Miller v. Wachovia Bank National Ass'n (In re WL Homes LLC)

476 B.R. 830
CourtDistrict Court, D. Delaware
DecidedAugust 13, 2012
DocketBankruptcy No. 09-10571 (BLS); Adversary No. 09-50514; Civil Action No. 11-619-RGA
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 476 B.R. 830 (Miller v. Wachovia Bank National Ass'n (In re WL Homes LLC)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Delaware primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Miller v. Wachovia Bank National Ass'n (In re WL Homes LLC), 476 B.R. 830 (D. Del. 2012).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

ANDREWS, District Judge.

These are consolidated appeals from a reported decision of the Bankruptcy Court. See In re WL Homes, 452 B.R. 138 (Bankr.D.Del.2011). The Bankruptcy Court granted Wachovia Bank’s motion for summary judgment, concluding that Wa-chovia had a security interest in a $10,000,000 account of WL Homes’ subsidiary, JLH Insurance Corp. This Court has jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 158(a).

The standard of review is plenary. See In re W/B Associates, 196 Fed.Appx. 105, 107-08 (3d Cir.2006) (The Court asks, “[I]s there no genuine issue of material fact, and [is Wachovia] entitled to judgment as a matter of law?”).

The Bankruptcy Court set forth the facts upon which it based its decision:

WL Homes had formed JLH Insurance Corporation (“JLH”) under the Arizona Department of Insurance [laws] as a captive and wholly owned insurance company for the express purpose of paying claims against WL Homes arising out of its business activities. WL Homes capitalized JLH by depositing $10 million into a bank account (the “JLH Account”). JLH remains a non-debtor affiliate, but as a wholly owned subsidiary of WL Homes, it is under the control of the Trustee.
In 2007, WL Homes entered into a line of credit loan agreement (the “Loan Agreement”) with Wachovia Bank. To induce the Loan Agreement and to secure WL Homes’ repayment obligation, the Loan Agreement includes a provision (the “Security Interest Provision”) pursuant to which WL Homes granted a security interest to Wachovia in the JLH Account and two other deposit accounts held at Wachovia (the “Laing Luxury Accounts”). The Security Interest Provision states, in relevant part:
[WL Homes] shall maintain its ... JLH Account ... with [Wachovia]. The funds on deposit in the JLH Account shall at no time be less than $10,000,000.00. [WL Homes] shall also maintain its Laing Luxury Accounts ... with [Wachovia], The JLH Account and the Laing Luxury Accounts are collectively referred to as the Deposit Accounts. [WL Homes] grants to [Wachovia] a security interest in the Deposit Accounts.
Loan Agreement ¶ 6.5.
In 2008, WL Homes reaffirmed all of its obligations under the Loan Agreement to Wachovia pursuant to two loan agreement letters (collectively, the “Loan Letters”), dated June 23, 2008 and July 31, 2008, respectively. The Loan Letters were executed by Wayne Stelmar, who at all relevant times was the CFO of WL Homes and the president of JLH.

WL Homes, 452 B.R. at 140-41. The Bankruptcy Court set forth its legal analysis:

Wachovia seeks summary judgment in its favor on the issue of whether it has an enforceable security interest in the JLH Account. Wachovia asserts that it has established all elements necessary to show that it has an enforceable security interest in this account. Article 9 of the U.C.C., adopted in all relevant respects [834]*834in California, provides that a security-interest attaches to collateral when it becomes enforceable against the debtor. Cal. Com.Code § 9203(a). Specifically with respect to deposit accounts, U.C.C. § 9203 provides that a security interest becomes enforceable when the following three conditions are satisfied: (1) value has been given; (2) there is a valid security agreement and the collateral is a deposit account over which the secured party has control; and (3) the debtor has rights in the collateral or the power to transfer rights in the collateral. Cal. Com.Code §§ 9203(b), 9104(a)(1).
The Trustee does not dispute that value has been given or that Wachovia has control over the JLH Account. The Trustee does dispute, however, that WL Homes has rights in the JLH Account sufficient to effectuate a pledge of this account as security to Wachovia. To prevail on its motion, Wachovia has the burden to provide sufficient factual support in defense of each of the elements of an enforceable security interest. The Court addresses each element in turn.
3. WL Homes’ Rights in the JLH Account
Finally, Wachovia asserts that WL Homes has sufficient rights in the JLH Account to satisfy the U.C.C. requirements for attachment of its security interest in this account. Wachovia relies upon four independent legal theories to show that WL Homes has rights in the JLH Account. First, Wachovia asserts that WL Homes exerts sufficient control over the JLH Account to give rise to the requisite rights in this account to grant the security interest. Second, Wachovia asserts that JLH consented and impliedly gave WL Homes permission to use the JLH Account as collateral. Third, Wachovia alleges that JLH should be estopped from denying the validity of Wachovia’s security interest in the JLH Account. Finally, Wachovia invokes the alter ego doctrine to allege the propriety of enforcing its security interest against JLH. The Trustee disputes Wachovia’s assertion that WL Homes has sufficient rights in the JLH Account to effectuate attachment.
The Court finds that WL Homes has sufficient rights in the JLH Account for two independent reasons: (1) WL Homes’ use and control of the JLH Account, and (2) JLH’s consent and permission to use the JLH Account as collateral. Because each of these theories independently establishes that WL Homes has sufficient rights in the JLH Account for the purpose of granting a security interest in the account, the Court does not reach WL Homes’ estop-pel and alter ego arguments,
a. Use and Control
Under the U.C.C., a debtor need not have title to collateral in order to grant a security interest in such collateral. The Third Circuit has held that “[Article 9 of the U.C.C.] does not specify the quantum of ‘rights’ which a debtor must have in collateral to support a security interest: evidently less than full ‘legal title’ will do....” In re Ferandos, 402 F.3d 147, 156 (3d Cir.2005). Case law teaches that “control over the collateral, rather than record ownership, is the key factor in determining a debtor’s rights in collateral” for the purpose of granting a security interest. First Nat’l Bank of Omaha v. Pleasant Hollow Farm, Inc., 532 N.W.2d 60, 63 (S.D.1995). The Courts of Appeals in the Eleventh Circuit and the Ninth Circuit have both held that while mere possession of collateral is not sufficient to establish that a debtor has rights in such collateral, any right beyond mere possession, in-[835]*835eluding the right to use and control the collateral, suffices to establish the debt- or’s rights for the purpose of attachment of a security interest in such collateral. Foothill Capital Corp. v. Clare’s Food Market, Inc. (In re Coupon Clearing Serv., Inc.), 113 F.3d 1091

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Bluebook (online)
476 B.R. 830, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/miller-v-wachovia-bank-national-assn-in-re-wl-homes-llc-ded-2012.