McFarland v. Memorex Corp.

493 F. Supp. 657, 1980 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17255
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. California
DecidedFebruary 12, 1980
DocketNo. C-79-2007-WAI
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 493 F. Supp. 657 (McFarland v. Memorex Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McFarland v. Memorex Corp., 493 F. Supp. 657, 1980 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17255 (N.D. Cal. 1980).

Opinion

ORDER

INGRAM, District Judge.

Plaintiff brings this action on behalf of a class against 42 defendants for alleged violations of numerous sections of federal and state securities laws. Three defendants, First National Bank of Minneapolis, The First National Bank of Chicago, and Republic National Bank of Dallas, have moved to dismiss for improper venue. For the reasons discussed herein, the Court concludes that the motipn must be granted.

The moving defendants are nationally chartered banks, governed by the National Bank Act, 12 U.S.C. § 21-213. Section 94 of the Act provides in part:

Actions and proceedings against any [national banking] association [chartered] under this chapter may be had in any district or Territorial court ... in which such association may be established.

12 U.S.C. § 94.

The venue provisions of section 94 are mandatory and exclusive. Radzanower v. Touche Ross & Co., 426 U.S. 148, 152, 96 S.Ct. 1989, 1992, 48 L.Ed.2d 540 (1976); Mercantile Nat’l Bank v. Langdeau, 371 U.S. 555, 562, 83 S.Ct. 520, 524, 9 L.Ed.2d 523 (1963); Michigan Nat’l Bank v. Robertson, 372 U.S. 591, 594, 83 S.Ct. 914, 915, 9 L.Ed.2d 961 (1963). Venue is clearly improper with respect to these three national bank defendants unless the court finds that they have waived the exclusive venue provisions of § 94.

Plaintiff argues that the defendants are amenable to suit in this district because they have “deliberately transacted business in this forum,” particularly regarding the subject matter giving rise to this suit. Plaintiff’s Memorandum at 5 (filed Oct. 24, 1979). In addition, First National Bank of Chicago allegedly maintains representative offices in this district and Republic National Bank allegedly “engaged in loan production in this district and also sells travelers’ checks and money orders here through an affiliate.” However, these assertions are all based on the hearsay declaration of plaintiff’s counsel, and have not properly been verified to this Court. See Declaration of David L. Braverman in Opposition to Motion to Dismiss for Improper Venue (filed Oct. 24, 1979).

[659]*659The controlling Ninth Circuit opinion is Bechtel v. Liberty Nat’l Bank, 534 F.2d 1335 (9th Cir. 1976). The court held:

If proof of a waiver rests on one’s acts, “his act[s] . . . should be so manifestly consistent with and indicative of an intent to relinquish voluntarily a particular right that no other reasonable explanation of his conduct is possible.” Buffum v. Chase National Bank of City of New York, 192 F.2d 58, 61 (7th Cir. 1951), cert. denied, 342 U.S. 944, 72 S.Ct. 558, 96 L.Ed. 702 (1952).

Id. at 1340.

The court held that the bank’s limited use of the Arizona courts was insufficient to evidence an intended waiver. The court distinguished Reaves v. Bank of America, 352 F.Supp. 745 (S.D.Cal.1973), by noting that in the latter the court properly held that the bank could not rely on section 94 after it “had sued and been sued in that district hundreds of times without ever raising a venue objection.” 534 F.2d at 1340. In this case, there is no evidence that these bank defendants have availed themselves of the California courts or otherwise demonstrated an unmistakable intention to waive the section 94 venue provisions.

Even if the fact that First National Bank of Chicago allegedly has representative offices in this district were properly before this Court, this alone would not suffice for a finding of waiver. Northside Iron & Metal Co. v. Dobson & Johnson, Inc., 480 F.2d 798 (5th Cir. 1973).

Likewise, the fact that Republic National Bank allegedly sells travelers’ checks and money orders in this district through a subsidiary is irrelevant.

The creation of a wholly owned subsidiary [by a bank] to do business in [a state in which the bank does not reside] indicates an intention to preserve, rather than waive, the bank’s right to be sued in [its home district].

Fisher v. First National Bank, 338 F.Supp. 525, 531 (S.D.Iowa), appeal dismissed, 466 F.2d 511 (8th Cir. 1972).

Plaintiff argues that Section 94 is outmoded and that waiver consequently should be found easily. However, the Ninth Circuit recently reversed a district court holding consonant with this approach.

The decision reached by the district judge may reflect the more desirable position, but if the national banks and the courts are to be placed in that position, it must be the Congress that puts them there.

United States Nat’l Bank v. Hill, 434 F.2d 1019, 1020-21 (9th Cir. 1970).

In sum, plaintiff simply has not presented adequate evidence for this Court to find that these defendants have waived the exclusive venue provision of section 94. Indeed, the Court notes that there are no allegations in the complaint addressing the venue considerations peculiar to these defendants. See First Amended Complaint ¶ 3 (filed Aug. 8, 1979).

Plaintiff argues that if venue is improper, transfer pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1406(a) is the proper remedy, not dismissal. Section 1406(a) provides:

The district court of a district in which is filed a case laying venue in the wrong division or district shall dismiss, or if it be in the interest of justice, transfer such case to any district or division in which it could have been brought.

Plaintiff contends that the Court should exercise its discretion to transfer because the interests of justice so require. If the case is dismissed, “plaintiff may face arguments that the class will be time barred from filing a similar suit in those districts by a one (1) year statute of limitations (15 U.S.C. § 77m) and therefore would be severely prejudiced by the dismissal of this action.” Plaintiff’s Memorandum at 8 (filed Oct. 24, 1979) (emphasis added).

However, this suit must be viewed in its context. This is a complex securities action involving millions of dollars and the alleged misdeeds of dozens of individuals and entities. Plaintiff’s complaint has not survived motions to dismiss on the merits. Plaintiff has made no allegations regarding Section 94 venue and waiver with respect to these defendants.

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493 F. Supp. 657, 1980 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17255, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mcfarland-v-memorex-corp-cand-1980.