Sebring v. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

1963 OK 297, 401 P.2d 479, 1963 Okla. LEXIS 599
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedDecember 20, 1963
Docket40144
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 1963 OK 297 (Sebring v. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sebring v. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, 1963 OK 297, 401 P.2d 479, 1963 Okla. LEXIS 599 (Okla. 1963).

Opinion

HALLEY, Vice Chief Justice.

There is no dispute about the facts in this matter. All the interested parties entered into a stipulation concerning the facts. The Capitol Hill State Bank, hereafter called the bank, is a banking corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Oklahoma. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, hereafter called FDIC, is a corporation organized and existing under Acts of Congress of the United States. Carl B. Sebring is the Bank Commissioner of the State of Oklahoma, hereafter called the commissioner. Hartford Accident and Indemnity Company, hereafter called Hartford, is an intervenor in this matter by reason of its having paid fidelity losses under fidelity bonds it had written in favor of the bank.

The bank was closed by order of the commissioner on July 29, 1960, and taken into his hands for liquidation. The affairs of the bank have since that time been substantially liquidated. The principal of most deposits and claims of other creditors existing against the bank, as of the time its assets were taken for liquidation, have been paid. There remains in the hands of the commissioner cash and assets of an approximate value of $406,255, which is more than sufficient to pay (a) the costs and expenses of this liquidation proceeding, (b) the principal amount of all duly filed claims of creditors of the bank which are now unpaid, (c) the demand for interest which is at issue on this appeal, and (d) interest on the principal amount of the claims of all other creditors of the bank.

The bank deposits were insured by FDIC up to the amount of $10,000 for each deposit. After the commissioner took possession of the bank, FDIC pursuant to law promptly paid the insured depositors totaling $4,763,717.71 in principal amount. FDIC received from each depositor a combination receipt and assignment of claim. Thereafter FDIC filed with the commissioner its claim against the assets of the bank for the total sum paid. Other creditors and depositors not paid by FDIC made their individual claims with the commissioner. These claims were approved by the commissioner. On February 9, 1961, FDIC made demand upon the commissioner for itself and on behalf of other creditors and depositors for interest on all claims at the legal rate of 6% per annum for the period from the date the commissioner took possession of the bank until payment of the claims. The commissioner paid a first dividend to FDIC and to most of the other creditors and depositors on February 23, 1961. On March 20, 1961, the commissioner rejected and disallowed the demand for interest. The commissioner paid subsequent dividends on June 7, June 15, and July 20, 1961. The several dividends paid were equal to the principal amounts of the allowed and approved claims made by FDIC and other creditors and depositors.

On May 8, 1961, FDIC filed its petition with the District Court of Oklahoma County reciting the above facts and praying for judgment directing the commissioner to allow its claim for $163,655.31 for interest, and to allow the claim of the other creditors and depositors of the bank for interest in the amount of $23,138.19.

The parties briefed and argued the matter to the District Court. On August 29, 1961, the District Court entered its judgment or order directing the commissioner to allow *482 the demand for interest of FDIC in the amount of $163,655.31 and that it be paid out of the funds in the hands of the commissioner as a result of the bank liquidation, and further directing the commissioner to allow the demand of all other depositors and creditors in the sum of $23,138.19 for interest to be paid out of said funds. The commissioner, the bank, and Hartford bring this appeal jointly. For convenience, their argument will be referred to as argument by the commissioner.

The commissioner's arguments on appeal are in two parts: (A) that FDIC’s demand for interest should not have been allowed, and (B) that even if FDIC’s demand is allowed, the demand for interest on behalf of all other creditors and depositors should not have been allowed. We will consider these arguments in order.

(A) The commissioner recognizes that in the cases of In re American Bank & Trust Co. of Ardmore, 176 Okl. 202, 55 P.2d 470, and In re Farmers State Bank of Garber, 185 Okl. 336, 91 P.2d 749, this Court has stated the general rule that depositors and creditors of a failed state bank are not entitled to interest on their claims, unless assets are sufficient to pay all depositors and creditors. In two other cases we stated such a rule in connection with an insolvent trust company and an insolvent savings and loan association. See Barnett v. Kennedy, 185 Okl. 409, 92 P.2d 963; and Tulsa Building & Loan Ass’n v. Leonard, 188 Okl. 562, 112 P.2d 363. The commissioner argues that this general rule is not applicable in the instant case for any one of several reasons.

First, he argues, in those cases this Court was not considering cases where there were sufficient assets to pay the claims of all creditors and therefore the rule is not binding on this Court. We disagree. In the Farmers State Bank of Garber case, supra, we were deciding the status of only one of the bank’s creditors. From the record before us in that case we were unable to say whether the assets would or would not be sufficient to pay all creditors. If they were found to be sufficient by the District Court upon subsequent hearings, then the creditors would all be paid interest. Although our statement of the general rule may not have been necessary to a decision in that case, it was judicial dictum which is highly persuasive and is to be given weight herein. Stark v. Watson, Okl., 359 P.2d 191. Since no Oklahoma cases are cited stating any different rule, and this rule is in accord with the overwhelming weight of authority, we hold it to be the rule of this jurisdiction. The rule is that when there are sufficient assets to pay the claims of all depositors and creditors, the depositors and creditors of a failed state bank are entitled to interest at the legal rate on their claims from the date the bank closed until they are paid.

The commissioner’s second argument that such rule should not be applied herein is because the present comprehensive banking code was not in effect when the above cited cases were decided. The commissioner does not point out significant differences between the present statutes on bank liquidations, 6 O.S.1961 §§ 162-1.62t, enacted in 1937, and the statutes in effect prior to 1937, which were in O.S.1931, § 9168-9185. We have examined and compared these statutes and find that this argument is without merit. The commissioner does not argue that FD'IC is not subrogated to all rights of the depositors to the extent FDIC has paid such depositor’s claims. Of course, this subrogation is specifically provided for in our statutes. 6 O.S.1961 § 184.

The commissioner’s third argument is that this general rule was stated in the above cited cases without any indication that the Court took into consideration the following statutes:

6 O.S.1961 § 162n.

“ * * * At the expiration of six (6) months from the date of the first publication of notice to creditors, the Commissioner may, out of the funds remaining in his hands, after the payment of the expenses of liquidation,. declare one or more dividends. Dividends shall be paid only on such claims as *483

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Bluebook (online)
1963 OK 297, 401 P.2d 479, 1963 Okla. LEXIS 599, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sebring-v-federal-deposit-insurance-corporation-okla-1963.