Tam v. Federal Deposit Insurance

830 F. Supp. 2d 850, 2011 WL 5553986, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 131904
CourtDistrict Court, C.D. California
DecidedNovember 14, 2011
DocketCase No. CV 08-06458 MMM (AJWx)
StatusPublished

This text of 830 F. Supp. 2d 850 (Tam v. Federal Deposit Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District 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
Tam v. Federal Deposit Insurance, 830 F. Supp. 2d 850, 2011 WL 5553986, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 131904 (C.D. Cal. 2011).

Opinion

FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

MARGARET M. MORROW, District Judge.

On July 11, 2008, the Office of Thrift Supervision (“OTS”) closed IndyMac Bank, F.S.B. (“IndyMac”) and appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) as the bank’s receiver pursuant to 12 U.S.C. § 1821(c)(2)(A). That same day, the FDIC formed IndyMac Federal Bank, a newly chartered depository institution, and transferred IndyMac’s insured deposits to it. The FDIC made deposit insurance determinations for accounts held at IndyMac and notified depositors of the determinations via letter. Some depositors, including plaintiffs, later filed actions challenging the FDIC’s deposit insurance determinations and/or alleging wrongful acts by IndyMac or its former employees prior to commencement of the receivership.

The parties filed opening briefs on September 14, 2009;1 the FDIC filed a re[853]*853sponsive brief on September 28, 2009.2 On July 31, 2009, the court granted plaintiffs’ request for oral argument and set a hearing for October 19, 2009.

I. FINDINGS OF FACT

A. The Accounts

1. Plaintiffs Philemon Tam, Kathy T-M Tam, Titus Tambunan, Christine Tam, and Victor Tam opened nine accounts with IndyMac prior to July 11, 2008.3

2. Prior to July 11, 2008, account XXXXXX7443 had a balance of $8,243.43 and was held in the name of Kathy T-M Tam. Account XXXXXX1808 had a balance of $14,088.64 and was also held in the name of Kathy T-M Tam. Account XXXXXX7442 had a balance of $18,313.30 and in the name Philemon Tam. Account XXXXXX8867 had a balance of $4,039.54 and was held in the name of Victor C. Tam, while account XXXXXX7347 had a balance of $561,762.46 and was held by Kathy T-M Tam in trust for (“ITF”) Christine Tam, Philemon Tam, Victor Tam, and Daphne Malatesta. Account XXXXXX0218 had a balance of $742,638.17 and was held by Philemon Tam and Kathy T-M Tam ITF Christine Tam, Victor Tam, and Daphne Malatesta. Account XXXXXX1399 had a balance of $10,063.23 and was held by Titus Tambunan ITF Christine and Victor Tam. Account XXXXXX8317 had a balance of $202,468.12 and was held by Titus Tambunan ITF Christine and Victor Tam, while account XXXXXX2173 had a balance of $540,729.07 and was held by Titus Tambunan ITF Christine and Victor Tam.4 The funds deposited in the nine accounts belonging to plaintiffs totaled $2,102,345.96.5

3. Accounts XXXXXX7347, XXXXXX0218, XXXXXX1399, XXXXXX8317, and XXXXXX2173 were informal revocable trust accounts.6 Accounts XXXXXX7443, XXXXXX1808, XXXXXX7442, and XXXXXX7442 were single ownership accounts.7

4. Account XXXXXX7347 was held by Kathy T-M Tam. The beneficiaries for this account were Philemon Tam, her husband, Christine and Victor Tam, her children, and Daphne Malatesta, her granddaughter. Account XXXXXX0218 was held by Philemon Tam and Kathy T-M Tam. The beneficiaries for this account were Chris[854]*854tine and Victor Tam, the depositors’ children, and Daphne Malatesta, their granddaughter. Accounts XXXXXX1399, XXXXXX8317, and XXXXXX2173 were held by Titus Tambunan. The beneficiaries for these accounts were Christine and Victor Tam, his niece and nephew respectively.8

B. The FDIC’s Insurance Determination

5. The FDIC as receiver for IndyMac assigned Michael Norton to review deposit insurance coverage and claims arising out of IndyMac’s failure. Norton reviewed the nine accounts at issue in this case.9

6. On July 12, 2008, Norton interviewed Philemon Tam and explained his preliminary determination regarding the amount of insured and uninsured funds in the accounts. Tam indicated that he would fill out and fax to Norton “Declarations of Testamentary Deposit” for each informal trust account. Tam requested that Norton provide a preliminary determination of insurance coverage, and Norton informed him that approximately $1,250,000.00 of the funds appeared to be uninsured.10 The declarations that Tam subsequently provided listed owners and beneficiaries for each of the revocable trust accounts that were not reflected in IndyMac’s records at the time it closed on July 11, 2008.11 As a result, the FDIC relied on the bank’s records in making its deposit insurance determination.12

7. Norton concluded that accounts XXXXXX7443, XXXXXX1808, XXXXXX7442, and XXXXXX7442 were single ownership accounts. Single ownership accounts owned by Kathy T-M Tam (XXXXXX7443 and XXXXXX1808) had a balance of $22,332.07. The single ownership account owned by Philemon Tam (XXXXXX7442) had a balance of $18,313.30. The single ownership account owned by Victor Tam (XXXXXX8867) had a balance of $4,039.54. Each of these single ownership accounts was fully insured, as each had a balance less than $100,000.13

8. Norton concluded that account XXXXXX7347 was held by Kathy T-M Tam. Norton concluded that XXXXXX0218 was held by Philemon and Kathy T-M Tam. The beneficiaries for both accounts were Christine and Victor Tam, the depositors’ children, and Daphne Malatesta, their granddaughter. In addition, Philemon Tam was a beneficiary on account XXXXXX7347. Norton concluded that under the deposit insurance rules then in effect, the two accounts had seven “beneficial relationships,” defined as a relationship between one trustee and one beneficiary.14 He found that all seven beneficial relationships involved qualifying beneficiaries (spouse, children, and grandchild).15

9. Norton determined that because account XXXXXX7347 had four beneficial relationships, each beneficial relationship was entitled to a one-quarter share of $140,440.62.16 Because account XXXXXX0218 had six beneficial relation[855]*855ships, he found that each beneficial relationship was entitled to a one-sixth share equal to $123,773.03.17 Three beneficial relationships—Kathy T-M Tam ITF Christine Tam, Kathy T-M Tam ITF- Victor Tam, and Kathy T-M Tam ITF Daphne Malatesta—had an interest in both accounts; consequently, Norton aggregated the shares for a total of $264,213.64.18

10. Norton concluded that Philemon Tam ITF Christine Tam; Philemon Tam ITF Victor Tam; and Philemon Tam ITF Daphne Malatesta each held $123,773.03 in the two accounts. He concluded that Kathy T-M Tam ITF Christine Tam, Kathy T-M Tam ITF Victor Tam, and Kathy TM Tam ITF Daphne Malatesta each held $264,213.64 in the two accounts. Finally, he concluded that Kathy T-M Tam ITF Philemon Tam held a $140,440.62 interest in the accounts.19

11. Because each trust relationship was insured for $100,000, each of Philemon Tam ITF Christine Tam; Philemon Tam ITF Victor Tam; and Philemon Tam ITF Daphne Malatesta was $23,733.03 over the deposit insurance limit. Kathy T-M Tam ITF Christine Tam; Kathy T-M Tam ITF Victor Tam; and Kathy T-M Tam ITF Daphne Malatesta were each $164,213.64 over the deposit insurance limit, while Kathy T-M Tam ITF Philemon Tam was $40,440.62 over the deposit insurance limit.20

12.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

United States v. Schooner Peggy
5 U.S. 103 (Supreme Court, 1801)
Hallowell v. Commons
239 U.S. 506 (Supreme Court, 1916)
Securities & Exchange Commission v. Chenery Corp.
318 U.S. 80 (Supreme Court, 1943)
Skidmore v. Swift & Co.
323 U.S. 134 (Supreme Court, 1944)
Bruner v. United States
343 U.S. 112 (Supreme Court, 1952)
Thorpe v. Housing Authority of Durham
393 U.S. 268 (Supreme Court, 1969)
Bradley v. School Bd. of Richmond
416 U.S. 696 (Supreme Court, 1974)
Perrin v. United States
444 U.S. 37 (Supreme Court, 1979)
Gardebring v. Jenkins
485 U.S. 415 (Supreme Court, 1988)
Bowen v. Georgetown University Hospital
488 U.S. 204 (Supreme Court, 1988)
Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp. v. Bonjorno
494 U.S. 827 (Supreme Court, 1990)
Stinson v. United States
508 U.S. 36 (Supreme Court, 1993)
Landgraf v. USI Film Products
511 U.S. 244 (Supreme Court, 1994)
Thomas Jefferson University v. Shalala
512 U.S. 504 (Supreme Court, 1994)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
830 F. Supp. 2d 850, 2011 WL 5553986, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 131904, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/tam-v-federal-deposit-insurance-cacd-2011.