State Bank of Young America v. Bergquist (In re Thaemert)

94 B.R. 1011, 1988 Bankr. LEXIS 2124
CourtDistrict Court, D. Minnesota
DecidedDecember 16, 1988
DocketBankruptcy Nos. 4-86-539, 4-86-538; Adv. No. 4-88-150
StatusPublished

This text of 94 B.R. 1011 (State Bank of Young America v. Bergquist (In re Thaemert)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State Bank of Young America v. Bergquist (In re Thaemert), 94 B.R. 1011, 1988 Bankr. LEXIS 2124 (mnd 1988).

Opinion

ORDER

ROBERT J. KRESSEL, Chief Judge.

This proceeding came on for hearing on cross-motions for summary judgment. Robert A. Nicklaus appeared for the plaintiff. Reed H. Glawe appeared for the defendant. This court has jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 157 and 1334, and Local Rule 103(b). This is a core proceeding un[1012]*1012der 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(E). Based on the stipulated facts, memoranda and arguments of counsel, and the file in this proceeding, I make the following memorandum order.

BACKGROUND

From 1970 through 1985, David Thae-mert, Earl Thaemert, and Ellsworth Thae-mert, either individually or doing business as Thaemert Farms, operated a dairy farm in and around New Germany and Mayer, Minnesota. The Thaemerts sold their dairy produce to Bongards Creameries, a Minnesota cooperative association originally organized under Chapter 326 of the Minnesota Statutes.1 Upon the sale of their dairy produce to Bongards, the Thaemerts were paid the wholesale value of that produce as determined by Bongards.

Pursuant to its Bylaws, Bongards is required to return any net profits, or net margins, made in any year to its patrons2 as patronage dividends. Bongards pays a portion (typically about 20%) of the net margins pro rata to its patrons in the September following the close of each calendar year. Bongards retains the unpaid balance of the net margins in its patrons’ revolving fund. A given patron’s portion of the net margins deposited in the revolving fund is evidenced by certificates issued to patrons. This dispute concerns revolving fund certificates issued to David Thaemert, Earl Thaemert and Thaemert Farms3 for dairy products they sold to Bongards between 1977 and 1983.

Bongards’ Bylaws provide that patronage dividends may be paid to patrons from the revolving fund only upon an authorizing resolution of Bongards’ Board of Directors. These resolutions have historically been adopted approximately seven years following the accrual of the net margins.4 Assuming Bongards continues its current practice of distributing patronage dividends approximately seven years after the net margins accrue, payments on the Thae-merts’ certificates will be made in 1988, 1989, and 1990.5

On June 14, 1984 and July 9, 1984, the Thaemerts executed security agreements in favor of the State Bank of Young America to secure payment of a $64,787.30 promissory note. The security agreements granted to the Bank a security interest in Bon-gards revolving fund certificates issued to Ellsworth Thaemert, David Thaemert, Earl Thaemert, or Thaemert Farms.6 On June 14, 1984, the Thaemerts also executed a collateral pledge agreement and a financing statement in favor of the Bank. The financing statement was filed with the Minnesota Secretary of State and the Carver County Recorder on June 25, 1984. The Bank was given possession of 21 of the certificates on June 14, 1984, and 3 of the certificates on August 20, 1984, and has continually retained possession since that time.

On February 27, 1986, David and Bonita Thaemert and Earl and Diane Thaemert filed their respective chapter 7 petitions, both individually and doing business as Thaemert Farms. Edward Bergquist is the trustee in both cases. On May 12, 1988, the Bank commenced this adversary proceeding against the trustee, seeking a determination of the validity, extent and priority of its security interest in the debtors’ revolving fund certificates. On October 27, [1013]*10131988, the Bank filed its motion for summary judgment, asserting that it holds a perfected and enforceable security interest in the certificates and that the trustee has no right, title, or interest in the certificates. On October 28, 1988, the trustee filed his motion for summary judgment, asserting that the Bank’s security interest in the certificates was obtained in violation of Bongards’ Bylaws, and hence, is void and unenforceable.

DISCUSSION

Summary judgment will be granted if there are no genuine issues of material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c). When deciding a motion for summary judgment, the court must view the facts and all reasonable inferences drawn from the facts in the light most favorable to the party opposing the motion. Adickes v. S.H. Kress & Co., 398 U.S. 144, 157, 90 S.Ct. 1598, 1608, 26 L.Ed.2d 142 (1970); Foster v. Johns-Manville Sales Corp., 787 F.2d 390 (8th Cir.1986).

The sole issue in this proceeding is whether the Bank’s security interest in the debtors’ revolving fund certificates is valid and enforceable against the trustee. The trustee asserts that the security interest is void and unenforceable because Article VII, Section 5 of Bongards’ Bylaws prohibits the assignment or transfer of the certificates without the approval of Bongards’ Board of Directors. It is undisputed that Bongards did not approve the Thaemerts’ transfer to the Bank of the security interest in the revolving fund certificates.

Article VII, Section 5 of Bongards’ Bylaws provides:

Transfer. No assignment or transfer of any interest in the revolving fund shall be binding on the association without the consent of the Board of Directors nor until the same shall have been entered on the books of the association.

Contrary to the trustee’s position, this provision does not prohibit the Thaemerts’ transfer of their revolving fund certificates or their underlying interest in the fund itself. Rather, the provision merely indicates that no such transfer will be binding on Bongards. Therefore, while the Bank’s security interest may not necessarily be binding on Bongards, there is nothing in Bongards’ Bylaws which renders that security interest void or unenforceable as between the Thaemerts and the Bank.

In support of his argument, the trustee cites Calvert v. Bongards Creameries (In re Schauer), 62 B.R. 526 (Bktcy.D.Minn.1986), aff'd, 835 F.2d 1222 (8th Cir.1987). In Schauer, the bankruptcy court and the eighth circuit determined that any transfer by the trustee of the revolving fund certificates was not binding on Bongards. The issue before the bankruptcy court was whether Bongards’ Board of Directors could be compelled to consent to the trustee’s transfer of the revolving fund account to a third party. Both the bankruptcy court and the Eighth Circuit held that the Board was not obligated to recognize or consent to such a transfer. The additional statement, in both the bankruptcy court and eighth circuit opinions, that the trustee could not transfer the certificates without the consent of Bongards’ Board was an overly broad reading of Article VII, Section 5 of the Bylaws, and was dictum.

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Related

Adickes v. S. H. Kress & Co.
398 U.S. 144 (Supreme Court, 1970)
Calvert v. Bongards Creameries (In Re Schauer)
62 B.R. 526 (D. Minnesota, 1986)
In Re Joliet-Will County Community Action Agency
58 B.R. 973 (N.D. Illinois, 1986)
In Re Joliet-Will County Community Action Agency
78 B.R. 184 (N.D. Illinois, 1987)
Foster v. Johns-Manville Sales Corp.
787 F.2d 390 (Eighth Circuit, 1986)
Calvert v. Bongards Creameries (In re Schauer)
835 F.2d 1222 (Eighth Circuit, 1987)

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Bluebook (online)
94 B.R. 1011, 1988 Bankr. LEXIS 2124, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-bank-of-young-america-v-bergquist-in-re-thaemert-mnd-1988.