Vandenbossche v. First National Bank

735 F. Supp. 405, 1990 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4216, 1990 WL 43084
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Florida
DecidedApril 11, 1990
DocketNo. 89-84-CIV-FTM-13A
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 735 F. Supp. 405 (Vandenbossche v. First National Bank) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Vandenbossche v. First National Bank, 735 F. Supp. 405, 1990 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4216, 1990 WL 43084 (M.D. Fla. 1990).

Opinion

ORDER

KOVACHEVICH, District Judge.

Plaintiff, Kevin VandenBossche, brought this action against the First National Bank of Rochester (“the bank”) and against City Securities Corporation and John Michael Perry (collectively, “the brokers”). Since filing this action, plaintiff has voluntarily dismissed the bank with prejudice. Meanwhile, City Securities and Perry, the broker defendants, have moved to dismiss the complaint or, alternatively, for summary judgment. For the reasons set forth herein, defendants’ motion to dismiss or for summary judgment is granted in part and denied in part.

Rule 12 provides that when, on a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted, a party presents matters outside the pleading the Court may treat the motion as one for summary judgment. Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b). Here, the broker defendants have submitted affidavits and exhibits in support of their motion to dismiss or for summary judgment. In response, plaintiff too has submitted documentary evidence. Therefore, the motion may properly be treated as one for summary judgment. Yet, the evidence submitted does not speak to all of plaintiff’s claims. Therefore, the Court will proceed with defendants’ motion as one to dismiss on counts where no outside material has been submitted and as one for summary judgment on the counts where the opposite is true.

[407]*407It is well established that “a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim should not be granted unless it appears to a certainty that the plaintiff would not be entitled to recover under any state of facts that could be proved in support of his claim.” Cook & Nichol, Inc. v. The Plimsoll Club, 451 F.2d 505, 506 (5th Cir.1971). Accord, Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41, 78 S.Ct. 99, 2 L.Ed.2d 80 (1957). In evaluating the sufficiency of a complaint for purposes of a motion to dismiss, the allegations of the complaint must be accepted as true, Hishon v. King & Spalding, 467 U.S. 69, 73, 104 S.Ct. 2229, 2232, 81 L.Ed.2d 59 (1984), and viewed in a light most favorable to the plaintiff. Scheuer v. Rhodes, 416 U.S. 232, 236, 94 S.Ct. 1683, 1686, 40 L.Ed.2d 90 (1974).

Summary judgment is appropriate only when the Court is satisfied “that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R. Civ.P. 56(c). In making this determination, the Court must view all of the evidence in a light most favorable to the nonmoving party. Samples on Behalf of Samples v. City of Atlanta, 846 F.2d 1328, 1330 (11th Cir. 1988). The burden of establishing the absence of a genuine issue is on the moving party. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). However, the burden extends only to facts that might affect the outcome of the suit under the governing law. “Factual disputes that are irrelevant or unnecessary will not be counted.” Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 2510, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). Once this burden is met the nonmoving party must “go beyond the pleadings and by her own affidavits, or by the ‘depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file,’ designate ‘specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.’ ” Celotex Corp., 477 U.S. at 324, 106 S.Ct. at 2553. However, a plaintiff need only present evidence from which a jury might return a verdict in his favor in order to survive a summary judgment motion. Samples on Behalf of Samples, 846 F.2d at 1330.

THE FACTS

The following facts are undisputed unless otherwise indicated: Plaintiff was the sole beneficiary of a trust established in Indiana in 1975, when he was a minor. See Trust Agreement. By the terms of the trust, upon reaching his majority plaintiff was deemed the grantor of the trust as well. Id. at 2. As grantor of the trust, plaintiff could direct the trustee in matters of accumulation, investment, and disbursement of the trust’s net income. Id. at 3A.1 Plaintiff, as grantor, could also terminate the trust at any time. Id. at 3B.2

The bank became trustee of this trust in 1978, prior to plaintiff reaching his majority. See Successor Trustee Agreement of March 31, 1978. The bank continued as trustee after plaintiff attained his majority and became the grantor. The bank further continued as trustee after plaintiff/grantor moved to Florida. See Successor Trustee Agreement of May 22, 1987. As trustee, the bank was responsible for managing and investing the trust property. Trust Agreement, para. 3. This power was limited, however, by the following provision:

Trustee shall have no power, right or obligation to change the initial investment of the Trust Property in the Five Thousand Twenty-nine (5,029) shares of common stock of the Wickes Corporation acquired by the Trustee hereunder un[408]*408less the prior written approval of the Grantor is first had and obtained.

Trust Agreement, para. 5B.

The bank maintained an account with City Securities for the trust’s investments. Defendant Perry was a stock broker employed by City Securities who worked on the bank’s securities account. Perry Affidavit, para. 2. Occasionally, after plaintiff reached his majority, he would call the bank for tax and investment advice. On some of these occasions, the bank told plaintiff that its advice was based on communications it had with the brokers. At other times, plaintiff would direct the bank to sell certain investments. After making such directions, plaintiff would receive a transaction confirmation on a form with City Securities’ name on it. Vanden-Bossche Affidavit of May 12, 1989, paras. 8-12.

On August 28, 1987, plaintiff met with the Bank, in Indiana, in person. Complaint, at para. 12. Plaintiff had contracted to purchase a house in Florida and had decided to liquidate the trust assets in order to pay for the house. At the August 28 meeting, the bank spoke with the brokers over the phone and wrote down that day’s market price for each of the securities held by the trust. Id. Plaintiff avers that on September 1, 1987, he gave the bank an unqualified order to sell all the securities in the trust and that the bank conveyed that order to the brokers. VandenBossche Affidavit of May 12, 1989, paras. 13-14. Plaintiff further avers:

Shortly thereafter, the Bank advised [him] that it was unable to sell shares of common stock in Wickes Companies, Inc. (“Wickes”) because a reverse stock split in August had rendered [his] securities unmarketable. Further, the Bank stated unequivocally that the investment advice and opinion of the Brokers ...

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Bluebook (online)
735 F. Supp. 405, 1990 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4216, 1990 WL 43084, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/vandenbossche-v-first-national-bank-flmd-1990.