Mantle v. N. Star Energy & Constr. LLC
Mantle v. N. Star Energy & Constr. LLC
Opinion of the Court
Representing Alexander Reed Mantle and Marjorie M. Mantle: Stephen R. Winship, Winship & Winship, PC, Casper, Wyoming. Argument by Mr. Winship.
Representing North Star Energy & Construction LLC: Lance C. Overstreet, John M. Kuker, and Jeffrey M. Boldt, Overstreet Homar & Kuker, Cheyenne, Wyoming.
Representing Gary W. Garland, Hot Iron, Inc., and GT Investments, Inc.: Kim D. Cannon & Codie D. Henderson, Davis & Cannon, LLP, Sheridan, Wyoming. Argument by Mr. Henderson.
Representing Raymond W. Garland, Matt R. Garland, Three Way, Inc., and MGM Enterprises, Inc.: Judith A. W. Studer, Schwartz, Bon, Walker & Studer, LLC, Casper, Wyoming. Argument by Ms. Studer.
Representing WyoDak Energy Services, LLC: No Appearance.
Before DAVIS, C.J., and FOX, KAUTZ, BOOMGAARDEN, and GRAY, JJ.
FOX, Justice.
[¶1] This is the sequel in the ongoing litigation arising from a business deal that went south. We addressed the appeal of the district court's decision after a bench trial in Mantle v. North Star Energy & Construction, LLC ,
ISSUES
[¶2] The Mantles raise twelve issues, which we condense and rephrase as follows:
1. Did the district court have subject matter jurisdiction to offset the judgments when that issue was pending in this Court in Mantle I ?
2. With respect to the Killmer Settlement Funds:
a. Is there a reviewable order in the record regarding whether the Garlands had standing to assert a direct claim against Mr. Killmer?
b. Did the Mantles have a superior security interest in the Killmer Settlement Funds by operation of the "general intangibles" clause of the FNB security agreement?
*8443. Did the district court err when it awarded North Star's attorneys, The Kuker Group,1 their attorney fees from a portion of the Killmer Settlement Funds?
4. Did the district court err when it issued a nunc pro tunc order that removed Marjorie Mantle's name from the order that disbursed the Killmer Settlement Funds?
FACTS
[¶3] We briefly summarize the facts to provide context for the issues in this appeal. A more complete discussion can be found in Mantle I ,
[¶4] North Star's fortunes continued to decline, due to questionable business decisions and the dropping oil market. See id. at ¶¶ 26-32,
[¶5] In May 2015, Mr. Mantle and his wife, Marjorie, sued the Garlands, the Garlands' businesses, and North Star. Id. at ¶ 42,
[¶6] The Garlands and North Star also sued Mr. Killmer for accountant malpractice.
[¶7] After a bench trial, the district court awarded the Mantles a $2,712,838.22 judgment against North Star based on the Mantles' assumption of the FNB loan. Id. at ¶ 47,
[¶8] The parties appealed various aspects of the district court's rulings, and we affirmed in all respects. Id. at ¶¶ 4, 160,
[¶9] Additional facts and proceedings will be discussed below as necessary.
DISCUSSION
I. The district court did not have subject matter jurisdiction to offset the judgments when that issue was pending in this Court in Mantle I
[¶10] The Mantles contend that the district court did not have jurisdiction to grant the Garlands' second offset motion because, at that time, the issue was pending in this Court in Mantle I . We agree.
[¶11] "The existence of subject matter jurisdiction is a question of law that we review de novo." Matter of Birkholz ,
The appellate court shall acquire jurisdiction over the matters appealed when the case is docketed. In all cases, the trial court retains jurisdiction over all matters and proceedings not the subject of the appeal , including all matters covered by Rules 4 and 5, unless otherwise ordered by the appellate court.
(Emphasis added.)
[¶12] In its order after the trial, the district court noted that it considered offsetting the judgments and decided against doing so because the judgment the Garlands held was only against Mr. Mantle, while the judgments the Mantles held against Ray and Gary were awarded to Marjorie and Alex Mantle. Ray and Gary filed a "Motion to Alter or Amend Judgment Under Rule 59 WY.R.CIV.P." in which they asked the district court to reconsider its decision on offsetting the judgments. The court denied the motion.
[¶13] Approximately three months later, Gary and Ray renewed their offset argument to the district court. Both had appealed the denial of their first offset motion in Mantle I and, a month after they filed their opening briefs, the district court granted their second offset motion. Gary and Ray then withdrew the offset issue from their appeal.
[¶14] When the district court granted the Garlands' second offset motion, it noted that "every court having jurisdiction to render a particular judgment has inherent power and authority to enforce it and to exercise equitable control over such enforcement." (quoting Hurd v. Nelson ,
[¶15] Generally, before a trial court can grant relief regarding an issue that has been appealed to this Court, the parties must first seek a remand.
In Doctors' Company v. Insurance Corporation of America ,837 P.2d 685 , 686 (1992), we established the following procedure:
[D]uring the pendency of an appeal the district court may consider a Rule 60(b) motion and if it indicates that it is inclined to grant it, application then can be made to the appellate court for a remand. ... The logical consequence is that the district court may deny the motion although it cannot, until there has been a remand, grant it .... This *846allows a new appeal from the denial of the motion and often the appellate court can consider that appeal together with the appeal from the original judgment.
Schmalz v. Schmalz ,
(a) Relief Pending Appeal . - If a timely motion is made for relief that the court lacks authority to grant because of an appeal that has been docketed and is pending, the court may:
(1) defer considering the motion;
(2) deny the motion; or
(3) state either that it would grant the motion if the appellate court remands for that purpose or that the motion raises a substantial issue.
(b) Notice to the appellate court . - The movant must promptly notify the Clerk of the appellate court if the trial court states that it would grant the motion or that the motion raises a substantial issue.
(c) Remand . - The trial court may decide the motion if the appellate court remands for that purpose.
W.R.A.P. 6.01(b) and W.R.C.P. 62.1 are intended to ensure that a litigant is not simultaneously fighting the same battle in the trial court and the appellate court.
[¶16] Gary argues that, even though the offset issue was pending in this Court in Mantle I , "this Court has recognized numerous circumstances where the District Court retains jurisdiction to modify a previously entered order while an appeal is pending." (citing Garwood v. Garwood ,
[¶17] In Garwood II , we concluded that W.R.A.P. 6.01 did not deprive the district court of jurisdiction to consider a post-judgment fees motion while the initial appeal was pending because "[c]onsistent with Rule 6.01, we have held that during the pendency of an appeal, the district court has the right and power to enforce its decrees and orders and to protect the parties as to any rights they acquired in the district court proceedings."
[¶18] In contrast, the district court's decision here did not merely address a matter collateral to the issues on appeal. It granted the second offset motion at the time that its original denial of the Garlands' offset motion was on appeal in Mantle I . Because the district court lost jurisdiction over the offset issue while Mantle I was pending on appeal, we reverse that aspect of its "Order on Pending Motions" and remand this issue for further proceedings. See Rock v. Lankford ,
*847II. The Killmer Settlement Funds
[¶19] After the bench trial, the Mantles made various attempts to obtain most, if not all, of the Killmer Settlement Funds. On appeal, they contend only North Star, not the Garlands, had standing to assert a claim against Mr. Killmer for accountant malpractice, and that they had a security interest in the funds via the "general intangibles" language of the FNB note they acquired.
A. There is no reviewable order in the record regarding whether the Garlands had standing to assert a direct claim against Mr. Killmer
[¶20] The Mantles argue that all the Killmer Settlement Funds should be paid to North Star's creditors because the Garlands and their companies did not have standing to assert direct claims against Mr. Killmer; instead, their claims against Mr. Killmer were derivative claims on behalf of North Star since the Garlands' companies were North Star's only members. However, because the district court did not decide the issue, there is no final appealable order for us to review.
[¶21] On November 20, 2017, after the district court issued its "Order After Bench Trial," the Mantles filed a motion requesting the court credit them with, at least, a portion of the Killmer Settlement Funds. The district court denied the motion in its "Order on Post-Trial Motions and Filings and Final Judgment as to 'Order After Bench Trial.' " On March 15, 2018, the Mantles filed another motion in which they maintained that the Garlands, and their companies, only had a derivative claim on behalf of North Star against Mr. Killmer. On April 19, 2018, the district court concluded:
The Court does not have enough facts currently before it to decide this motion. Further litigation may be needed to resolve this dispute. In addition, some issues relating to these funds are currently on appeal, and the Court may not have jurisdiction to decide this issue. On appeal, Plaintiffs are arguing that Mr. Mantle should have received a credit for [the] full amount of the settlement. However, if the Defendants have to return those funds, then he would clearly not be entitled to a credit for amounts the Defendants were not allowed to keep. Thus, it does not make sense to decide this issue while the appeal is pending. The Court finds that the motion should be denied without prejudice.
[¶22] On April 26, 2018, the Mantles filed another motion asking the court what additional facts or litigation it needed to decide the issue. The Mantles also notified the court that none of the parties in Mantle I had raised any question on appeal regarding the allocation of the Killmer Settlement Funds. On July 24, 2018, the district court, in its "Order on Pending Motions," "decline[d] to make any additional findings," and thus, denied the Mantles' motion. At the end of its order, the court concluded:
[T]his is intended to be a final order, resolving all issues in the case. In the event that there are any issues remaining to be addressed, the Court finds pursuant to [Wyoming] Rule [of Civil Procedure] 54(b) that this order constitutes a final judgment as to claims and counterclaims between the parties decided herein, and that there is no just reason to delay the appeal of those issues.
[¶23] The Mantles identified all these post-trial orders in this appeal; however, there was never a final order by the district court as to this issue. We do not determine whether the perceived need for additional facts is an appropriate basis to deny the motion. The result was that the district court did not rule on this issue.
[¶24] The court's reliance on Rule 54(b) in the July order did not alleviate this problem. W.R.C.P. 54(b) states:
(b) Judgment on Multiple Claims or Involving Multiple Parties . - When an action presents more than one claim for relief - whether as a claim, counterclaim, crossclaim, or third-party claim - or when multiple parties are involved, the court may direct entry of a final judgment as to one or more, but fewer than all, claims or parties only if the court expressly determines that there is no just reason for delay. Otherwise, any order or other decision, however designated, that adjudicates fewer than all the claims or the rights and *848liabilities of fewer than all the parties does not end the action as to any of the claims or parties and may be revised at any time before the entry of a judgment adjudicating all the claims and all the parties' rights and liabilities.
Although none of the parties has challenged the district court's use of Rule 54(b), "we may raise the issue on our own." Baker v. Speaks ,
B. The Mantles did not have a superior security interest in the settlement funds by operation of the "general intangibles" clause of the FNB security agreement
[¶25] When North Star obtained the FNB loan, it granted FNB a security interest in North Star's "general intangibles." The agreement defined "general intangibles" to include "payment intangibles" and cited to the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) as further guidance. It explicitly excluded "commercial tort claims."
[¶26] After the trial, the Mantles argued that North Star's "general intangibles" included all the Killmer Settlement proceeds. The Mantles did not dispute that the malpractice claim against Mr. Killmer was a "commercial tort claim" that was excluded from the "general intangibles" clause. Instead, they contended that, once that "commercial tort claim" was reduced to the settlement funds, those proceeds became a "general intangible" under the security agreement. The district court disagreed. It concluded that "the settlement of a commercial tort claim[ ] does not convert the proceeds into collateral covered by a security agreement." (citing Bayer CropScience, LLC v. Stearns Bank, N.A. ,
[¶27] Under the UCC, a creditor may obtain a security interest in a commercial tort claim, but only if the agreement specifically identifies the tort claim that is purportedly covered. See
[W]e hold that the drafters of the UCC, in implementing the heightened identification requirements of commercial tort claims including the requirement that the commercial tort claim to be in existence at the time it is encumbered, intended for the proceeds of a commercial tort claim to be excluded from an after-acquired general intangible clause . See 4 James J. White, Robert S. Summers, & Robert A. Hillman, Uniform Commercial Code § 31:5 (6th ed. 2015) (questioning "if we recognize a proceeds claim arising from a security agreement that was signed before the tort claim came into existence to be effective as to *849funds later paid to settle the tort, have we not voided the rule in 9-108(e)(1)?").7
[¶28] We agree. A "general intangibles" clause is insufficient to create a security interest in the proceeds of a commercial tort claim, absent specific identification of the claim.
III. The district court did not err when it awarded North Star's attorneys a portion of the Killmer Settlement Funds
[¶29] North Star hired The Kuker Group to assist with its dissolution and "associated litigation," which included the claim for accountant malpractice against Mr. Killmer. After the Garlands and North Star settled with Mr. Killmer's malpractice carrier, and before North Star's $121,271 share was placed in the court registry, it was held by Gary Garland's attorneys in their firm trust account. The Kuker Group sent a certified letter to Gary's attorneys that purported to place an "attorney's lien" on the money, which, at that time, totaled $21,414.38. After the money was placed in the court registry, North Star's attorneys filed multiple motions in the district court to disburse part of the money to them for unpaid attorneys' fees.
[¶30] On April 18, 2018, in its "Order Regarding Funds on Deposit with the Clerk," the district court adopted a "first come, first serve" method to the funds held by the clerk. The court concluded that, since no statute permitted the court to supervise the dissolution of an LLC like North Star, it "must follow the statutes that govern garnishments and writs of execution." Those statutes "generally provide for a distribution on a first come, first serve basis." After the court permitted the clerk of court to collect its expenses incurred in holding the money in the court's registry, and Johnson County's claim for unpaid taxes under
[¶31] On appeal, both the Mantles and The Kuker Group devote much of their argument to whether The Kuker Group had an enforceable attorney lien. However, the district court's order, while referencing The Kuker Group's request for its attorney fees, does not appear to rest on whether The Kuker Group had an enforceable attorney lien under the attorney lien statute. Instead, the court appeared to adopt an equitable approach that attempted to satisfy the various requests for payment based on when those demands were made to either Gary's attorney or the district court clerk. The district court appeared to rely on the garnishment statutes which provide for a first come, first serve basis when multiple writs of garnishment are made against the same pool of money. See
*850[¶32] As the Mantles admit, the LLC statutes do not contain a procedure for a district court to supervise the dissolution of an LLC. The district court looked to its equitable powers to oversee the distribution of the money the clerk held. We have recognized that, in the appropriate case, a district court may exercise its equitable powers to provide relief where a statute is otherwise silent. See Wyo. Const., art. V, § 10 ; see also Gordon v. State by & through Capitol Bldg. Rehab. ,
IV. The district court did not err when it issued a nunc pro tunc order that removed Marjorie Mantle's name from the order that disbursed the Killmer Settlement Funds
[¶33] When the district court disbursed the Killmer Settlement Funds, it ordered that $25,923.34 be provided to "Alex and Marjorie Mantle." That amount was the result of a judgment, plus interest, that Alex Mantle had obtained against North Star in a separate case in circuit court. Afterwards, the Garlands filed a request that the district court enter a nunc pro tunc order that removed Marjorie Mantle's name because the judgment that was the basis for the $25,923.34 was awarded only to Alex Mantle. The district court agreed and concluded that the inclusion of Marjorie Mantle's name was a "clerical error." On appeal, the Mantles contend that the nunc pro tunc order was erroneous because it substantively changed the court's prior order.
[¶34] "A nunc pro tunc order is used to correct an inaccuracy in an earlier order." Heinemann v. State ,
CONCLUSION
[¶35] The "general intangibles" language of the FNB security agreement did not attach to the Killmer Settlement Funds, The Kuker Group was entitled to a portion of those funds, and the district court's nunc pro tunc order that removed Marjorie Mantle's name was a proper use of the nunc pro tunc order. However, the district court lacked subject matter jurisdiction to reconsider the offset issue, and there is no reviewable decision in the record regarding whether the Garlands and their entities had standing to assert a direct claim against Mr. Killmer for accountant malpractice. We therefore affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand for further proceedings.
The Kuker Group is now known as Overstreet Homar & Kuker.
For ease of reference, we will refer to Mr. Killmer and his company, Killmer & Associates, as "Mr. Killmer."
For his part, Ray does not directly address the jurisdictional defect in the district court's decision to grant the second offset motion. Rather, he relies on the general rule that a court retains the equitable power to offset judgments.
Before Garwood II , we decided Garwood I that dealt with substantive aspects of the district court's judgment. Garwood v. Garwood ,
Because we are remanding the offset issue to the district court, we do not reach the Mantles' arguments regarding the merits of the offset.
The district court's failure to "fully adjudicate" the Mantles' argument that the Garlands did not have standing does not affect our ability to review the other aspects of the court's April and July orders that are the subject of this appeal. See In re Big Horn River System ,
In Bayer , the Eighth Circuit was discussing Texas's UCC provisions; specifically, § 9.108(e)(1). Bayer ,
In their brief, the Mantles cite to comment 15 to
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Alexander Reed MANTLE and Marjorie M. Mantle, (Plaintiffs) v. NORTH STAR ENERGY & CONSTRUCTION LLC Gary W. Garland Raymond W. Garland Matt R. Garland Three Way, Inc. Hot Iron, Inc. MGM Enterprises, Inc. GT Investments, Inc. and Wyodak Energy Services, LLC, (Defendants).
- Cited By
- 6 cases
- Status
- Published