United States v. Kottcamp

823 F. Supp. 609, 1993 WL 197044
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Indiana
DecidedMay 10, 1993
DocketNo. 3:91CV572AS
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 823 F. Supp. 609 (United States v. Kottcamp) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Indiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Kottcamp, 823 F. Supp. 609, 1993 WL 197044 (N.D. Ind. 1993).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

ALLEN SHARP, Chief Judge.

The United States, acting through the Farmers Home Administration (“FmHA”), has brought an action for foreclosure in this court. In this case, the United States has filed a motion for summary judgment against the defendants Keith A. Kottkamp, Lynn A. (Kottkamp) Dittman, and Dekalb Equipment Leasing Corporation. The United States has also filed a motion for default judgment against the defendants Sadler’s Service Center and Michael Wolford.

I. Facts

On August 27, 1985, and May 29, 1986, Keith A. Kottkamp (“Kottkamp”) and his wife, Lynn A. Kottkamp (now Dittman due to remarriage following divorce), executed and delivered a real estate mortgage to the FmHA (Memorandum in Support of the United States’ Motion for Summary and Default Judgment [“U.S. Memorandum”] at 1). The real estate is described as R.R. # 2, Box 109, Kewanna, Indiana. The Kottkamps also granted the United States security interests in all farm equipment, inventory, and livestock (U.S. Memorandum at 2). On April 6, 1989, the FmHA sent the defendants the Notification of Offer to Restructure Debt. On July 10, 1989, the FmHA held an office meeting with Mr. Kottkamp (National Appeals Staff letter of June 16,1990 [“NAS”] at 1). During that meeting, the parties discussed the pending Kottkamp divorce action (NAS at 1). The FmHA sent Mr. Kottkamp letters dated October 30, 1989, and November 14, 1989, requesting he contact the County Office and reschedule his loans (NAS at 1). After receiving no response, the FmHA decided to deny the defendant primary loan servicing (NAS at 1).

Kottkamp appealed to the National Appeals Staff and on June 16, 1990, the hearing officer overturned the FmHA’s decision, finding the FmHA had failed to follow necessary notice requirements. The hearing officer stated that the FmHA was on notice that the Kottkamps were in the process of divorcing and that address changes were probable. The officer also found that there was no effort to contact Kottkamp by telephone or in person and that other procedural steps had been omitted from the record (NAS at 1-2).

From July to October of 1990, Kottkamp submitted material to the FmHA regarding restructuring of his loan. On October 26, 1990, the FmHA issued a notice to the Kott-kamps of its intent to accelerate his loans (Exhibit 3). Kottkamp’s attorney received this notice on October 30, 1990, and Kott-kamp refused to sign for his copy (Exhibit 4). Kottkamp filed an appeal on December 14, 1990. On January 24, 1991, the FmHA terminated Kottkamp’s appeal rights because he had failed to appeal within thirty days (Exhibit 4).

II. Standard of Analysis for Summary Judgment

Summary judgment is proper if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories and admissions on file, together with any affidavits, show that there exists no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Fed.R.Civ.P. 56; Russo v. Health, Welfare & Pension Fund, Local 705, 984 F.2d 762, 764 (7th Cir.1993).

A thorough discussion of Rule 56 by the Supreme Court of the United States can be found in a trilogy of cases decided in 1986. See, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986); Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 [611]*611L.Ed.2d 265 (1986)1; and Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). Celotex addressed the initial burdens of the parties under Rule 56, and Anderson addressed the standards under which the record is to be analyzed within the structure of Rule 56.

The initial burden is on the moving party to demonstrate, “with or without supporting affidavits,” the absence of a genuine issue of material fact and that judgment as a matter of law should be granted in the moving party’s favor. Celotex, 471 U.S. at 324,106 S.Ct. at 2553 (quoting Fed.R.Civ.P. 56). A material question of fact is a question which will be outcome determinative of an issue in the case. Wainwright Bank v. Railroadmens Federal Sav., 806 F.2d 146 (7th Cir.1986). The Supreme Court has instructed that the facts material in a specific case shall be determined by the substantive law controlling the given case or issue. Anderson, 477 U.S. at 248, 106 S.Ct. at 2510.

Once the moving party has met the initial burden, the opposing party must “go beyond the pleadings” and “designate ‘specific facts showing that there is a genuine [material] issue for trial’ ” Id. The nonmoving party cannot rest on its pleadings, Hughes v. Joliet Correctional Center, 931 F.2d 425, 428 (7th Cir.1991), or upon conclusory allegations in affidavits. Cusson-Cobb v. O’Lessker, 953 F.2d 1079, 1081 (7th Cir.1992). “The days are gone, if they ever existed, when the nonmoving party could sit back and simply poke holes in the moving party’s summary judgment motion.” Fitzpatrick v. Catholic Bishop of Chicago, 916 F.2d 1254, 1256 (7th Cir.1990).

During its analysis, this court must construe the facts and draw all reasonable inferences in the light most favorable to the non-moving party. Brennan v. Daley, 929 F.2d 346, 348 (7th Cir.1991). Furthermore, it is required to analyze summary judgment motions under the standard of proof relevant to the case or issue. Anderson, 477 U.S. at 252-255, 106 S.Ct. at 2512-14.

For academic insight into Celotex and Anderson, see Childress, A New Era for Summary Judgments: Recent Shifts at the Supreme Court, 116 F.R.D. 183, 194 (1987), where the author states:

The recent Supreme Court cases likely require that summary judgment be more readily granted.... This emerging trend signals a new era for summary judgment, one in which the old presumptions are giving way to a policy of balancing and efficiency, and the mechanism is more appropriate to double as a sufficiency motion — allowing some sort of trial itself on the paper record.

More recently Childress has written that Cel-otex and Anderson clarify that Rule 56 motions

should not be hesitantly granted when appropriate .... Any litigant dealing with summary judgment must be aware of this new trend, the Court’s cases, their application in each circuit, and the direction they portend. Pretrial practice is a new ballgame.

Childress,

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Bluebook (online)
823 F. Supp. 609, 1993 WL 197044, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-kottcamp-innd-1993.