Miners & Merchants Bank v. Dowdall

489 P.2d 1274, 158 Mont. 142
CourtMontana Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 18, 1971
DocketNo. 12107
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 489 P.2d 1274 (Miners & Merchants Bank v. Dowdall) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Montana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Miners & Merchants Bank v. Dowdall, 489 P.2d 1274, 158 Mont. 142 (Mo. 1971).

Opinions

ORDER

PER CURIAM:

This is an appeal by plaintiff from a judgment entered in this cause on August 6, 1971, which judgment denied plaintiff’s motion for preliminary injunction and also its motion to amend the complaint, and granted defendants’ motion for summary judgment.

In our view the judgment entered in the district court is correct and should be and is hereby affirmed. Written opinion follows.

MR. CHIEF JUSTICE JAMES T. HARRISON, and MR. JUSTICE CASTLES.

It is our view that the plaintiff was entitled to be heard and for that reason we dissent.

OPINION

MR. JUSTICE HASWELL

delivered the Opinion of the Court.

This is an action by plaintiff bank seeking declaratory, extraordinary or injunctive relief against the state superintendent of banks in connection with the proposed chartering of a second bank in Roundup, Montana. The District Court entered summary judgment against plaintiff bank and denied its motion for a preliminary injunction. Plaintiff bank now appeals from this judgment and order.

Plaintiff and appellant is Miners and Merchants Bank, a Montana banking corporation, which operates the only existing bank in Roundup, Montana. Defendants are John A. Dowdall, the state superintendent of banks; and four individuals, William Bianchi, Otto Stensvad, Gerald Kaufmann and Roy Rodeghiero who seek to charter a second bank in Roundup. These latter four defendants hereafter will be called the proponents.

[145]*145On April 15, 1970, proponents applied to the state superintendent of banks for a charter to establish a new bank in the City of Roundup. The superintendent of banks thereupon conducted a thorough examination of the application and made inquiry within the community to determine whether the public convenience and advantage would be promoted by the opening of the proposed bank. During this process two officials of plaintiff bank were interviewed and plaintiff bank was afforded the opportunity to and did submit a detailed written protest in which it indicated its reasons for contesting the application.

On June 15, 1970 the state superintendent of banks denied the application of proponents to charter the proposed new bank. Thereafter proponents requested the superintendent of banks to reconsider his decision indicating they had additional evidence they wished to present. The state superintendent of banks agreed to reconsider indicating that the proponents “would have to come up with something concrete and definite on anything new that would be developing in Roundup. ’ ’

Thereafter the state superintendent of banks received additional information from the proponents and from various people he called to substantiate. This evidence and information related to the economic condition in Roundup and its neighboring area. On June 30 plaintiff bank sent a letter to the superintendent of banks requesting that in the event he decided to reconsider that they would like an opportunity to hear whatever new evidence was presented.

On August 5 the superintendent of banks issued a letter of conditional approval of a charter for a new bank setting forth certain conditions which must be met. These conditions included acceptance of the new bank for insurance of deposits by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, requirements as to capital structure of the new bank, management, payment of dividends, amount of fixed assets and others.

Thereafter plaintiff bank requested the superintendent of banks to reconsider his decision to grant this conditional charter [146]*146and to hold a hearing or in some other manner make the additional information available for analysis and response by plaintiff bank. This request was denied by the superintendent of banks on the basis that such information was of a very confidential nature.

On October 6, 1970 plaintiff bank filed its complaint in the District Court of Lewis and Clark County seeking the following relief in the alternative: (1) That the superintendent of banks be enjoined from granting final approval to the chartering of the new bank until a hearing was held; (2) For a declaratory judgment that the superintendent of banks cannot act on the charter application on the basis of confidential information, that plaintiff bank has a right to hear and rebut such information, and that plaintiff bank is entitled to a hearing; (3) For an extraordinary or remedial writ prohibiting the superintendent of banks from issuing final approval of the charter for the new bank until a hearing is held or the confidential information revealed or directing the superintendent of banks to hold such hearing.

Defendants filed their answer on January 5, 1971 containing three basic defenses: (1) Failure of plaintiff to state a claim in that no hearing for the granting of a bank charter is required. (2) The action set forth in the complaint is not adversary in character as no actual controversy exists between the parties. (3) A general denial of essentials of plaintiff’s complaint coupled with certain admissions of fact.

The deposition of the superintendent of banks was taken on March 22, 1971 at which time he again refused to divulge the specific information or his sources which led to his granting of conditional approval of the charter of the new bank following his original denial. Thereafter the attorney general, as counsel for the state superintendent of banks, sought a court order “limiting the scope of the deposition examination so that the superintendent of banks will not be required to answer the questions concerning confidential information on economic activity [147]*147in the Roundup area.” On March 30, 1971 the district court granted this motion.

On May 12 the deposition of William D. Bianchi, a defendant, proponent, and the prospective managing officer of the new bank, was taken.

On July 23 defendants moved for summary judgment in their favor. Thereafter plaintiff bank moved (1) for leave to file an amended complaint, and (2) for a preliminary injunction enjoining the superintendent of banks from issuing a final certificate of authorization for the new bank and enjoining proponents from commencing banking operations during the pendency of the district court action. All motions were heard by the district court on August 4. On August 5, 1971 the district court entered an order granting defendants’ motion for summary judgment, denying plaintiff bank’s motion for a preliminary injunction, and denying plaintiff bank’s motion for leave to file an amended complaint.

On August 6 judgment was entered (1) granting summary judgment to defendants, (2) declaring that pursuant to section 5-202, R.C.M.1947, the state superintendent of banks is not required to reveal confidential information received during the course of his investigation of an application for a bank charter, (3) declaring that pursuant to sections 5-202 and 5-1012, R.C.M. 1947, the state superintendent of banks is not required to reveal confidential information received during the course of his investigation of an application for a bank charter, and (4) that the state superintendent of banks did not abuse his discretion in granting the new bank charter.

Plaintiff bank now appeals from this judgment and from the district court’s denial of its motion for a preliminary injunction.

The ultimate issue upon appeal is whether summary judgment was properly granted.

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Related

State v. Poitras
2015 MT 287 (Montana Supreme Court, 2015)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
489 P.2d 1274, 158 Mont. 142, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/miners-merchants-bank-v-dowdall-mont-1971.