Tenco Excavating, Inc. v. First Sealord Surety, Inc.
Tenco Excavating, Inc. v. First Sealord Surety, Inc.
Opinion of the Court
OPINION BY
In this adversary proceeding ancillary to the liquidation of First Sealord Surety, Inc. (First Sealord or FSS), Tenco Excavating, Inc. (Tenco), as a limited in-tervenor, has filed a Complaint against the Liquidator of First Sealord. Tenco alleges that cash in First Sealord’s operating accounts at the time of liquidation included cash deposited by Tenco to indemnify First Sealord in the event of losses on Tenco’s performance bonds, and subsequently was improperly diverted. Tenco maintains that the cash is “collateral,” which is not part of the liquidation estate. Based on this premise, Tenco seeks a declaration that it is entitled to the return of the collateral or any portion of it that remains in the Liquidator’s possession. In addition, Tenco seeks a declaration that it is the beneficiary of a constructive trust in any additional money that may be recovered by the Liquidator in his pending action against First Sealord’s former directors and officers, an action in which the Liquidator, among other things, seeks damages for the misappropriation and conversion of cash collateral deposited by various bond principals. The Liquidator has preliminarily objected to each of the two counts of the Complaint.
Tenco is an excavating company principally located in Illinois. In April of 2009, First Sealord agreed, in a “General Indemnity Agreement,” to act as Tenco’s surety on performance bonds and Tenco agreed to provide, upon demand, collateral security for First Sealord’s risk of indebtedness on the bonds. Tenco promptly deposited to First Sealord’s account two checks, each in the amount of $250,000 and later, in August of 2010, wired an additional $500,000 to First Sealord’s account. Under the terms of the parties’ “Collateral Agreement,” First Sealord agreed that it would use the collateral only in the event of a loss on the bonds that Tenco failed to indemnify and that it would return the collateral upon evidence of no further risk on the bonds. In March 2011, Tenco changed sureties and First Sealord did not execute any bonds for Tenco thereafter. All of Tenco’s projects secured by a bond executed by First Sealord have been completed without any loss. First Sealord entered liquidation on February 8, 2012, and, in July, Tenco demanded return of its $1 million cash collateral. The Liquidator refused the demand, explaining that prior to liquidation the collateral from Tenco, as well as similarly deposited collateral from others, had been improperly diverted into operating accounts and substantially spent.
Tenco avers that as of February 6, 2012, just prior to liquidation, First Sealord’s operating accounts and other accounts held assets exceeding the amount deposited by Tenco. In addition, Tenco points to the Liquidator’s pending action against First Sealord’s directors and officers seeking damages in excess of $8.5 million. Tenco’s complaint maintains that it is entitled to recover its collateral from any funds held by First Sealord (Count I) and that it has a constructive trust in any proceeds from the Liquidator’s action against persons culpable in the improper diversion of the collateral funds (Count II).
In its preliminary objections, the Liquidator challenges Count I on three grounds: (1) failure to exhaust an administrative remedy, contending that the only avenue available to Tenco is the statutory proof of claim process that will eventually permit Tenco to share in the distribution to general creditors from the assets of the estate; (2) a demurrer, asserting that the funds Tenco seeks to have returned are general assets of the liquidation estate; and (3) a demurrer, asserting that the funds deposited by Tenco do not qualify under the statutory definition of “collateral” as non-estate assets subject to direct return to Tenco under Article V of the Insurance Department Act of 1921 (the Act).
As the Liquidator correctly points out, Sections 537-543 of the Act, 40 P.S. §§ 221.37-221.43, establish a process by which a creditor of the liquidation estate must pursue his or her claim. “Creditor” is defined as “a person having any claim, whether matured or unmatured, liquidated or unliquidated, secured or unsecured, absolute, fixed or contingent.” Section 503, 40 P.S. § 221.3. The statutory claim process establishes the value and priority of the claim for purpose of eventual distribution of assets “from the insurer’s estate.” See Section 544, 40 P.S. § 221.44. Whether Tenco is limited to filing a statutory proof of claim depends upon whether Tenco seeks money from the insurer’s estate or the return of money that belongs to Tenco. The Act defines “general assets” very broadly
That Tenco’s collateral, along with that of some other similarly situated bond principals, was diverted and commingled with operating funds does not deprive Ten-co of its claim for the return of its money. See Central Nat’l Bank v. Connecticut Mut. Life Ins. Co., 104 U.S. 54, 66, 26 L.Ed. 693 (1881) (Money belonging to a third person and held by a depositor in a fiduciary capacity is not changed in its character as belonging to the third person by being placed to the depositor’s credit in his bank account). We do not understand the statutory definition of “general assets” or anything else in Article V of the Act to operate in a manner that would deprive Tenco of its money based on its wrongful diversion into First Sealord accounts containing general assets of the company. Such a conclusion flies in the face of equitable principles and longstanding law regarding improperly converted trust assets. In Pennsylvania:
Where improperly converted assets of a trust estate are traced into [a bankruptcy] fund for distribution, a preference has always been allowed on the theory that such assets never became a part of those of the [bankruptcy] trustee but at all times have remained, whether in their original or substituted form, the property of the cestui que trust, and therefore the [bankruptcy] trustee’s general creditors are not entitled to any share in their distribution. The claim of the trust beneficiary in such a case is not really for a preference, or to establish an equitable lien, but rather for the reclamation of his own property.... [C]laims for trust property must be recognized above all others if the trust res could be identified.
In re Erie Trust Co. of Erie, 326 Pa. 198, 201, 191 A. 613, 614 (1937) (emphasis added) (where beneficiaries of a trust account from which money had been diverted and commingled were entitled to the lowest level of cash from the trust account on deposit in other banks, reached between the time the conversion occurred and when the secretary of banking took possession of the assets of trustee bank).
However, Tenco is entitled to recover only its money; it is not entitled to deplete general assets of the estate to satisfy its claim. Tenco must identify funds belonging to it by tracing the diverted collateral. See Appeal of Mehler, 310 Pa. 25, 29, 164 A. 619, 620 (1932) (claimant “must trace the proceeds received from the conversion and identify them as contained in some specific fund or property in the possession of the [bankrupt] company at the time it was taken over by the [bankruptcy trustee]”). “In attempting to trace funds, the rule in Pennsylvania is “first in, first out.” ” Commonwealth Land Title Ins. Co. v. Doe, 395 Pa.Super. 595, 577 A.2d 1358, 1360 (1990); Fischbach & Moore, Inc. v. Philadelphia Nat’l Bank, 134 Pa.Super. 84, 3 A.2d 1011, 1014-15
Based on these tracing principles, Ten-co is entitled to the return of collateral funds or any portion thereof that remained in First Sealord accounts at the time the Liquidator took possession of First Sealord’s assets. If however, as the Liquidator asserts, no amount of Tenco’s collateral remains in the possession of the Liquidator, Tenco cannot ultimately prevail in this action. On preliminary objections, it is premature to reach the latter conclusion. Therefore, the objections to Count I are overruled.
In Count II, Tenco asserts that it equitably owns and holds title to the Liquidator’s claims against First Sealord’s directors and officers insofar as those claims are based on averments of improper diversion of collateral and thus, any amounts collected as a result of those claims must
Accordingly, the preliminary objection to Count II is sustained.
ORDER
AND NOW, this 27th day of August, 2013, the Defendant’s Preliminary Objections are hereby Overruled in part and Sustained in part. The preliminary objections to Count I for failure to exhaust an administrative remedy and in the nature of demurrers are overruled. The preliminary objection to Count II in the nature of a demurrer is sustained and Count II is dismissed with prejudice. The Defendant shall file an answer within thirty (30) days.
. In considering the Liquidator’s preliminary objections, we accept as true all the well pled averments of the complaint as well as the reasonable inferences arising therefrom. See Pa. R.A.P. 1516(b). See also Pa. State Lodge, Fraternal Order of Police v. Dep’t of Conservation & Natural Res., 909 A.2d 413, 415-16 (Pa.Cmwlth. 2006), aff'd, 592 Pa. 304, 924 A.2d 1203 (2007). We will sustain a demurrer only when, on the face of the complaint,
. In his separate adversarial proceeding against First Sealord's corporate officers and general counsel, the Liquidator has averred that cash collateral totaling $3,545,954.95 deposited by 12 different bonded contractors was wrongfully transferred from segregated accounts into general operating accounts and subsequently diverted partly to Broadlands, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sealord Holdings, Inc. See Consedine v. Brier, No. 11 FSS 2012, Amended Complaint.
. Act of May 17, 1921, P.L. 789, Article V added by the Act of December 14, 1977, P.L. 280, 40 P.S. §§ 221.1-221.63, as amended.
. Section 503 of the Act defines "general assets” of the estate as:
[a]ll property, real, personal, or otherwise, not specifically mortgaged, pledged, deposited, or otherwise encumbered for the security or benefit of specified persons or classes of persons. As to specifically encumbered property, "general assets” includes all such property or its proceeds in excess of the amount necessary to discharge the sum or sums secured thereby. Assets held in trust and on deposit for the security or benefit of all policyholders and creditors shall be treated as general assets.
40 P.S. § 221.3.
. Section 523.1 of the Act states that “[c]ollat-eral shall not be considered an asset of the estate and shall be maintained and administered by the receiver as provided in this section, notwithstanding any other provision of law or contract to the contrary.” 40 P.S. § 221.23a(a). "Collateral” is defined as:
collateral held by, for the benefit of or assigned to the insurer or subsequently to the receiver in order to secure the obligations of a policyholder under a deductible agreement and also any collateral recovered or held by the receiver that secured the obligations of a policyholder under a deductible reimbursement policy.
Section 523.1 was added by the Act of June 28, 2004, P.L. 443, 40 P.S. § 221.23a(n) (emphasis added). A "deductible agreement” "includefs] any combination of one or more policies, endorsements, contracts or security agreements which provide for the policyholder to bear the risk of loss within a specified amount per each claim or occurrence covered under a policy of insurance...." 40 P.S. § 221.23 a(n) (emphasis added). "Once all claims covered by the collateral have been paid and the receiver is satisfied that no new claims can be presented, the receiver will release any remaining collateral to the policyholder.” 40 P.S. § 221.23a(i)(3).
. In Commercial Risk, die New York court applied the same accounting principles and presumptions as are applicable in Pennsylvania and explained the analysis as follows:
Of the $1,744,209.26 that Frontier withdrew from the trust account established by Commercial Risk, all but $68,000 was admittedly taken wrongfully, i.e., converted and the wrongfully taken funds, amounting to $1,676,209.26, never became the property of Frontier, but rather became subject to a constructive trust in Commercial Risk’s favor. Commercial Risk's entitlement to the immediate return of the converted funds from the Superintendent as Frontier's Rehabilitator, however, depends upon the extent to which converted sums remain in the Superintendent's possession. Of the $1,744,209.26 that Frontier deposited into its checking account on August 17, 2001, $542,674.39 was paid to third parties, while $1,201,534.87 was traced into Frontier’s money market account. Frontier’s money market account did not dip below $1,201,534.87; indeed, as of May 31, 2002, that account contained more than $ 11 million. Because Frontier's money market account did not dip below $1,201,534.87, the trust fund in that amount remained undiminished. Although money flowed out of Frontier’s money market account after $1,201,534.87 was transferred into it, it is presumed that Frontier’s money was used first and that Commercial Risk’s money remained in the account. Accordingly, the Commercial Risk funds held by the Superintendent, in the amount of $1,201,534.87, should be turned over to Commercial forthwith.
Commercial Risk Re-Ins. Co. v. Superintendent of Ins. of the State of New York, 2 A.D.3d 264, 769 N.Y.S.2d 530, 532 (2003).
Reference
- Full Case Name
- TENCO EXCAVATING, INC. v. FIRST SEALORD SURETY, INC. (In Liquidation), (Ancillary matter to In Re: First Sealord Surety, Inc., In Liquidation No. 1 FSS 2012)
- Cited By
- 3 cases
- Status
- Published