lenders’ release of the Chuo note and the real property in California, in exchange for Dorn-Platz’s minority partnership interest in The Round development project. The loan summary indicated that the lenders would be able to record a trust deed on three undeveloped commercial lots at an unspecified time “[a]fter closing” but did not otherwise provide for the lenders’ security in real property. The agreement extended the loan term until 2010, a period of 60 months, at an interest rate of 12 percent.7

In January 2005, plaintiff and defendant exchanged email communications in which defendant provided plaintiff [473]*473with a new “Inter Creditor Agreement” for the proposed rollover/recast loan to Dorn-Platz. Defendant explained in an email to plaintiff that “[t]he Inter Creditor Agreement is intended to permit Mr. Scharff to execute the necessary-documents to originate the proposed loan and subsequent to funding act as the lead participant in connection with any enforcement issues.” Defendant stated, “You are encouraged to seek independent counsel to review these and any documents in connection with this matter. Please remember, as it is expressly stated in the Inter Creditor Agreement, we are representing Mr. Scharff in the transaction.” (Emphasis added.) In that email chain with plaintiff, plaintiff referred to other counsel of her own but wrote that her attorney had not “assigned the original loan to [her] trust.” As part of the transaction-related documents, defendant offered to revise the power of attorney forms to involve Scharff as to plaintiffs trust and to provide an acknowledgement form for plaintiffs trust. Doing so, he explained, would avoid the trouble of revising and redistributing the Inter Creditor Agreement to all of the lenders. Defendant provided plaintiff with the forms granting Scharff powers of attorney and requested that plaintiff notarize and return them.

Plaintiff, Scharff, and Lahn all signed the second “Inter Creditor Agreement” reflecting the new loan summary for the rollover/recast loan and, for the second time, significantly increased the amount of their loans to Dorn-Platz.8 Plaintiff increased the amount of her loan by $125,000 by rolling over another of her loans to Dorn-Platz (“San Fernando Retail Rollover”). The Inter Creditor Agreement recounted that Scharff, with “Limited Special Powers of Attorney,” would execute the loan documents on [474]*474behalf of the lenders, including plaintiff. The agreement also contained the following provisions:

“12. Waiver of Potential or Actual Conflict. Each of the Parties understands and expressly agrees that [defendant] has represented Scharff9 in connection with this transaction and the preparation of certain documents including this Agreement.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
369 P.3d 85, 276 Or. App. 468, 2016 Ore. App. LEXIS 197, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lahn-v-vaisbort-orctapp-2016.