Settlers' Housing Service, Inc. v. Schaumburg Bank & Trust Co. (In re Settlers' Housing Service, Inc.)

540 B.R. 624
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Illinois
DecidedOctober 29, 2015
DocketBankruptcy No. 13-bk-28022; Adversary No. 13-ap-1328
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 540 B.R. 624 (Settlers' Housing Service, Inc. v. Schaumburg Bank & Trust Co. (In re Settlers' Housing Service, Inc.)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Settlers' Housing Service, Inc. v. Schaumburg Bank & Trust Co. (In re Settlers' Housing Service, Inc.), 540 B.R. 624 (Ill. 2015).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION ON SCHAUMBURG BANK’S MOTION TO DISMISS FOR LACK OF SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION

Jack B. Schmetterer, United States Bankruptcy Judge

This adversary proceeding arises out of and relates to the chapter 11 case of Settlers’ Housing Service, Inc. (“Settlers” or “Debtor”). Before the court for ruling is the motion of Schaumburg Bank & Trust Company, N.A. (“Schaumburg Bank” or “Defendant”) to dismiss Debtor’s Third Amended Complaint for Equitable Subordination and Other Relief and Objection to Claims 11 & 12 (the “Third Amended Complaint”) for lack of subject matter jurisdiction pursuant to Rule 12(b)(1), Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(1) (made applicable by Fed. R. Bankr. P. 7012).

For reasons stated below, Schaumburg Bank’s motion to dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction will be granted in part and denied in part by separate order.

I. BACKGROUND

Settlers is an Illinois nonprofit corporation dedicated to fulfilling the housing needs of recently arrived legal immigrants. Settlers filed a petition for relief under chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code, 11 U.S.C. §§ 101 et al, on July 12, 2013. Defendant Schaumburg Bank filed a proof of claim in the Debtor’s bankruptcy case for a total amount of $4,921,425.97. See Claim 12-3.1 Schaumburg Bank’s claim is secured by mortgages on a number of properties owned by the Debtor. However, because the total value of the properties securing this claim is estimated at $2,721,000.00, Schaumburg Bank’s claim is secured with respect to that value and unsecured for the remaining $2,200, 425.97.

Debtor filed this adversary proceeding on November 20, 2013, seeking, in part, to object to and disallow Schaumburg Bank’s claim against the estate. Settlers filed its Third Amended Complaint on July 28, 2014. (Dkt. 56.)

Debtor’s grounds for objecting to allowance of Schaumburg Bank’s claim against the estate concern allegations of fraud and other misconduct by Schaumburg Bank’s predecessor in interest, The Bank of Commerce. Schaumburg Bank acquired the assets forming the basis of its claim against the estate pursuant to assignment by the Federal Depository Institution Corporation (“FDIC”) as receiver for The Bank of Commerce.

A. Procedural History

The Third Amended Complaint was originally pleaded in fourteen counts, six of which have been dismissed for failure to state a claim upon which relief may be granted. See Memorandum Opinion on Bank of Schaumburg Motions to Dismiss and Strike, November 18, 2014, Dkt. 79. A trial was set on the remaining eight counts of the Third Amended Complaint, see Final Pretrial Order, November 24, 2014, Dkt. 86, as set forth below (previously dismissed counts are shown as stnek-m):

[628]*628I. Equitable Subordination under 11 U.S.C. § 510(c)

& — Aiding and-Ahetting Branch of Fi-

duciary Duty

3. Fraudulent Misrepresentation A. — Fraudulent Concealment

5. Breach of Illinois Consumer Credit Act
6. Fraud, Illegality and Unenforceability of Mortgage
7. — Constructive-F-raud

8'. Setoff

9. Unjust Enrichment
10. Conspiracy to Defraud and Civil Conspiracy

II. Tortious Interference With Contract

1U-. — Breach of-Fiduciary D%ity

M-. — Conversion-cmd Accounting

Dp-- — Improper-—Post-Petition—Interest and-ReeewePs Fees

Schaumburg Bank’s pending motion seeks to dismiss these eight remaining counts for lack of subject matter jurisdiction.2

Schaumburg Bank’s motion to dismiss argues that this court lacks subject matter jurisdiction over any claims relating to acts or conduct by The Bank of Commerce prior to the FDIC receivership because any such claims are subject to the FDIC’s claims procedures. Debtor disputes the contention that its adversary claims are jurisdictionally barred, in part, because the claims at issue could not have been timely brought pursuant to administrative procedures applicable when banking institutions are taken over by the FDIC as receiver.

In considering the pending motion to dismiss the Third Amended Complaint, the court has reviewed and considered the motion itself (Dkt. 104), Defendant’s memorandum in support of its motion (Dkt. 105) and the Third Amended Complaint (Dkt. 56.), as well as:

i. Plaintiff s Response to Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss Third Amended Complaint for Lack of Subject Matter jurisdiction (Dkt. .120);

ii. The Reply in Support of Schaum-burg Bank & Trust Company, N.A.’s Motion to Dismiss (Dkt. 129);

iii. Plaintiffs Sur-Reply (Dkt. 136);

iv. Schaumburg Bank & Trust Compa- . ny, N.A.’s Objection and Sur-Reply in Support of its Motion to Dismiss (Dkt. 137);3

v. Schaumburg Bank & Trust Company, N.A.’s Brief Regarding the Issue of Notice to Debtor Pursuant to 12 U.S.C. § 1821(d)(3) (Dkt. 153);

vi. Settlers’ Supplemental Brief Regarding FDIC Notice Under 12 U.S.C. § 1821(d)(3) (Dkt. 155); and

vii. Stipulation Regarding FDIC Notice.

The court has also taken judicial notice of the contents of the docket in this matter. See In re Brent, 458 B.R. 444, 455 n. 5 (Bankr.N.D.Ill.2011) (Goldgar, J.) (noting that bankruptcy courts can take judicial notice of matters in its own records).

[629]*629B. Facts Alleged in the Third Amended Complaint

The relevant facts summarized below relate to acts or conduct alleged to have taken place both before and after Schaum-burg Bank acquired the assets forming the basis of its claim against Settlers’ bankruptcy estate.

1. Alleged Misconduct by The Bank of Commerce

The Third Amended Complaint alleges a mortgage securing Schaumburg Bank’s claim, proof of which was filed in this bankruptcy case, was obtained by The Bank of Commerce without Settlers’ knowledge and authorization.

In July of 2008, Settlers owned five properties located in DuPage County, Illinois, and a thirteen-unit property (the “Washington — Taylor Property”) in Oak Park, Illinois. Settlers subsequently acquired additional properties (the “Faulkner Properties”) in a transaction facilitated by The Bank of Commerce in exchange for assuming a $8.4 million loan owed by another bank customer.

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540 B.R. 624, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/settlers-housing-service-inc-v-schaumburg-bank-trust-co-in-re-ilnb-2015.