Otero Savings and Loan Association, a Colorado Corporation v. Federal Home Loan Bank Board and Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation

665 F.2d 279, 1981 U.S. App. LEXIS 16074
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
DecidedNovember 13, 1981
Docket80-2346
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 665 F.2d 279 (Otero Savings and Loan Association, a Colorado Corporation v. Federal Home Loan Bank Board and Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

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Otero Savings and Loan Association, a Colorado Corporation v. Federal Home Loan Bank Board and Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation, 665 F.2d 279, 1981 U.S. App. LEXIS 16074 (10th Cir. 1981).

Opinions

I

LOGAN, Circuit Judge:

THE LEGALITY OF OTERO’S CHECK-IN PROGRAM UNDER 12 U.S.C. § 1832

Because its accounts are insured by the FSLIC, Otero is deemed an “insured institution” within the meaning of 12 U.S.C. § 1724, and is therefore a “depository institution” by definition under 12 U.S.C. § 1832(b)(5). As such, Otero is subject to § 1832(a), which provides:

(a) No depository institution shall allow the owner of a deposit or account on which interest or dividends are paid to make withdrawals by negotiable or transferable instruments for the purpose of [282]*282making transfers to third parties, except that such withdrawals may be made in the States of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine, Vermont, New York, New Jersey, and New Hampshire.

Otero argues that its two-account ATS system does not violate 12 U.S.C. § 1832(a), reading that section as applying only to NOW accounts, that is, single account systems in which interest or dividends are paid directly upon savings accounts from which withdrawals by negotiable instruments are permitted.

We believe a fair reading of the language of 12 U.S.C. § 1832(a) indicates that no depository institution may offer an interest bearing demand deposit account, whether operated directly as a one-account NOW system or indirectly as a two-account ATS system. The statutory language is broad enough to apply to both types of accounts. We have found -nothing in the legislative history of this provision, enacted in 1973, to indicate that Congress intended to differentiate between the two types of accounts. It is true that Congress treated ATS and NOW systems separately in later legislation. But the legislative history of subsequent acts is of dubious value in interpreting an act passed six years earlier. See Haynes v. United States, 390 U.S. 85, 87 n.4, 88 S.Ct. 722, 725 n.4, 19 L.Ed.2d 923 (1968); United States v. Price, 361 U.S. 304, 313, 80 S.Ct. 326, 331, 4 L.Ed.2d 334 (1960); United States v. United Mine Workers, 330 U.S. 258, 282, 67 S.Ct. 677, 690, 91 L.Ed. 884 (1947).

It is also a fact that the congressional reports treating the original enactment of 12 U.S.C. § 1832 refer only to NOW accounts, and it may be, as represented to us at oral argument, that no savings and loan was using anything but NOW accounts at the time of that legislation. No doubt the NOW account development in New England and the threat of competitive inequality between • savings and loan associations and commercial banks was the impetus to congressional action. This does not, however, limit the general language of § 1832 which we construe as forbidding depositor withdrawals from interest bearing accounts via negotiable or transferable instruments payable to third parties, whether accomplished directly under the NOW format or indirectly under the ATS format.

Otero’s strongest argument focuses on the interrelationship between 12 U.S.C. §§ 371a and 1832(a) after 1979 legislation. It argues that § 1832(a) must not be read to prohibit ATS accounts because such an interpretation would nullify the 1979 amendments to § 371a. The 1979 amendments expressly allow member banks to offer ATS accounts after December 31, 1979, while § 1832(a) prohibits all depository institutions from offering such accounts until after December 31, 1980.2 Thus, Otero contends we must reject the broad reading of section 1832 to avoid rendering a legislative enactment a nullity. See F.T.C. v. Manager, Retail Credit Co., 515 F.2d 988, 994 (D.C.Cir.1975); General Motors Acceptance Corp. v. Whisnant, 387 F.2d 774 (5th Cir. 1968); Abbot v. Bralove, 176 F.2d 64 (D.C. Cir.1949).

We find no fatal inconsistency between section 371a, as amended, and the broad reading of section 1832, however. The general language in section 1832, prohibiting any depository institution from offering interest bearing demand deposit accounts or their equivalents, either NOW or ATS accounts, must give way to the specific language of section 371a, granting federal reserve member banks authority to offer ATS accounts after December 31, 1979. See Busic v. United States, 446 U.S. 398, 100 S.Ct. 1747, 64 L.Ed.2d 381; Morton v. Mancari, 417 U.S. 535, 94 S.Ct. 2474, 41 [283]*283L.Ed.2d 290 (1974). The legislative history of the Depository Institutions Deregulation Act of 1980 offers no explanation for Congress’ disparate treatment of granting federal reserve member banks ATS privileges one year earlier than all other federally insured depository institutions. The underlying policy reasons for granting member banks a one year head start do not concern us.

At oral argument no constitutional arguments were made against the application of 12 U.S.C. § 1832 to this Colorado-based savings and loan association. Such arguments were made to the Bank Board, however, in administrative proceedings and in briefs filed there, and the constitutional issue was treated in the Bank Board’s decision. Any constitutional argument must be based upon the exception provided for eight northeastern states from the prohibitions in 12 U.S.C. § 1832, or the inconsistency between the treatment of commercial banks and savings and loan associations during 1980. We agree with the Bank Board that the governing principle is stated in New Orleans v. Dukes, 427 U.S. 297, 303, 96 S.Ct. 2513, 2516, 49 L.Ed.2d 511 (1976); a rational basis classification test is applicable. Here there is no inherently suspect classification, nor is a fundamental interest involved; this is solely an economic regulation governing financial institutions. Congress has undisputed authority to legislate in this area and may make reasonable distinctions between its treatment of commercial banks and savings and loans. It may also experiment by allowing particular types of accounts in one region of the country before extending the rule to others.

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665 F.2d 279, 1981 U.S. App. LEXIS 16074, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/otero-savings-and-loan-association-a-colorado-corporation-v-federal-home-ca10-1981.