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Resolution Trust Corp. v. Montross

United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
Oct 9, 1991
944 F.2d 227 (5th Cir. 1991)

Summary

taking no position on the negotiability of variable interest rate notes

Summary of this case from Desmond v. F.D.I.C.

Opinion

No. 90-1510.

October 9, 1991.

Marc S. Culp, Virginia W. Pennington, Sheehan, Young Culp, Dallas, Tex., for defendant-appellant.

Barry A. Brown, Houston, Tex., for amicus curiae, Los Campeones, Inc.

Robert D. Daniel, Hirsch Westheimer, Houston, Tex., for amicus curiae, NCNB Texas Nat. Bank.

Richard J. Osterman, Jr., Atty., J. Scott Watson, Sr. Atty., John P. Parker, Sr. Atty., Washington, D.C., for amicus curiae, FDIC.

William S. Montgomery, Houston, Tex., for amicus curiae, Montgomery Montgomery.

Thomas E. Kurth, John Edwards, Jeffrey S. Rosenblum, Haynes Boone, Dallas, Tex., for Resolution Trust Corp.

Appeals from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas.

Before REAVLEY, POLITZ, KING, JOLLY, DAVIS, SMITH, DUHE, WIENER and EMILIO M. GARZA, Circuit Judges.

Judge Thomas Gibbs Gee was a member of the panel that decided this case but resigned from the Court on February 1, 1991, and, therefore, he did not participate in this decision. Chief Judge Clark, and Judges Garwood, Higginbotham, Jones and Barksdale are recused, and therefore, did not participate in this decision.


The panel held that the federal holder in due course status of Sunbelt Savings, transferee of the notes from the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation as receiver for the insolvent former Sunbelt Savings, does not protect Sunbelt from personal defenses of the maker of a promissory note which was not negotiable from its inception. The panel opinion at 923 F.2d 353 is reinstated, except that we take no position on the effect of the variable interest rate on the negotiability of the note. The maker of the note gave other reasons for the note being non-negotiable, and the case was presented on the appeal with both parties accepting the non-negotiability of the note. Sunbelt's contention to the contrary before the en banc court comes too late. See Najarro v. First Federal Savings Loan Ass'n of Nacogdoches, Texas, 918 F.2d 513, 516 (5th Cir. 1990); Moore v. United States, 598 F.2d 439, 441 (5th Cir. 1979).

The personal defenses to which the maker is entitled must, of course, be based on documents of the savings institution at the time of its insolvency and not upon secret agreements unenforceable under D'Oench, Duhme Co. v. FDIC, 315 U.S. 447, 62 S.Ct. 676, 86 L.Ed. 956 (1942). See Howell v. Continental Credit Corp., 655 F.2d 743 (7th Cir. 1981).

As recited in the conclusion of the panel opinion, the summary judgment in favor of Sunbelt Savings was premature. The case is remanded for further proceedings.

REVERSED AND REMANDED.


Summaries of

Resolution Trust Corp. v. Montross

United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
Oct 9, 1991
944 F.2d 227 (5th Cir. 1991)

taking no position on the negotiability of variable interest rate notes

Summary of this case from Desmond v. F.D.I.C.
Case details for

Resolution Trust Corp. v. Montross

Case Details

Full title:RESOLUTION TRUST CORPORATION AS CONSERVATOR FOR SUNBELT FEDERAL SAVINGS…

Court:United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit

Date published: Oct 9, 1991

Citations

944 F.2d 227 (5th Cir. 1991)

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