Resolution Trust Corp. v. Hunters Ridge Income Investors

796 F. Supp. 1261, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12982
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Missouri
DecidedAugust 24, 1992
DocketNo. 4:92CV00023
StatusPublished

This text of 796 F. Supp. 1261 (Resolution Trust Corp. v. Hunters Ridge Income Investors) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

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Resolution Trust Corp. v. Hunters Ridge Income Investors, 796 F. Supp. 1261, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12982 (E.D. Mo. 1992).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

GUNN, District Judge.

This matter is before the Court on the motion of plaintiff Resolution Trust Corporation (RTC) as receiver for Community Federal Savings and Loan Association (Community) for summary judgment. RTC, as receiver for Community and the holder of guaranties which were executed by all named defendants, seeks recovery of amounts owed to Community by defendants pursuant to guaranties of all advances, debts, obligations and liabilities incurred and/or created with respect to housing refunding revenue bonds issued by the Industrial Development Authority in connection with the development of Hunters Ridge Apartments Project (Hunters Ridge). The bonds were issued in connection with refunding of bonds originally issued in 1985.

Plaintiff moves for summary judgment contending that it is a bona fide holder of guaranties executed by defendants wherein each defendant agreed to be answerable for the obligations of the borrower with respect to the bonds issued in connection with the development of Hunters Ridge and such bonds are due and payable. In support of its motion, RTC filed the affidavits of Edward Brian Partridge, Jerry Rector, William Sanford and John Breier, defendants’ answers to RTC’s complaint, and defendants’ answers to plaintiff’s request for admissions and requests for production of documents.

The record establishes the following. In December of 1988 the Industrial Development Authority of the County of St. Louis (IDA) issued its tax-exempt variable rate Housing Refunding Revenue Bonds, Series 1988C in the amount of $7,665,000.00 in connection with the development of Hunters Ridge. Hunters Ridge Income Investors, L.P. (Investors) was the developer of Hunters Ridge. Financing for Hunters Ridge was provided by the sale of the bonds and the loan of the proceeds by IDA to Investors as evidenced by a promissory note payable to IDA and dated December 15, 1988. This promissory note is secured by a first deed of trust on Hunters Ridge’s real estate and improvements and a first assignment of landlord’s interest in leases and rent in favor of IDA.

To induce Community to purchase the bonds, defendants J.L. Mason Realty and Investments, Inc. and The J.L. Mason Group, Inc. and four principals of the corporation executed guaranties of the obligations of Investors to Community pertaining to the bonds in December of 1988. By their terms the bonds were subject to mandatory redemption or purchase by Hunters [1263]*1263Ridge on June 15, 1989, but the execution of a supplemental indenture extended this date to June 15, 1990, and thereafter the execution of a second supplemental indenture extended the date to December 15, 1990. On June 11, 1990, defendants Investors, J.L. Mason Realty and Investments, Inc., The J.L. Mason Group, Inc. and four principals of the corporation signed a letter agreement in which they reaffirmed their guaranties for purposes of, and in consideration for, extending the date of redemption or purchase.

Hunters Ridge failed to fund redemption or purchase of the bonds by December 15, 1990, and subsequently the bonds were tendered to the trustee, Boatmen’s National Bank, who now holds the bonds. To date, the amounts due under the terms of the promissory note and bonds remain unpaid and, despite proper demand and notice, defendants have failed and refused to pay the amounts due.

Under Rule 56 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, a movant is entitled to summary judgment if he can “show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that [he] is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c); First Sec. Sav. v. Kansas Bankers Sur. Co., 849 F.2d 345, 349 (8th Cir.1988). In passing on a motion for summary judgment, a court is required to view the facts and inferences that reasonably may be derived therefrom in the light most favorable to the non-moving party. Holloway v. Lockhart, 813 F.2d 874, 876 (8th Cir.1987). The burden of proof is on the moving party and a court should not grant a summary judgment motion unless it is convinced that there is no evidence to sustain a recovery under any circumstances. Foster v. Johns-Manville Sales Corp., 787 F.2d 390, 392 (8th Cir.1986). As the Supreme Court has stated:

The inquiry performed is the threshold inquiry of determining whether there is the need for a trial — whether, in other words, there are any genuine factual issues that properly can be resolved only by a finder of fact because they may reasonably be resolved in favor of either party.

Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 250, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 2511, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986).

Defendants first seek to avoid liability under the guaranties by raising the defense that the guaranties were fraudulently induced by representations made by representatives of Community. Defendants claim to have relied upon certain oral representations concerning their guaranties being substantially reduced and ultimately released when Hunters Ridge reached designated occupancy levels. Defendants have not produced any documents in support of their contention that the guaranties would be released on such conditions. In any event, such position is unavailing. RTC is immune from defenses of this nature under the D’Oench, Duhme doctrine and 12 U.S.C. § 1823(e).

In D’Oench, Duhme & Co. v. FDIC, 315 U.S. 447, 62 S.Ct. 676, 86 L.Ed. 956 (1942), the Supreme Court held that unrecorded, or secret, agreements between the bank and the maker of a promissory note could not be used as a defense to collection of the note by the FDIC, because the FDIC is entitled to rely on the bank’s books and records when it sues to recover on an outstanding debt. Plaintiff in D’Oench, Duhme was precluded from arguing that the bank had promised that the note would not be called for payment where that condition was not set forth in the agreement. The D’Oench, Duhme doctrine precludes reliance on the alleged oral promise as the basis of an affirmative defense. See Oliver v. Resolution Trust Corp., 955 F.2d 583, 585 (8th Cir.1992), As long as the note is facially unqualified, any unwritten conditions upon its repayment are irrelevant. Langley v. FDIC, 484 U.S. 86, 108 S.Ct. 396, 98 L.Ed.2d 340 (1987). The D’Oench, Duhme doctrine has been extended to protect the RTC. See, e.g., Adams v. Madison Realty & Dev., Inc., 937 F.2d 845, 852 (3d Cir.1991).

Title 12 U.S.C.

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796 F. Supp. 1261, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12982, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/resolution-trust-corp-v-hunters-ridge-income-investors-moed-1992.