Ramsey National Bank & Trust Co. v. Dammen (In Re Dammen)

167 B.R. 545, 1994 Bankr. LEXIS 805, 1994 WL 234528
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. North Dakota
DecidedJanuary 4, 1994
Docket19-30073
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 167 B.R. 545 (Ramsey National Bank & Trust Co. v. Dammen (In Re Dammen)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. North Dakota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ramsey National Bank & Trust Co. v. Dammen (In Re Dammen), 167 B.R. 545, 1994 Bankr. LEXIS 805, 1994 WL 234528 (N.D. 1994).

Opinion

*548 MEMORANDUM & ORDER

WILLIAM A. HILL, Bankruptcy Judge.

The plaintiff-creditor, Ramsey National Bank & Trust Co. (Bank), commenced the above-entitled adversary proceeding by complaint filed July 27, 1993, seeking a determination that outstanding indebtedness which arose from two unsecured loan transactions was nondischargeable pursuant to section 528(a)(2)(B) of the Bankruptcy Code. The defendant-debtor, Keith A. Dammen (Dam-men) interposed a general denial of the material allegations set forth in the plaintiffs complaint and, in turn, seeks the recovery of all costs and attorney fees incurred in connection with the proceeding pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 523(d).

Trial was held on November 23, 1993. From the evidence presented, the court finds the facts set forth herein material to resolution of this ease and makes the following conclusions of law:

FINDINGS OF FACT

Keith A. Dammen was engaged in a family farming operation with his father who, perhaps ironically in light of the facts and parties in this case, happened to be on the Board of Directors of Ramsey National Bank & Trust Co. In an effort to at least partly finance the farming operation, Dammen contacted the Bank with the hopes of procuring funding.

On March 4, 1988, Ramsey National Bank & Trust Co. entered into an unsecured loan transaction with Keith A. Dammen whereby the Bank advanced $12,000.00 to Dammen. The transaction was evidenced by a promissory note executed by Dammen which provided for an annual percentage rate of twelve percent (12%). On May 11, 1989, the Bank made an additional unsecured loan to Dam-men in the amount of $14,000.00 which was also evidenced by an executed promissory note and provided for an annual percentage rate of thirteen and one-half percent (13.-5%). 1

The notes were renewed on a yearly basis whereby any outstanding indebtedness would apparently be merely rolled over and the maturity dates would be extended. 2 Although the Bank did not require Dammen to submit a financial statement in connection with the extension of credit with respect to either of the notes, it did require Dammen to submit a financial statement of sorts in connection with the yearly renewals. 3 The notes were renewed on three separate occasions. In each instance, Dammen completed and signed a pre-printed form (Financial Statement) provided by the Bank which called for a variety of financial information — February 24, 1989, March 5, 1990, and March 1, 1991. (See Exhibits 8, 7 & 1 respectively). The Financial Statements were usually completed at the desk of the Bank’s loan review officer and took approximately fifteen minutes to complete. Moreover, the loan review officer even assisted Dammen in preparing the Financial Statements by advising Dammen what to disclose and, based on their discussions, actually completed portions of the Financial Statements herself.

Dammen was told, or at least was under the impression, that there never was any real question as to whether or not the notes would be renewed and that completion of the Financial Statement in each instance was just a mere “formality” done purely for record keeping purposes in order to appease the bank examiners. Although the debtor attempted to be as accurate as possible when completing the Financial Statements, the figures presented were in a number of instances merely estimated. Dammen testified that with respect a number of the figures, he was never required to submit an exact amount. The loan review officer was apparently quite *549 familiar with Dammen and was well aware that some of the figures were indeed estimated.

Sometime in late 1990 or early 1991, Dam-men attempted to purchase a home as a first time home buyer and contacted the same loan review officer at the Bank in order to obtain F.H.A. financing for the purchase. In contrast to the Financial Statement completed in connection with the renewals of the promissory notes, the application process for the home mandated detailed and exact information. Consequently, Dammen spent at least one-half an hour on three separate occasions with the loan review officer and was required in each instance to return to his residence and obtain specific financial information from his personal records.

Dammen’s relatively long financial history with the Bank over the years had been quite satisfactory and Dammen, prior to the bankruptcy, was generally» considered by the Bank to be a good customer. He had a number of smaller obligations with the Bank which had previously been paid in full and in accordance with agreed upon terms. The Bank ostensibly became concerned for the first time, however, when Dammen last renewed the notes in March of 1991 since he did not remit as substantial a payment toward the reduction of the outstanding obligations as he previously had. 4 The loan review officer indicated that although a greater reduction of the outstanding obligations was expected, the Bank always went the “extra mile” for good customers such as Dammen who had a good track record.

Dammen and his father had a falling out in May or June of 1991 which led to Dammen’s withdrawal from the family farming operation. For reasons which were not altogether apparent from the instant proceeding, Dam-men filed for relief under Chapter 7 of the United States Bankruptcy Code on April 21, 1993. At the time of the bankruptcy filing, Dammen owed the Bank $19,132.28 in principal and interest. The Bank commenced the instant action under 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(2)(B) seeking a determination that the aforementioned indebtedness was nondischargeable due to allegedly materially false information contained in the March 1, 1991 Financial Statement submitted in connection with the renewal upon which it relied to its detriment.

CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

1.

Section 523 of the United States Bankruptcy Code enumerates specific exceptions to the general rule of the dischargeability of debts in bankruptcy. It is axiomatic bankruptcy law to observe that in determining whether a particular debt falls within the ambit of an exception to discharge under 11 U.S.C. § 523, it was the intention of Congress that the statute should be construed liberally in favor of the debtor and strictly against the objecting creditor in order to effectuate the fresh start principles which pervade the entire bankruptcy system. Gleason v. Thaw, 236 U.S. 558, 562, 35 S.Ct. 287, 289, 59 L.Ed. 717 (1915); Caspers v. Van Horne (In re Van Horne), 823 F.2d 1285, 1287 (8th Cir.1987); 3 Collier on Bankruptcy ¶ 523.05A, at 523-19 (15th ed. 1993).

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Bluebook (online)
167 B.R. 545, 1994 Bankr. LEXIS 805, 1994 WL 234528, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ramsey-national-bank-trust-co-v-dammen-in-re-dammen-ndb-1994.