Pichon v. American Heritage Banco, Inc.

983 N.E.2d 589, 2013 WL 150315, 2013 Ind. App. LEXIS 10
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedJanuary 15, 2013
DocketNo. 76A03-1201-PL-4
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 983 N.E.2d 589 (Pichon v. American Heritage Banco, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pichon v. American Heritage Banco, Inc., 983 N.E.2d 589, 2013 WL 150315, 2013 Ind. App. LEXIS 10 (Ind. Ct. App. 2013).

Opinion

OPINION

NAJAM, Judge.

STATEMENT OF THE CASE

John Pichón, Jr. appeals the trial court’s judgment in favor of American Heritage Banco, Inc. (“AHB”)1 in the amount of $1,189,105.13 plus interest. AHB had filed a complaint alleging that Pichón and others had conspired with the officers of First National Bank of Fremont (“FNBF”) to commit criminal acts and seeking payment on two promissory notes executed by Pichón. Pichón filed a counterclaim against AHB, the successor to FNBF, alleging fraud and conversion. Following a bench trial, the trial court entered judgment in favor of Pichón on his counterclaim for conversion and on AHB’s claim regarding the $737,000 promissory note (“the $737K note”). And the trial court entered judgment in favor of AHB on the $650,000 promissory note (“the $650K note”). After initially calculating a set-off in favor of Pichón, the trial court granted AHB’s motion to correct error and ordered that Pichón owes AHB $1,189,105.13 plus interest. Pichón appeals and raises the following restated issues for our review:

1.Whether the trial court abused its discretion when it excluded from evidence an exhibit purporting to show that the $650K note had been paid.
2. Whether AHB had standing to enforce the $650K note.
3. Whether the promissory notes are unenforceable because they are illegal.
4. Whether the promissory notes were discharged under accord and satisfaction.
5. Whether the trial court erred when it found that Pichón had waived the issue of lack of consideration for the $650K note.
6. Whether the trial court erred when it found for AHB on Pichon’s counterclaims of fraud and conversion.
7. Whether the trial court erred when it ordered Pichón to pay prejudgment interest on the award.
8. Whether the trial court abused its discretion when it ordered Pichón to pay $150,000 in attorney’s fees to AHB.
9. Whether Pichón is entitled to a set-off.

We affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand for a new trial.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On December 28, 2000, Pichón executed a promissory note to borrow $737,000 from FNBF in order to buy Growth Parkway Property (“GPP”) from MacNeachdainn Corporation, which was owned and controlled by George McNaughton (“George”). George’s brother Earl McNaughton (“Earl”) was the president, chairman of the board of directors, and chief executive officer of FNBF. FNBF was a wholly owned subsidiary of AHB from 1995 to 2005. Earl is the majority shareholder in AHB, a closely held corporation. The [592]*592$737K note had a term of one year and was secured by a mortgage on the GPP.

In November 2002, Earl asked Thomas Christlieb, Pichon’s loan officer at FNBF, to ask Pichón to borrow $650,000 from FNBF and to allow the proceeds to be disbursed to Earl. Pichón agreed and, on November 15, 2002, Pichón executed a promissory note to borrow $650,000 from FNBF. That loan was unsecured, and the money was disbursed to Earl with Pichon’s knowledge.

In December 2002, Pichón sold GPP for $729,000, and FNBF received the proceeds from that sale. Christlieb then executed a mortgage release indicating that the $737K note had been satisfied. However, FNBF’s computer records continued to show an unpaid balance on the $737K note. In 2003, Earl paid funds to FNBF which were credited towards the alleged balance of the $737K note, reducing that balance to $575,000. And in December 2004, Pichón signed an auditor’s letter acknowledging that the unpaid balance of the $737K note was $575,000. Thereafter, no further principal payments were made on the $737K note, and on January 6, 2004, the loan record showed a zero balance. However, in 2005, FNBF’s computer records were adjusted to show an unpaid balance of $575,000. On the same date in December 2002 that FNBF received the proceeds for the sale of GPP, credit was given on FNBF’s computer record showing that the $650K note was fully paid.

On March 27, 2006, AHB filed a complaint against Pichón and several other defendants,2 and on October 16, 2006, AHB filed its second amended complaint alleging in relevant part that Pichón had conspired with officers of FNBF to commit criminal acts. And on June 1, 2010, AHB filed a third amended complaint adding in relevant part allegations of non-payment by Pichón on the $737K note and the $650K note. AHB had acquired FNBF following a merger. The two notes were payable to FNBF and its successors and assigns. Pichón filed a counterclaim alleging fraud and conversion. In particular, Pichón alleged that AHB was not the real party in interest; that Pichon’s signature on the $650K note was a forgery; and that the $737K note had been satisfied following the sale of the GPP.

The trial court entered a final pretrial order (“PTO”) on February 1, 2011. A section of the PTO entitled “Issues for Trial: On Claims of AH[B] against Pi-chon” stated as follows:

1. Whether Pichón signed the Promissory Note of November 2002 (the “650K Note”).
2. Whether AH[B] has “standing” to enforce the 650K note against Pi-chon.
3. Whether there is an unpaid balance owing to AH[B] on the 650K Note and, if so, the amount thereof.
4. Whether AH[B] is entitled to recovery of reasonable attorney fees on the 650K Note and, if so, the amount thereof.
5. Whether there is an unpaid balance owed by Pichón on the December 2000 Promissory Note (the “737K Note”).
6. Whether the proceeds arising from Pichon’s sale of the [GPP] should have been applied to pay the balance owing on the 737K Note at the time of such sale.
7. Whether the proceeds arising from Pichon’s sale of the [GPP] were wrongly or incorrectly credited as paying or paying down the 650K Note.
[593]*5938. Whether Pichón made any payment on the 650K Note except for funds arising from his sale of the [GPP].
9. Whether AH[B] is entitled to reasonable attorney fees if it recovers [on] its claim based on the 737K Note and, if so, the amount of such fees.
10. Whether, by entering into the 650K Note, Pichón was a knowing participant in a scheme through which funds were obtained from [FNBF] by or in violation of I.C. 35-43.
11. Whether [FNBF] suffered pecuniary loss for purposes of I.C. [§ ] 34-23-3-1 as a result of a violation of I.C. 35-43.
12. Whether AH[B] is entitled to an award of treble damages and attorney’s fees against Pichón under I.C. [§ ] 34-24-3-1 and, if so, the amounts thereof.

Appellant’s App. at 44-45. With respect to contentions to be asserted at trial by Pichón, the PTO stated that Pichón incorporated his “Answers, Affirmative Defenses and Counterclaims as his contentions.” Id. at 49.

During the two-day bench trial, Pichón sought to introduce into evidence an original of the $650K note stamped “paid” which had been included as Plaintiffs Exhibit 33 in AHB’s exhibit book prior to trial. Transcript at 121.

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983 N.E.2d 589, 2013 WL 150315, 2013 Ind. App. LEXIS 10, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pichon-v-american-heritage-banco-inc-indctapp-2013.