Southtrust Bank of Baldwin County v. Empire Corporate Federal Credit Union

668 So. 2d 548, 1994 Ala. Civ. App. LEXIS 483, 1994 WL 543808
CourtCourt of Civil Appeals of Alabama
DecidedOctober 7, 1994
DocketAV93000713
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 668 So. 2d 548 (Southtrust Bank of Baldwin County v. Empire Corporate Federal Credit Union) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Civil Appeals of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Southtrust Bank of Baldwin County v. Empire Corporate Federal Credit Union, 668 So. 2d 548, 1994 Ala. Civ. App. LEXIS 483, 1994 WL 543808 (Ala. Ct. App. 1994).

Opinion

RICHARD L. HOLMES, Retired Appellate Judge.

SouthTrust Bank of Baldwin County (SouthTrust) filed an action against Empire Corporate Federal Credit Union (Empire) and MONY Federal Credit Union (MONY). SouthTrust alleged in its complaint that Empire and MONY failed to give timely notice to SouthTrust of the nonpayment of a certain share draft, which is the credit union version of a check, and that such failure resulted in damages to SouthTrust in the amount of $28,762, plus interest, attorney fees, and costs.

Empire filed a motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction. After a hearing the trial court granted the motion to dismiss. SouthTrust filed a motion, wherein it requested that the trial court reconsider its order dismissing the action against Empire for lack of jurisdiction. SouthTrust’s motion was denied.

MONY filed a motion for a judgment on the pleadings, which was denied. Thereafter, SouthTrust filed a motion for summary judgment; a motion for leave to amend the complaint to add a new theory of recovery against Empire; and a second motion, wherein it requested that the trial court reconsider its order dismissing the action against Empire. All of these motions were denied. MONY filed a motion for summary judgment, which was granted.

SouthTrust appeals. This ease is before this court pursuant to Ala.Code 1975, § 12-2-7(6).

There are three main issues on appeal: (1) Whether the trial court committed reversible error when it granted Empire’s motion to dismiss on the basis of lack of jurisdiction. (2) Whether the trial court committed reversible error when it granted MONY’s motion for summary judgment. (3) Whether the trial court committed reversible error when it denied SouthTrust’s motion for summary judgment.

Our review of the record reveals the following pertinent facts: The share draft which is the subject of the present litigation was issued by Russell Brian Drake to Floyd Enfinger, who is an attorney. The share [550]*550draft, which was dated May 20, 1992, was drawn on Drake’s account with MONY in the amount of $28,762. The face of the share draft provided an Opelika, Alabama, address for Drake. The share draft also indicated on its face that it was drawn on MONY in Syracuse, New York, and payable through Empire in Albany, New York.

MONY is a federally chartered credit union, which maintains its only office in the state of New York. Empire is a federally chartered corporate credit union organized to provide financial services to credit unions located in the state of New York. Empire serves as the payable-through bank for share drafts drawn on share draft accounts maintained with MONY.

When a share draft is accepted for deposit by a bank, the depository bank forwards the share draft to a collecting bank for collection and payment. Because Empire serves as the payable-through bank for MONY, Empire’s federal reserve routing number appears on the face of the share drafts issued on accounts maintained with MONY. Consequently, the collecting bank will forward the share draft directly to Empire for payment, and MONY never receives the actual share draft as part of the payment process. When Empire receives a share draft for payment, it electronically transmits the relevant payment information (the member account number at MONY, serial number, amount, date received by Empire, etc.) to MONY. After receiving the relevant payment information, MONY will determine if the share draft should be paid by Empire. At the end of each business day, MONY makes a payment to Empire for all share drafts paid by Empire for that business day.

On May 22, 1992, Enfinger deposited into his trust account with SouthTrust the share draft issued by Drake. Although Drake issued the share draft to Enfinger, he had closed his share draft account with MONY prior to May 1992. At the time that Drake closed his account, MONY notified Empire that Drake had closed his account and that, therefore, as a matter of course, Empire should not pay any future share drafts which were drawn on that particular account. Consequently, the share draft issued by Drake was returned to SouthTrust unpaid.

On May 29, 1992, a cheek in the amount of $28,762 was issued by Enfinger on his trust account and was negotiated at SouthTrust’s branch in Opelika. The unpaid share draft was received by SouthTrust on June 1, 1992.

The availability of funds and collection of cheeks are governed by Regulation CC, 12 C.F.R. § 229 (1994), which is divided into three subparts: Subpart A-General, Subpart B-Availability of Funds and Disclosure of Fund Availability Policies, and Subpart C-Collection of Checks. SouthTrust contends that Empire failed to comply with the notice requirements as provided in 12 C.F.R. § 229.33.

SouthTrust notified Empire that it was protesting the return of the share draft because Empire failed to notify SouthTrust in a timely manner that the share draft was being returned unpaid. SouthTrust requested reimbursement of the $28,762. Empire refused to comply with the request. The present litigation followed.

The first issue is whether the trial court committed reversible error when it granted Empire’s motion to dismiss due to lack of jurisdiction. Whether a court has personal jurisdiction over a nonresident defendant is a determination which must be made on a ease-by-case basis after considering all of the relevant facts and circumstances. Steel Processors, Inc. v. Sue’s Pumps, Inc. Rentals, 622 So.2d 910 (Ala. 1993).

In Keelean v. Central Bank of the South, 544 So.2d 153, 156 (Ala.1989), our supreme court stated:

“Hanson v. Denckla, 357 U.S. 235, 78 S.Ct. 1228, 2 L.Ed.2d 1283 (1958), requires that a nonresident defendant have certain minimum contacts with a state in order for that state’s courts to acquire personal jurisdiction over that defendant. A twofold analysis is used in this state in determining whether personal jurisdiction exists over a nonresident defendant:
“1) the determination of whether it is foreseeable to that nonresident defendant that he will be sued in this state; and
“2) the determination of the degree of contact that the nonresident defendant has with this state.”

[551]*551An essential inquiry in answering the first prong of this test is whether Empire acted in such a manner that it could reasonably anticipate that the direct consequences of its actions would be felt in Alabama. Steel Processors, Inc., 622 So.2d 910.

SouthTrust contends that Empire had minimum contacts with the state of Alabama which were sufficient to require it to submit to the jurisdiction of the courts in Alabama. SouthTrust contends that because Empire deliberately contracted to be the payable-through bank for MONY, which had depositors located in the state of Alabama, and because, under the terms of the contract, Empire was to provide prompt notice to depository banks such as SouthTrust of the dishonor of MONY cheeks in the amount of $2,500 or more, Empire could have reasonably anticipated that the direct consequences of its actions would be felt in Alabama.

The chief operating officer for Empire filed an affidavit in support of its motion to dismiss.

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Related

Thompson v. Taracorp, Inc.
684 So. 2d 152 (Court of Civil Appeals of Alabama, 1996)
Ex Parte MONY Federal Credit Union
668 So. 2d 552 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1995)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
668 So. 2d 548, 1994 Ala. Civ. App. LEXIS 483, 1994 WL 543808, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/southtrust-bank-of-baldwin-county-v-empire-corporate-federal-credit-union-alacivapp-1994.