Parker v. Michigan National Bank (In re Parker)

90 B.R. 857, 1988 Bankr. LEXIS 1515
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Michigan
DecidedAugust 10, 1988
DocketBankruptcy No. HK 87 1105; Adv. No. 87 570
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 90 B.R. 857 (Parker v. Michigan National Bank (In re Parker)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Michigan primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Parker v. Michigan National Bank (In re Parker), 90 B.R. 857, 1988 Bankr. LEXIS 1515 (W.D. Mich. 1988).

Opinion

OPINION

LAURENCE E. HOWARD, Bankruptcy Judge.

NEW ISSUES AND RELIEF UNDER FEDERAL RULE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE 60(b)

The court held a trial on March 31, 1988, on the debtors’ complaint under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60(b) to vacate that portion of the court’s order of April 28, 1987, which granted a replacement lien in 1987 crops to Michigan National Bank. At the conclusion of the trial the court adjourned the hearing to allow the submission of post-trial briefs.

On April 10, 1987, the debtors filed their petition under chapter 12. On that same day (not April 9th as stated in the complaint) the debtors filed a motion entitled “Motion Requiring ASCS Office To Turn Over Program Benefits And Authorizing Debtors To Use Same.” On April 21, 1987, Michigan National Bank filed an “Objection To Motion Re: Authorization To Use ASCS Program Benefits.” In paragraphs 3,5,6 and 7 of that objection Michigan National Bank claimed a security interest in the ASCS payments as cash collateral. A hearing was held on the Motion and Objection on April 28, 1987. Counsel for both the debtors and the Bank were present at that hearing. Jeffrey Parker was called as a witness. One exhibit, identified as “ASCS Production Figures” was received. At the conclusion of the hearing the court granted the debtor’s motion. On the same day the court signed an order allowing the debtors to use their ASCS payments to plant the 1987 crop. The order also provided that “Michigan National Bank is hereby granted a replacement lien on the 1987 crops, to the extent that these funds are used for planting the 1987 crop.” The “funds” referred to are the ASCS payments in which the Bank asserted a security interest. It should be noted that that order was drafted by Mr. Barton, the debtors’ attorney, who had the debtor rush it back to the court for signing later in the same day of the hearing.

Paragraph 13 of the debtor’s complaint alleges the following:

That upon reviewing documents in preparation for defending the Adversary Proceeding filed by Michigan National Bank objecting to dischargeability and calculating amounts necessary to fund the Plan, the Debtors and their Attorney just discovered that Michigan National Bank did not retain a security interest in the 1986 ASCS payments and as a result was not entitled to a replacement lien on the 1987 crop and have by virtue of that fact improved their position by approximately $25,000.00 which would otherwise be unsecured.

It should be noted that the debtors here claim to have “just discovered” this lack of a security interest. This complaint was signed on November 12, 1987 and filed on November 17, 1987. The nondischargeability complaint referred to was filed on July 9, 1987, and answered on September 1, 1987.

At the trial the debtors sought to introduce evidence of the negotiation of the security documents which form the foundation of the Bank’s alleged security interest in the ASCS payments. The Bank objected, based on the parol evidence rule. At the time I reserved ruling. I now rule that this evidence is admissible solely for the purpose of establishing whether the grounds for relief under Rule 60(b) are present, for such use can in no way contravene the terms of any written agreement or the parol evidence rule.

At the trial the debtor testified that when he negotiated the 1986 security agreements he did not understand that he was giving the Bank a security interest in the ASCS payments. (Transcript of March [859]*85931, 1988, at pages 15-16.) Testimony was then introduced showing that the April 28th order authorized the use of the 1986 ASCS payments to plant the 1987 crop, and also gave the Bank a replacement lien in the proceeds of the 1987 crop to the extent that the 1986 ASCS payments subject to the Bank’s asserted lien were used to plant that 1987 crop. The debtor then testified as follows:

Q (By Mr. Barton): Mr. Parker, did you realize at the time that we agreed to that replacement lien that Michigan National Bank might not have a lien on the 1986 or ’87 ASCS payments?
A Yeah.
Q You did know it then?
A Well, we thought that.
Q But you hadn’t verified it?
A That’s correct.
Q When was it that you became aware of the fact that and when you — withdraw that. When did you look into this issue further?
A As soon as we got home we looked over the papers to determine that.
Q And do you recall when you next brought it to my attention?
A Not exactly. I’m sure it was as soon as we saw you after that.

Transcript, at pp.19-20.

The bank’s attorney, Mr. Clinton, returned to this subject in his cross-examination:

Q Mr. Parker, you indicated that at the hearing on use of cash collateral in which you agreed to have the bank grant a replacement lien so that you could use your ASCS payments, that you thought that the bank might not have a lien but you had to verify it?
A That’s correct. We went and checked over our papers to be sure.
Q So I understand, you didn’t know if the bank did or didn’t after looking over the papers?
A I knew that we had not discussed it, and there’s nothing in the papers like '85, for it.
Q You went to the papers to decide that, is that correct?
A That’s correct.
Q And you understand that what governs the agreement with the bank is what the papers say?
A I suppose.
Q And you don’t have any knowledge that the agreement is any different with the bank than the paper says what it is?
A I know we never discussed giving them ASCS payments in ’86, but we did in ’85. The ’86 security agreement doesn’t say it like it does in ’85, and that was my understanding when I got the loan.
Q That’s what your understanding was. Why didn’t you bring it up on the cash collateral hearing?
A We didn’t have the papers to show you at the time.
Q Even though you believed at that point in time the bank didn’t have a lien on 1986 ASCS payments, you sat back and let the Court go ahead and enter an order that said that they did?
A We had to have the money to go ahead and plant the crops. It was late. If we didn’t get things right away, we weren’t going to get the crops in at a timely fashion. We let it go, and at that time we set up for the adversary proceeding right then. We thought there was some problems with it.

Transcript at pp. 21-22.

Bankruptcy Rule 9024 incorporates Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60, and makes that rule applicable in bankruptcy proceedings. Rule 60(b) sets forth six reasons justifying the setting aside of a final judgment or order. The debtors have not specified which of these six they are relying on.

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Bluebook (online)
90 B.R. 857, 1988 Bankr. LEXIS 1515, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/parker-v-michigan-national-bank-in-re-parker-miwd-1988.