Western Farm Credit Bank v. Auza (In Re Auza)

181 B.R. 63, 95 Daily Journal DAR 6229, 95 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 3654, 1995 Bankr. LEXIS 601, 27 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 204, 1995 WL 273950
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Appellate Panel for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedApril 21, 1995
DocketBAP No. AZ-94-1167-MVAs. Bankruptcy No. 91-01592-TUC-LO. Adv. No. 92-0326
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 181 B.R. 63 (Western Farm Credit Bank v. Auza (In Re Auza)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Appellate Panel for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Western Farm Credit Bank v. Auza (In Re Auza), 181 B.R. 63, 95 Daily Journal DAR 6229, 95 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 3654, 1995 Bankr. LEXIS 601, 27 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 204, 1995 WL 273950 (bap9 1995).

Opinion

OPINION

MacDONALD, Bankruptcy Judge:

This case involves the enforceability of dragnet clauses in Arizona. The appellant, creditor Western Farm Credit Bank (“WFCB”), contends the debtors’ personal guarantee of loans made to a partnership and corporation is secured by dragnet clauses in security agreements and mortgages the debtors executed to obtain unrelated personal loans. The bankruptcy court found the dragnet clauses unenforceable. We AFFIRM.

FACTS AND PROCEEDINGS BELOW

The debtors, Joseph A. Auza, Sr. and Carmen A. Auza, had a fifteen-year history of loan transactions with Western Farm Credit Bank and its predecessors in interest, which included the Arizona Agricultural Credit Association and the Arizona Livestock Production Credit Association (collectively referred to as “WFCB”). Between 1975 and 1990, WFCB extended and renewed loans to the Auzas and Joe Auza Sheep Co., an Arizona corporation. On June 6, 1989, the Auzas executed two renewal promissory notes, one in the amount of $1,796,569.66 and the other for $1,030,092.86, with respect to their farm loan indebtedness to WFCB. This indebtedness was further modified by a forbearance and promissory note modification agreement dated November 1, 1990.

The WFCB loans to the Auzas and Joe Auza Sheep Co. were secured by both real and personal property. Between 1975 and 1988, the Auzas executed three mortgages, three deeds of trust, and two security agreements in favor of WFCB to secure the farming loans. All of these security instruments contained dragnet clauses. A dragnet clause from a deed of trust dated July 17, 1986 is illustrative. It secured:

Any and all indebtednesses and liabilities of Trustor [Joe A. Auza and Carmen A. Auza] to Beneficiary, and any and all advances of Beneficiary to Trustor, the payment and performance of which is hereby guaranteed to Beneficiary by Trustor, of whatever nature, now existing or hereafter arising, due or to become due, absolute or contingent, secured or unsecured, and whether several, joint or joint and several, and any and all extensions, revisions or renewals thereof in whole or in part, and any future advances made by Beneficiary to Trustor however evidenced, including but not limited to payment of those specific indebtednesses described in Exhibit “B” (if any) attached hereto ... and such additional sums of money, as may be from time to time hereafter, during the life of this Deed of Trust, be advanced or loaned to or for Trustor by Beneficiary....

The dragnet clauses in the other security instruments are similar. 2

*65 At the time the Auzas executed the renewal promissory notes on June 6, 1989, they signed one more security agreement which also contained a dragnet clause.

In 1987, prior to the time the Auza farm loans were renewed and modified, WFCB extended a loan to Quality Gin, Inc. (“QGI”), a corporation, and Auza/Riley Investment, a partnership, for the purpose of renovating and operating a cotton gin. Joe Auza was one of the principals of QGI and a partner in Auza/Riley Investment. Joe Riley was the other corporate principal and partner. On October 26, 1987, Auza and Riley, in their capacities as corporate officers of QGI and partners of Auza/Riley Investment, executed a promissory note for $308,900 in favor of WFCB. A renewal promissory note for $401,665 in favor of WFCB was executed by QGI and Auza/Riley Investments July 18, 1988. WFCB also required personal guarantees from both the Auzas and the Rileys for the QGI loans. The Auzas executed a continuing guaranty for the QGI loans on July 18, 1988.

Both QGI loans were secured by real property on which the cotton gin was located as well as the QGI equipment and revenue. In fact, both of the QGI notes to WFCB had separate language typed on them specifying that the notes were to be so secured. 3 Internal bank memoranda pertaining to the approval of both QGI loans also reflected that the loans were to be secured by the real and personal property assets of QGI and Auza/Riley Investments. The bank memo-randa reflect that bank personnel also reviewed the financial history and net worth of both Auza and Riley. Nothing in the bank documents indicates that WFCB relied on the dragnet clauses in the security instruments Auza previously executed as security for the QGI loans. Nor is there any indication that WFCB considered Auza’s personal guaranty more valuable than Riley’s because of the existence of the dragnet clauses.

The Auza’s previous loans from WFCB for the Joe Auza Sheep Co. were renewed after the QGI loans were extended. The forbearance and promissory note modification agreement, dated November 1, 1990, pertained solely to the two renewal promissory notes dated June 6, 1989. In fact, the forbearance agreement expressly stated, “[T]his Modification Agreement shall not effect [sic] in any way the obligations and liabilities of Borrower or Guarantor in connection with the indebtedness of Quality Gin to [WFCB].”

QGI subsequently defaulted on its WFCB loans, and filed bankruptcy. WFCB obtained relief from stay to foreclose on the QGI collateral. The Auzas filed a Chapter 11 petition in 1991. WFCB filed a claim for $1,002,841.10 in the Auza bankruptcy case. Of this amount, $632,145.47 represents the principal balance due on the Auza notes, and $435,956.91 represents the deficiency balance on the QGI notes. WFCB, relying on the dragnet clauses in the Auza security instruments, contends its total claim is secured. While the Auzas do not contest the amount of WFCB’s claim, they contend that only the portion of WFCB’s claim attributable to the Auza notes ($632,145.47) is secured, and that the portion attributable to the QGI guaranty is unsecured.

The Auzas initiated an adversary proceeding against WFCB in December, 1992, to determine the extent of its lien. The matter was submitted to the bankruptcy court on *66 stipulated facts. The parties filed cross-motions for summary judgment, which were denied by the bankruptcy court because it felt factual issues were present. The parties subsequently requested the matter be tried on the same set of stipulated facts. The court concluded that the dragnet clause in the Auza note security instruments did not secure Auza’s guarantee of the QGI notes.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

A bankruptcy court’s factual findings are reviewed for clear error and its conclusions of law are reviewed de novo. In re Ewell, 958 F.2d 276, 279 (9th Cir.1992), citing In re Arizona Appetito’s Stores, Inc., 893 F.2d 216, 218 (9th Cir.1990). As this matter was submitted to the bankruptcy court on stipulated facts, review is de novo.

ISSUE PRESENTED

Whether the dragnet clauses contained in security instruments executed by the Auzas in connection with farm loans they received from WFCB secure obligations of the Auzas under a personal guarantee they executed in favor of WFCB in connection with the QGI loans.

OVERVIEW

Dragnet. [Cf. Sw.

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181 B.R. 63, 95 Daily Journal DAR 6229, 95 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 3654, 1995 Bankr. LEXIS 601, 27 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 204, 1995 WL 273950, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/western-farm-credit-bank-v-auza-in-re-auza-bap9-1995.