State Ex Rel. Drum v. DISTRICT CT. OF 13TH JD

548 P.2d 1377
CourtMontana Supreme Court
DecidedApril 18, 1976
Docket13196
StatusPublished

This text of 548 P.2d 1377 (State Ex Rel. Drum v. DISTRICT CT. OF 13TH JD) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Montana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State Ex Rel. Drum v. DISTRICT CT. OF 13TH JD, 548 P.2d 1377 (Mo. 1976).

Opinion

548 P.2d 1377 (1976)

The STATE of Montana on the Relation of David G. DRUM and Dorothy G. Drum, Petitioner,
v.
The DISTRICT COURT OF THE THIRTEENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT of the State of Montana, IN AND FOR the COUNTY OF YELLOWSTONE, et al., Respondents.

No. 13196.

Supreme Court of Montana.

Submitted February 5, 1976.
Decided April 19, 1976.

*1378 Hutton, Sheehy & Cromley, Billings, John C. Sheehy, Billings, argued, for petitioner.

Hibbs, Sweeney & Colberg, William T. Wagner argued, and Hugh Sweeney appeared, Billings, for respondents.

HASWELL, Justice.

The original opinion in this cause was rendered on December 30, 1975 and appeared in 32 St.Rep. 1297. We granted rehearing on January 15, 1976, and rehearing was held on February 5, 1976. The original opinion is now withdrawn and this opinion substituted.

This case involved an application by relators for a writ of supervisory control to compel dismissal of a civil action against them unless Chase Manhattan Bank of New York City was joined as a party plaintiff.

The First National Bank and Trust Company, Billings, Montana, sued relators David G. Drum and Dorothy G. Drum, his wife, to collect a balance in excess of $1,000,000 allegedly owed on ten promissory notes. Relators moved to dismiss the action on the ground it was not prosecuted in the name of the real party in interest and for failure to join an indispensable party plaintiff. The foundation of this motion was relators' claim that First National's entire interest in six of the claims sued upon had been transferred to Chase Manhattan Bank prior to the commencement of the action, and part of First National's interest in the four remaining claims had been so transferred.

The district court, Yellowstone County, Hon. Robert H. Wilson, district judge, denied relators' motion to dismiss by order dated September 23, 1975.

The salient facts forming the basis of this litigation can be gleaned from the pleadings, attached exhibits, the deposition of Lee W. Johnson, and the affidavits of relator David G. Drum, and relators' attorney. These reveal extensive transactions relating generally to financing cattle operations and involving relators, three corporations controlled by relator David G. Drum, First National, and Chase.

In May 1972, Chase notified relator David G. Drum by letter that it would extend to him personally "through the vehicle of a loan participation with The First National Bank of Billings a $2,000,000 share in a line of credit totaling $2,225,000. Among other conditions, relator Dorothy G. Drum was required to execute a loan guarantee, which she did. Personnel from Chase went to Billings and finalized a written loan agreement between relator David G. Drum and First National. At the time the loan agreement was executed, the maximum lending capacity of First National to a single borrower was approximately $750,000.

Pursuant to the loan agreement, relator David G. Drum borrowed money under the line of credit extended. As he borrowed various sums from time to time, he would execute promissory notes payable to First National in the amount advanced. First National, in turn, would execute a participation agreement or certificate wherein it sold to Chase a participating interest in each loan so made, adhering as closely as possible to the agreed 90% share of Chase in all outstanding loans. The participation agreement provided, among other things, that Chase could direct First National to enforce the obligations of Drum under the notes.

The loan participation device was allegedly utilized by Chase in preference to a direct loan to Drum because of more favorable interest charges available under the laws of Montana (10%) than was permitted under the laws of New York (8 1/2%).

On May 2, 1975, at the request of Chase, First National filed an action against relators to collect the balance of principal owing, interest, attorney fees, and costs on *1379 ten promissory notes representing loans under the foregoing arrangement. The total principal indebtedness and participation alleged on each note was:

                                   First
  Note             Chase          National          Total
   1          $      200.00      $28,520.72    $   28,720.52
   2             806,704.20       14,214.71       820,918.91
   3               1,000.00        5,205.57         6,205.47
   4              72,450.00          -0-           72,450.00
   5                 500.00          -0-              500.00
   6               2,795.20          -0-            2,795.20
   7              12,460.31          -0-           12,460.31
   8               1,000.00        2,000.00         3,000.00
   9             162,000.00          -0-          162,000.00
  10               6,966.01          -0-            6,966.01
               ____________       _________     ____________
  Totals      $1,066,075.72      $49,940.72    $1,116,016.42

This suit was filed as Cause No. 66792, in the district court of Yellowstone County. First National was the sole plaintiff. Defendants were David G. Drum and Dorothy G. Drum. Chase was not a party in this action.

Relators also alleged in the records before this Court that Chase extended a $15,000,000 line of credit to three corporations controlled by relator David G. Drum under a similar participation operation. The loan agreement was between First National on the one hand, and the three corporations on the other: Montana Beef Industries, Inc. in which Drum owns 92% of the outstanding capital stock; T-Bone Feeders, Inc., in which Montana Beef Industries, Inc. owns all the outstanding capital stock; and Feeder Supply Corporation in which Drum owns all the outstanding capital stock. As First National made the loans from time to time, it secured promissory notes from the borrowers and transferred participating interests to Chase.

The three corporations filed suit against First National and Chase under Cause No. 67125 in the district court of Yellowstone County. This action was based on the alleged collection of usurious interest by means of a scheme allegedly initiated by Chase to book "phony loans" to cover the excess of interest charges. Chase subsequently secured its dismissal from this suit on the ground that it can be sued only in a New York court under the provisions of the National Banking Act, 12 U.S.C. § 94.

Following dismissal of Chase in Cause No. 67125, relators filed three counterclaims against First National in its action against them on the ten promissory notes (Cause No. 66792).

The first counterclaim seeks attorney fees for relators in defending themselves to the extent of Chase's interest in the ten promissory notes based upon the principle of mutuality.

The second counterclaim by relator David G. Drum seeks the sum of $346,842.35 representing surplus funds from the sale of a building to Coors Brewery which Drum alleges was wrongfully exacted from him and applied to an alleged usurious loan indebtedness of Feeder Supply Corporation. According to him this corporation is wholly owned by him and was formed to provide storage facilities for grain; he put $200,000 of his personal funds into this corporation to provide the required equity for a loan of $680,000 from Chase and First National to construct the building. Chase made a direct loan to Feeder Supply Corporation of $618,000 and First National *1380

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