Sharp v. Federal Deposit Insurance (In re Vineyard National Bancorp)

508 B.R. 437, 2014 WL 1329806, 2014 Bankr. LEXIS 1201
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, C.D. California
DecidedMarch 28, 2014
DocketBankruptcy No. 2:10-BK-21661RN; Adversary No. 2:10-AP-01815RN
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 508 B.R. 437 (Sharp v. Federal Deposit Insurance (In re Vineyard National Bancorp)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, C.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sharp v. Federal Deposit Insurance (In re Vineyard National Bancorp), 508 B.R. 437, 2014 WL 1329806, 2014 Bankr. LEXIS 1201 (Cal. 2014).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OF DECISION AFTER TRIAL ON (i) COUNT IV OF THE COMPLAINT; AND (ii) COUNT I OF THE AMENDED COUNTERCLAIM

RICHARD M. NEITER, Bankruptcy Judge.

INTRODUCTION

Bradley Sharp, as Liquidating Trustee of the Liquidating Trust of Vineyard National Bancorp (“Plaintiff”), commenced this action on May 5, 2010 raising five claims for relief that seek to disallow the claim of Defendant and Counter-Plaintiff FDIC-R (“Defendant ” or “FDIC-R ”), as receiver for Vineyard Bank, N.A. (“Bank ”), against the chapter 11 estate of Vineyard National Bancorp (“Debtor”). Among other things, Count IV of the complaint asserts the Debtor’s entitlement to certain tax refunds in connection with the Debtor and the Bank’s consolidated tax returns for the tax year 2008.1 (Compl. ¶¶ 50-66.) With its Amended Counterclaim to the Complaint (“Am. Countercl.”), the FDIC-R rejects Plaintiffs position that the FDIC-R is merely an unsecured creditor of the Debtor’s estate on account [439]*439of the Bank’s entitlement to the tax refunds and instead, asserts its right to the said tax refunds as property of the FDIC-R. (Am. Countercl. ¶¶ 5-14.)

On May 3, 2013, this Court issued its Memorandum of Decision Re: (1) Motion of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, as Receiver for Vineyard Bank, N.A., to Dismiss Count IV of the Adversary Complaint; and (2) Plaintiffs Motion for Partial Summary Judgment as to (I) Capital Maintenance Claim Asserted by FDIC-R; and (II) Ownership of Tax Refunds {“MOD”).The MOD, inter alia, denied Plaintiffs motion for partial summary judgment on the issue concerning the ownership of the 2008 tax refunds finding that a material factual dispute exists on whether an enforceable Tax Sharing Agreement {“TSA ”)was operative in 2008 and whether a signed TSA had to be renewed every year since 2005 for the agreement to be enforceable. (Mem. Of Decision, May 3, 2013.)

In Courtroom 1645 of the above entitled Court, the Honorable Richard M. Neiter, United States Bankruptcy Judge presiding, conducted a two-day bench trial on January 29 and 30, 2014. Rolf S. Woolner, Esq. and William R. Shafton, Esq. of Winston & Strawn, LLP appeared on behalf of the Plaintiff and David A. Kettel, Esq. and Jessica Mickelsen, Esq. of Katten Muchin Rosenman, LLP appeared on behalf of the Defendant. No other appearances were made.

The admitted facts in the parties’ Pretrial Stipulation approved on December 26, 2013 {“Admitted Fact(s) ”), the Trial Documents from both parties, the testimony of witnesses and the stipulated exhibits for trial (collectively, “Stipulated Exhibit(s) ”) admitted into evidence at trial govern the facts of this case.2 The following witnesses testified at trial:

(1) Mr. Norman Morales3 {“Morales ”),
(2) Mr. James LeSieur4 {“LeSieur”),
(3) Mr. Gordon Fong5 {“Fong ”),
(4) Mr. Donald Henry Pelgrim, Jr.6 {“Pelgrim ”),
(5) Ms. Jessica Mickelsen (“Mickel-sen ”),
(6) Mr. Joel Herbert Ravitz {“Ravitz ”), and
(7) Mr. Chuck Lawrence Keagle.

Witnesses were cross-examined accordingly-

The Court has carefully considered the Admitted Facts, the findings made in this Court’s decision entered on May 3, 2013, the testimonies and all exhibits admitted into evidence. The Court has also considered the legal arguments made in the Plaintiffs Trial Brief, the Trial Brief of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, as Receiver for Vineyard Bank, and the [440]*440Plaintiffs Reply Trial Brief. After trial, the Court took this matter under submission and now renders its Memorandum of Decision containing its findings of fact and conclusions of law as required under Fed. R. Bankr.P. 7052.

JURISDICTION

This Court’s jurisdiction is established under 28 U.S.C. §§ 157(b)(2)(B) and 1334, and as determined by this Court’s Memorandum of Decision issued on May 3, 2013.

ISSUES

The trial focused on the factual issue concerning the intent of the parties to continue enforcing the terms of the TSA in 2008. A factual determination of this issue would result in this Court deciding whether the holding in In re Bob Richards Chrysler-Plymouth Corp., Inc., 473 F.2d 262 (9th Cir.1973), applies in this case in the absence of a signed TSA applicable in 2008 thereby determining ownership of the 2008 tax refunds.

STATEMENT OF EVIDENTIARY FACTS

Debtor is the parent-holding company of the Bank. (Admitted Fact ¶ 1.) The Vineyard National Bancorp and Subsidiary Corporate Income Tax Sharing Agreement (as previously defined, “TSA ”)between the Bank and the Debtor was created on January 31, 2005 and signed by Mr. Norman Morales as President and Mr. Gordon Fong as Senior Vice President of both the Debtor and the Bank. (Id. ¶ 2; PI. Stipulated Ex. 2 and Def. Stipulated Ex. A.) The respective boards of directors of the Debtor and of the Bank adopted the TSA as reflected in the minutes of the meeting on April 27, 2005. (Admitted Fact ¶ 2; PI. Stipulated Ex. 3.) Identical versions of the TSA were signed by Mr. Morales and Mr. Fong on behalf of the Bank and the Debt- or in 2006 and 2007. (Admitted Fact ¶ 3; PI. Stipulated Exs. 4 and 5 and Def. Stipulated Ex. A.) However, there were no minutes of either board of directors’ meeting reflecting their approval of the TSA signed in 2006 and 2007. (Admitted Fact ¶ 3.)

The TSA provides in pertinent part:

“[T]he ultimate responsibility to make timely estimated federal income and state franchise tax payments rests with the Company [Debtor], It has been the policy and practice of both the Company and the Bank to have the Bank make the timely quarterly consolidated estimated Federal income and state franchise tax payments on behalf of both the Company and the Bank to the taxing authorities.
Each quarterly amount advance or deducted by the Bank on behalf of the Company will approximate the estimated Federal income and state franchise tax liability or benefit calculated by multiplying the quarterly taxable income/loss of the Company by the appropriate income tax rate. These tax remittances shall not exceed the amount the Bank would have paid had it filed separately. The Bank and Bancorp shall settle intercompany taxes receivable/payable arising from these estimated payments on a quarterly basis. Thus, if the Bank incurs a tax loss it should receive a refund in an amount no less than the amount the Bank would have received as a separate entity, regardless of whether the consolidated group is receiving a refund.” (PI. Stipulated Exs. 2, 4 and 5 and Def. Stipulated Ex. A (emphasis added).)

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Bluebook (online)
508 B.R. 437, 2014 WL 1329806, 2014 Bankr. LEXIS 1201, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sharp-v-federal-deposit-insurance-in-re-vineyard-national-bancorp-cacb-2014.