Republic Savings Bank v. United States

80 Fed. Cl. 295, 2008 U.S. Claims LEXIS 17, 2008 WL 241273
CourtUnited States Court of Federal Claims
DecidedJanuary 25, 2008
DocketNo. 92-265C
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 80 Fed. Cl. 295 (Republic Savings Bank v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Federal Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Republic Savings Bank v. United States, 80 Fed. Cl. 295, 2008 U.S. Claims LEXIS 17, 2008 WL 241273 (uscfc 2008).

Opinion

OPINION

SMITH, Senior Judge.

I. Introduction

This case arises out of the Winstar line of cases, the background of which is well-described in United States v. Winstar Corp., 518 U.S. 839, 116 S.Ct. 2432, 135 L.Ed.2d 964 (1996)(Winstar III); see also Winstar Corp. v. United States, 64 F.3d 1531 (Fed.Cir.1995)(en banc)(Winstar II); Winstar Corp. v. United States, 21 Cl.Ct. 112 (1990); Statesman Savings Holding Corp. v. United States, 26 Cl.Ct. 904 (1992). Before the Court are Plaintiffs’ Motion for Summary Judgment, Defendant’s Cross-Motion for Summary Judgment, and Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss Plaintiff Meadows for lack of standing.

The Court has heard arguments regarding the above mentioned motions. After careful consideration, and for the reasons set forth in this opinion, the Court hereby GRANTS Plaintiffs’ Motion for Summary Judgment. Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment is, therefore, DENIED. Further, the Court [297]*297GRANTS Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss Plaintiff Meadows from the litigation.

II. Facts

Like many other thrifts of its time, Citizens Federal Savings and Loan Association of Matteson, Illinois (Citizens) and Fireside Federal Savings and Loan Association of Cicero, Illinois (Fireside) encountered significant financial difficulties during the savings and loan crisis of the early 1980s. During the thrift crisis, the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation (FSLIC) and the Federal Home Loan Bank Board (FHLBB) sought to ameliorate the situation by encouraging healthy thrifts to merge with the failing ones. See Winstar II, 64 F.3d at 1535. In this case, however, instead of a healthy thrift acquiring a failing one, a brand new institution, Republic Savings Bank (Republic) was formed to acquire the two failing thrifts.

A. Background of Citizens

Citizens had a history of operating losses. In December 1981, the FHLBB recommended that the Citizens’ directorate consider a merger resolution, as Citizens was facing insolvency. Although the directorate did not adopt a merger resolution, FHLBB-Chi-cago solicited bids for the acquisition of Citizens in November 1982. However, Citizens was able to show book solvency, and so in January 1983, the bidders were informed that Citizens was no longer available.

In 1983, Citizens’ financial situation worsened; for the six-month period ended September 30, 1983, Citizens incurred a net loss of $786,000. By 1984, Citizens faced insolvency again, and Government regulators estimated that the present-value cost of liquidating Citizens would be $29.7 million. The FHLBB again recommended a merger resolution. On November 27, 1984, the FHLBB notified Citizens that the bid process would begin without the merger resolution. During the 1984-1985 bid process, nine groups were sent bid packages. The FHLBB received three formal bids. The first was a bid from McKinley Financial Group (McKinley), comprised of Douglas Crocker and Robert Bobb, which will be discussed below. The second was projected to cost more than the $29.7 million estimated present value cost of liquidation, and the third bid from Land of Lincoln Savings and Loan was projected to cost $26.7 million.

B. Background of Fireside

The FHLBB showed “supervisory concern” over Fireside beginning in 1981. See Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago Memorandum from Leo B. Blaber to FHLBB (S-Memo). For the six months ending June 30, 1981, Fireside lost $109,000. The December 1981 report showed a loss of $378,000. For the first time, in 1981 Fireside fell below its net worth requirements. The financial difficulties continued throughout 1982 and 1983.

In late 1984, the Government advised Fireside to start looking for a voluntary merger partner. Fireside pursued merger negotiations with Mid-America Federal and Northwestern Savings of Chicago. These negotiations fell through. On November 28, 1984, Fireside notified the FHLBB that a preliminary agreement had been reached between Fireside and the McKinley Financial Group. In February 1985, Crocker and Bobb submitted a proposal to assume control of Fireside through a voluntary supervisory stock conversion. As of June 30, 1985, Fireside had a reported net worth of $118,000.

C. The Creation of Republic Savings Bank

Crocker and Bobb submitted a proposal to the FHLBB-Chicago in May 1985, offering to acquire Citizens and Fireside through Republic Holding Company (RHC).1 To effectuate the transactions, Crocker and Bobb formed MCB Financial Group (MCB), owned equally by Meadows Resources, Inc, and a Voting Trust controlled by Crocker and [298]*298Bobb. The proposal stated that RHC would be capitalized in the amount of $17 million, consisting of a $5 million equity interest in a New Mexico general partnership, Bellamah Community Development (BCD), and a $12 million earnings preference on the future earnings of BCD. The two thrifts would be merged into a new institution, Republic Savings Bank, F.S.B. Crocker and Bobb requested in their bid that the FSLIC provide $3 million in cash assistance to Citizens and did not request any cash assistance for Fireside.

On August 30, 1985, Plaintiffs, through the newly formed Republic Savings acquired Citizens and Fireside by merger as a supervisory transaction. The transaction was formally approved by the FHLBB in Resolution No. 85-773. The specific terms of the transaction were set forth in a number of documents, including the Assistance Agreement and the Net Worth Stipulation, both dated August 30, 1985. The Assistance Agreement was entered into between Republic Savings Bank, RHC, MCB, and the FSLIC. Under this agreement, the Government agreed to contribute $3 million towards Republic Savings Bank, while the other three signatories promised to maintain Republic’s net worth “at the greater of (1) 5 percent of [Republic’s] total liabilities, reduced by ‘qualifying balances’ as permitted by § 563.13(b)(4) of the Insurance Regulations, or (2) the amount required by § 563.13(b) of the Insurance Regulations or any successor regulations as in effect from time to time.” See Assistance Agreement § 12. Plaintiffs’ capital contribution requirements were set forth in the Net Worth Stipulation and FHLBB Resolution No. 85-773. Republic requested that the $3 million Government contribution be accounted for as net worth rather than as an adjustment to goodwill. S-Memo at 17.

The FHLBB listed the forbearances granted in a letter dated August 30, 1985 to Robert Fahey, President of Republic. (Forbearance Letter). The Forbearance Letter provided, among other things, that “the value of any intangible assets resulting from accounting for the merger in accordance with the purchase method may be amortized by Republic Savings over a period not to exceed 35 years by the straight line method” and that the Government’s cash contribution be considered as an addition to its net worth.

D. The Impact of FIRREA

On August 9, 1989, Congress enacted the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act of 1989 (FIRREA). 12 U.S.C. § 1464.

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Related

Republic Savings Bank, F.S.B. v. United States
584 F.3d 1369 (Federal Circuit, 2009)
American Savings Bank, F.A. v. United States
83 Fed. Cl. 555 (Federal Claims, 2008)

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Bluebook (online)
80 Fed. Cl. 295, 2008 U.S. Claims LEXIS 17, 2008 WL 241273, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/republic-savings-bank-v-united-states-uscfc-2008.