Winkal Management, LLC v. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
D.D.C.12/13/2017
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UNITED sTATEs DIsTRICT CoURT FoR THE DIsTRICT oF CoLUMBIA F I |_ E D DEC 1 3 2017 C|erk U.S. District&Bankru t l c Guurts for the District of Colui)nbila WINKAL MANAGEMENT, LLC, Plaintiff, Civil Case No. 10-83 (RJL) V. FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION, Defendant. MEMORAZ;)UOPINION (December l § , 2017) [Dkts. ## 33, 34] Winkal Management, LLC (âplaintiffâ or âWinkalâ) brings this action against the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (âdefendantâ or âFDICâ) in its capacity as the Receiver for now-defunct Washington Mutual Bank (âWaMuâ). Winkal seeks compensation under 12 U,S.C. § 1821 for damages it allegedly suffered when the FDIC repudiated a lease agreement between Winkal and WaMu and turned the leased property (âPremisesâ) back over to Winkal in a state of disrepair. See First Am. Compl. [Dkt. # 15]. Currently before the Court are the partiesâ cross-motions for summary judgment. See Dkts. ## 33, 34. Upon consideration of the partiesâ submissions and the entire record, Winkalâs Motion for Summary Judgment is GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART without prejudice, and the FDICâs Motion for Summary Judgment is GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART. In particular, I conclude that Winkal is entitled to summary judgment on its âunpaid rentâ claim for the expenses associated with repairing the Premises. The particular amount of damages owed to Winkal, however, remains an open question, and l thus deny Winkal summary judgment on the issue of damages without prejudice With respect to the FDICâs summary judgment motion, l conclude that the FDIC has shown, under 12 U.S.C. § 1821, that it is entitled to prevail on Winkalâs claims for âLandlordâs Workâ expenses and the costs to complete WaMuâs âTenantâs Work.â BACKGROUND A. The Winkal-WaMu Lease On December 17, 2007, Winkal entered into a ten-year lease agreement (the âLeaseâ) with WaMu for commercial retail space at a property located in San Gabriel, California. See Decl. of Richard Yarmy (âYarmy Decl.â) [Dkt. # 34-3] Ex. A (âLeaseâ). The Lease contemplated that WaMu would lease the Premises from Winkal for the purposes of operating a bank branch. Lease art. l, § 3. The Lease set forth the mutual rights and obligations of Winkal and WaMu, as well as provisions governing the rent due to Winkal from WaMu. Three portions of the Lease are particularly relevant here. First, in Article XXV of the Lease, Winkal agreed to perform certain âLandlordâs Workâ prior to turning over the property to WaMu. Speciflcally, Winkal agreed to: l) install a new roof; 2) install a new HVAC system; and 3) resurface the parking lot. Iczâ. art. XXV. Winkal completed its Landlordâs Work at a cost of $130,633 and granted WaMu possession of the Premises in May 2008. Yarmy Decl. W 4-6. Second, Article Vl ofthe Lease establishes Winkalâs and WaMuâs obligations with respect to âMaintenance and Repair of the Premises.â Lease art. Vl. The provision specifies that â[a]s additional rent and at the sole cost and expense of Tenant, Tenant shall at all times keep all parts of the Premises . . . in suitable condition for Tenantâs conduct of 2 business and in good order, good condition and good repair.â Id. The provision further vests WaMu with the responsibility to âpermit no injury to the Premisesâ and, âat its own cost and expense, replace as necessary all systems, appurtenances, equipment and components on the Premises which may be broken or damaged.â Id. Finally, the provision states that at the âexpiration or earlier termination of the Term, Tenant shall surrender the Premises . . . in as good condition as the same is on the Commencement Dateâ with âreasonable wear and tear excepted.â Id. ln short, Article Vl of the Lease obligates WaMu, with limited exceptions, to maintain and repair the Premises. Third, in a section of Article Vll entitled âAlterations and lmprovements,â the Lease contains provisions governing any âTenantâs Workâ that WaMu elected to perform. Iaâ. art. Vll, § 2. The provisions specify that WaMu, as tenant, âshall bear the expense of all permits, alterations and improvements which are necessary in order to make the Premises suitable for Tenantâs occupancy and use before and during the Term.â Id. Article Vll further specifies that WaMu âshall commence and thereafter complete with due diligence, all of Tenantâs Work,â cause such work âto be done ina good and workmanlike manner,â and âobtain and furnish Landlord at Tenantâs expense all certificates and approvals with respect to Tenantâs Work.â Id. B. WaMuâs Commencement of âTenantâs Workâ and Subsequent Receivership ln anticipation of its occupancy, WaMu contracted with an architectural firm to develop plans for WaMuâs âTenantâs Workâ on the Premises. See Decl. of Donald J. Rethman (âRethman Decl.â) [Dkt. # 34-4] jj 3. The planned work included, among other things, the addition of new bathroom facilities, storage areas, administrative offices, and a 3 sprinkler system; upgrades to the floors, doors, and lighting; and complete replacement of all plumbing and electrical and mechanical systems. Id. jj 5. Pursuant to the âTenantâs Workâ provision of the Lease, Winkal approved WaMuâs proposals for the work on the Premises. See Yarmy Decl. jj 8. Following approval of the âTenantâs Workâ plans, WaMu contracted with Metro Construction Company to complete the planned construction activities See Decl. of George Lomeli (âLomeli Decl.â) [Dkt. # 34-5] jjjj 3-4. The agreement projected that the work would cost $547,170 in total. Id. jj 5. Metro Construction commenced construction on the Premises toward the end of August 2008 and immediately began demolition work to prepare the Premises for the planned additions and renovations. Id. jjjj 6-7. A little over one month after Metro Construction began work, however, WaMu directed the company to stop all construction activities Iaâ. jj 7. Although Metro Construction never completed the full scope ofthe âTenantâs Work,â the company did receive over $2()0,00() from WaMu for the work it performed in August and September of 2()()8. Id. jjjj 8-9; see Lomeli Decl. Ex. B. WaMuâs stop-work order to l\/letro Construction was not a coincidence: The now- defunct bank was in the process of entering into receivership. On September 25, 2008, the FDIC was appointed WaMuâs Receiver and assumed responsibility for Wal\/luâs financial dealings and contracts See Compl. Ex. 2 [Dkt. # l-2]. WaMu never opened for business on the Premises. Yarmy Decl. jj 9. C. The FDICâs Surrender of the Premises and Repudiation of the Lease In late January 2009, the FDIC, acting in its capacity as Receiver for WaMu, surrendered the Premises to Winkal. ld. jj l(). A few months later, the FDIC exercised its statutory authority to repudiate the Winkal-WaMu Lease. Yarmy Decl. Ex. H; see 12 U.S.C. § 182l(e). Not surprisingly, considering that l\/Ietro Construction had already performed over $2()0,00() worth of demolition and preparation work on the Premises, the evidence demonstrates that the Premises was in a state of disrepair when surrendered Yarmy Decl. jjjj 8-l l; Decl. of David Mouck (âl\/louck Decl.â) [Dkt. # 34-6] Ex. A, at 7.l According to David Mouck, a contractor who was involved in repair work on the Premises, â[a]ll interior walls, tlooring, ceilings, thermal insulation, plumbing, electrical, and HVAC ducting had been removedâ from the Premises and the concrete floor had been partially excavated. Mouck Decl. Ex. A, at 7. ln order to make the Premises safe and ready to be occupied by another tenant, Winkal hired various contractors to repair and restore the Premises. Iaâ. at 7-8; see also Yarmy Decl. Ex. l (âProof of Claimâ). Contractors performed that work between June and September 2009. Yarmy Decl. jj ll. ln all, Winkal alleges that it paid $101,046.85 to finance the required repair and restoration work. Iaâ. ' The FDlC unconvincineg disputes that the Premises was in a state of disrepair when turned over to Winkal, going so far as to argue that the Premises was in better condition than when Wal\/lu took possession because "a significant amount of Tenant Work had taken place.â Oppân of FDIC 10 Pl.âs Mol. Summ. J. (âFDIC Oppânâ) [Dkt. # 36] 20; see also r'd. al 20-21. That FDlC argument ignores that the key ponion ofthe completed Tenantâs Work was demolition work ~ a Fa.ct entirely consistent with the evidence that Winkal inherited a Premises in a âstate of destruction.â Pl.âs Reply l l; see also, e.g., App. to FDIC Oppân [Dkt. # 36~3] 22 (Habbenâs Home Inspections Report) (âl\/Iuch work will be needed to return this propelty to rentab|e condition, most notably is the electrical service and plumbing, along with slab repairs.â). 5 ln June 2009, Winkal entered into a lease with a company called Nails Supply House, lnc. (âNails Supplyâ). Id. jj l2. ln addition to the construction work contracted and paid for by Winkal, Nails Supply also performed work to restore and repair the Premises. Id. jj l3. According to Winkal, that work, which included ceiling and door installation, painting, and fire sprinkler installation, cost $86,352.95 in total. See Winkal Statement of Material Facts (âWinkal SGMFâ) jjjj 37-39. Together, the completed repair work restored the Premises to âa baseline levelâ; it did not produce the upgraded Premises contemplated by the scope of Wal\/luâs original âTenantâs Workâ plans. Yarmy Decl. jj 18. D. Winkalâs Proof of Claim and Judicial Action ln mid-2()()9, as it was performing work to restore the Premises, Winkal filed a Proof of Claim with the FDIC. See Proof of Claim. The Proof of Claim sought a total of $427,499.33 from the FDIC, which comprised: l) $50,655.33 in â[u]npaid rental due under the lease through the date of [the] Notice ofLease Repudiationâ; 2) $l3(),633 in â[a]ctual direct compensatory damages in the form of out-of-pocket costs incurred by Winkalâ to âprepare space for tenant occupancyâ - that is, the amount Winkal spent to perform its âLandlordâs Workâ; and 3) $246,211 in â[a]ctual direct compensatory damages caused by the Tenant as a result of its partial demolition of the leasehold property which the Landlord is now required to correct and/or restore.â Proof of Claim Ex. A. ln November 2009, the FDIC issued its decision on Winkalâs Proof of Claim. The FDlC accepted and paid Winkalâs claim for $55,655.33 in âunpaid rental,â but denied Winkalâs âLandlordâs Workâ claim and its claim for expenses required to âcorrect and/or restoreâ damage caused by Wal\/luâs demolition of the Premises. See Yarmy Decl. Ex. J; 6 Pl.âs Mot. Summ. J. Ex. 5 [Dkt. # 34-7]. As a basis for its denial, the FDIC explained that Winkalâs claimed expenses were either associated with work Winkal was required to perform under the Lease, or represented categories of damages that are not recoverable under the relevant statutory provisions. See Pl.âs Mot. Summ. J. Ex. 5, Answers of FDIC to Winkalâs lnterrogs. l-4. On January 15, 2010, Winkal sued in this Court to challenge the FDICâs denial of its claims. See generally Compl. [Dkt. # l]. In its First Amended Complaint, Winkal asserts three claims#one for breach of contract, one for unjust enrichment, and one for promissory estoppel-each seeking damages in excess of $375,0()0. See First Am. Compl. jjjj 26-45. Following a lengthy stay of this case pending resolution of a related action in California, the parties completed discovery and filed the cross-motions for summary judgment currently pending before this Court. STANDARD OF REVIEW A. FIRREA The Financial lnstitutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 (âFIRREAâ) sets forth the FDICâs powers and duties when acting as receiver of a failed financial institution. See Pub. L. No. 101-73, 103 Stat. 183. As relevant here, FIRREA authorizes the FDIC to âdisaffirm or repudiate any contract or leaseâ to which a failed institution in receivership is a party if the FDIC determines, in its discretion, that performing the obligations of the lease would be âburdensomeâ and that repudiating the lease would âpromote the orderly administration of the institutionâs affairs.â 12 U.S.C. § 182l(e)(l); see Qi v. FDIC, 755 F. Supp. 2d 195, 200-01 (D.D.C. 2010). 7 Winkal does not challenge the FDICâs authority to repudiate the Winkal-WaMu Lease. This case instead concerns the extent of the FDICâs liability for its repudiation. Under FIRREA, courts determine a partyâs available damages not by applying âordinary contract principles,â but instead by looking to FIRREAâs detailed regime governing the FDICâs repudiation liability. MCI Commc âns Servs., Inc. v. FDIC, 808 F. Supp. 2d 24, 28 (D.D.C. 2()l l). The legal questions in this case center around two subsections of FIRIUEA. The first is FIRREAâs âgeneralâ damages provision, located in § l82l(e)(3). As relevant here, that provision states: âExcept as otherwise provided in subparagraph (C) and paragraphs (4), (5), and (6), the liability of the conservator or receiver for the disaffirmance or repudiation of any contractâ shall be âlimited to actual direct compensatory damages.â l2 U.S.C. § 182l(e)(3)(A). Subsection (e)(3) thus points to a second relevant provision, subsection (e)(4). Subsection (e)(4) concerns the FDICâs liability for disaffirming or repudiating âa lease under which the insured depository institution was the lessee.â Id. § l82l(e)(4)(A). lt provides that the FDIC âshall not be liable for any damages (other than damages determined pursuant to subparagraph (B)) for the disaffirmance or repudiation of such lease.â Iaâ. Subparagraph (B), in turn, establishes the types of payments to which a âlessorâ is entitled from the FDIC. Specifically, subparagraph (b) states that a lessor shall: l) âbe entitled to the contractual rent accruing before the later of the dateâ of the mailing of the notice of repudiation or effective date of the repudiation; 2) âhave no claim for damages under any acceleration clause or other penalty provision in the leaseâ; and 3) have a âclaim 8 for any unpaid rent, subject to all appropriate offsets and defenses, due as of the date of the appointmentâ ofthe receiver. Id. § 1821(e)(4)(B); see First chk Nat'l Ass ân v. FDIC, 79 F.3d 362, 367 (3d Cir. 1996) (subsection (e)(4)(B) governs receiverâs âoverall liability for damages when it repudiates a leaseâ). A party seeking damages for the repudiation of a contract must first file a Proof of Claim with the FDIC requesting the relevant damages Only after doing so may a party seek judicial review. See Westberg v. FDIC, 741 F.3d 1301, 1303 (D.C. Cir. 2014) (sections 1821(d)(6) and (13)(D) of FIRREA âset[] forth a standard exhaustion requirement that routes claims through an administrative review process, and withholds judicial review unless and until claims are so routedâ) (internal quotation marks and alteration omitted). FlRREAâs exhaustion requirement is a jurisdictional one that courts âcannot excuse.â Id. Assuming the jurisdictional prerequisites are met, courts review FIRREA damages claims de novo. See Of/`Zce & Profâl Emps. Inlâl Um'on, Local 2 v. FDIC, 962 F.2d 63, 65 (D.C. Cir. 1992). B. Summary Judgment Summary judgment is proper when the pleadings and evidentiary record show that there is âno genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter oflaw.â Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a); see Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322 (1986). A fact is âmaterialâ if it âmay affect the outcome of the litigation.â Montgomery v. Risen, 875 F.3d 709, 713 (D.C. Cir. 2017) (internal quotation marks omitted). A dispute is âgenuineâ if âthe evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party.â Anderson v. Lz'berly Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248 (1986). 9 When evaluating cross-motions for summary judgment, the reviewing court examines each motion âseparately on its own merits to determine whether any of the parties deserves judgment as a matter oflaw.â Lee Mem âl Health Sys. v. Burwell, 206 F. Supp. 3d 307, 322 (D.D.C. 2016) (internal quotation marks and brackets omitted). The moving party bears the initial burden of identifying the evidence that demonstrates an absence of any genuine issues of material fact. See Celotex Corp., 477 U.S. at 323. Once the moving party has made that showing, the burden shifts to the nonmoving party to identify and âproperly supportâ the âspecific factsâ showing that there is a genuine issue for trial. Id. at 324 (internal quotation marks omitted); Anderson, 477 U.S. at 256. The court must accept as true the evidence of, and draw âall justifiable inferencesâ in favor of, the party opposing summary judgment. Id. at 255. If the party opposing summary judgment fails to proffer relevant evidence on a material issue, the moving party may succeed on summary judgment by citing that âfailure ofproof.â Celotex Corp., 477 U.S. at 323. ANALYSIS Citing FlRREAâs repudiation-liability provisions, Winkal contends that it is entitled to three categories of payments from the FDIC. First, Winkal argues that it is entitled to recover its expenditures for performing the âLandlordâs Workâ under FlRREAâs âactual direct compensatory damagesâ provision. 12 U.S.C. § 1821(e)(3)(A)(i). Second, Winkal seeks to recover the cost of restoring and repairing the Premises under FIRREAâs âunpaid rentâ provision. Id. § 1821(e)(4)(B)(iii). Finally, Winkal claims that it is entitled to recover the cost ofcompleting WaMuâs unfinished âTenantâs Workâ under either the âactual direct 10 compensatory damagesâ provision or the âunpaid rentâ provision. Iaâ. § 1821(e)(3)(A)(i), (e)(4)(B)(iii). 1 now discuss each ofthose arguments A. Winkalâs Claim for Performing âLandlordâs Workâ Winkal first argues that it is entitled to recover $130,633 in âreliance damages,â which represents the amount Winkal spent to perform its âLandlordâs Workâ in preparation for turning the Premises over to Wal\/lu. Winkal argues that such reliance damages are recoverable under FIRREAâs general damages provision, which allows recovery of âactual direct compensatory damages.â Mem. P. & A. Supp. Pl.âs l\/Iot. Summ. J. (âWinkal l\/lem.â) 12 (quoting 12 U.S.C. § 1821(e)(3)(A)(i)). Winkalâs argument would be tenable were this Court applying ordinary contract principles Unfortunately for Winkal, however, FlRREAâs damages regime cabins the damages Winkal may recover and ultimately forecloses its âLandlordâs Workâ argument. How soâ? Winkal correctly notes that FlRREAâs general damages provision extends the repudiation liability of a receiver to âactual direct compensatory damages,â 12 U.S.C. § 1821(e)(3)(A)(i), a term that our Circuit has read to include ârelianceâ damages, see Nashville Loaâging C0. v. Resolutl`on Trust Corp., 59 F.3d 236, 246 (D.C. Cir. 1995). But Winkal ignores that the general damages provision also makes clear that its allowance for actual direct compensatory damages applies â[e]xcept as otherwise providedâ in âparagraph[] (4),â among other provisions 12 U.S.C. § 1821(e)(3)(A). As discussed, paragraph (4) is the paragraph governing the FDICâs repudiation of leases with failed institutions as lessees Critically, paragraph (4) specifies that a receiver âshall not be liable 11 for any damages (other than damages determined pursuant to subparagraph (B)) for the disaffirmance or repudiation of such lease.â Iaâ. § 1821(e)(4)(A) (emphasis added). ââAny,â after all, means any.â Foraâ v. Mabus, 629 F.3d 198, 206 (D.C. Cir. 2010) (citing Um`teaâ States v. Gonzales, 520 U.S. 1, 5 (1997)). When it comes to lease agreements of the type at issue here, therefore, FIRREAâs text limits the repudiation-liability of the FDIC to Only those damages covered by subsection (e)(4)(B). See FDIC v. Mahoney, 141 F.3d 913, 915 (9th Cir. 1998) (âCongress has chosen to treat every lease under the provisions of 12 U.S.C. § 1821(e)(4).`â); Fl`rst Bank Natâl Assân, 79 F.3d at 367 (â[W]e construe subsection (e)(4)(B) to govern the receiverâs overall liability for damages when it repudiates a lease.â); Um`sys Finance Corp. v. Resolutl`on Trust Corp., 979 F.2d 609, 610- 1 1 (7th Cir. 1992) (subsection (e)(4)(A) is âexplicit in cutting offthe lessorâs right to obtain damages for the receiverâs repudiation or disaffirmance of a leaseâ except for specified claims); Qz', 755 F. Supp. 2d at 202 n.6 (lt is âclear that § 1821(e)(4) alone appliesâ to plaintiff"s claims based on repudiation of lease.). Although the damages covered by subsection (e)(4)(B) include claims for âcontractual rentâ and âunpaid rent,â they do not include claims for other kinds of âactual direct compensatory damagesâ_including the reliance damages Winkal now seeks 12 U.S.C. § 182l(e)(4)(B)(i)-(iii). Winkalâs âLandlordâs Workâ claim for $130,633 therefore fails as a matter of law and the FDIC is entitled to summary judgment.2 2 Our Circuit has not addressed the interplay between 12 U.S.C. § 1821(e)(3)(A) and (e)(4). See Ql`, 755 F. Supp. 2d at 202 n.7. Winkalâs primary counterargument is that (e)(4)(A) narrowly limits recovery of only those damages directly resulting |`rom a repudiation (t`or example, a termination penalty), leaving (e)(3)(A)âs allowance for a broader range of compensatory damages largely intaet. See Winkal Mem. 1 1-12 (citing Pr'wreer Bank& Trus! Cr). v. Re.s'o.-%'utfun Tr:.:s.f Cory)., 793 F. Supp. 828 {N.D. I|l. 1992)). 12 B. Winkalâs Claim for Repairing and Restoring Premises Winkal next claims that it is entitled to recover expenses associated with repairing the damage done to the Premises by WaMu and restoring the Premises to allow for occupancy by a new tenant. Winkal argues that such recovery is appropriate under the âunpaid rentâ provision of FIRREA because the Lease bound WaMu to maintain the Premises as âadditional rentâ for WaMuâs occupancy. Lease art. VI. Under that theory, Winkal seeks: 1) its out-of-pocket expenses to repair the Premises, which total $101,046.85; and 2) the $86,352.95 expended by Nails Supply to complete the necessary repairs See Pl.âs Reply 14. For the reasons discussed below, 1 conclude that Winkal is entitled to summary judgment on the FDICâs liability under the âunpaid rentâ provision, but 1 deny without prejudice summary judgment on the issue of Winkalâs damages 1. liability As discussed, pursuant to FlRREAâs lease repudiation provisions, a lessor such as Winkal has a âclaim for any unpaid rentâ owed by the institution-lessee âas of the date of the appointmentâ of a receiver. 12 U.S.C. § 1821(e)(4)(B)(iii). ln contrast to subsection To begin, Winkalâs contention is undermined by the fact that (e)(3)(A)âs general damages provision authorizes damages ât`or the disaffirmance or repudiation of`any contract"_the same phrase that, according to Winka|, cabins the scope ol"(e)(4) to only those damages flowing directly from a repudiation. Winkal has provided no convincing reason to âabandon jthej usual presumption that identical words used in different parts of the same statute early the same meaning.â Henson v. Santanaâer Consmn.er USA !rrc., 137 S. Ct. 1718, 1723 (2017) (internal quotation marks omitted), l thus decline Winkalâs invitation to read the same phrase more broadly in (e)(3)(A) than in (e)(4)(A). ln addition, as the Third Circuit has persuasively explained, Winkalâs reading of (e)(4)(A) renders subsection (e)(4)(B)(iii) superfluous: lf subsection (e)(4)(A) only precludes recovery ol` damages flowing directly from a repudiation, then the (e)(4)(l3)(iii) âunpaid rentâ exception would be unnecessary because â[s]uch unpaid rent is not a claim that stems from the disaffirmance or repudiation ofthe lease." Fr'rs! Bank Nar'! A.s's ân, 79 F.3d at 367. That provides an additional reason to reject Winkalâs proposed reading of (e)(3)(/-\) and (e)(4)(A). C_'f.` Advoca!e Hea]lh Care Ne!irork v. Slap/eton, 137 S. Ct. 1652, 1659 {2017) (âOur practice, however, is to give effect, if possible, to every clause and word ofa statute.â). 13 (e)(4)(B)(i)âs allowance for âcontractual rent,â which covers âonly fixed, regular, periodic payments,â courts have interpreted âunpaid rentâ to encompass âclaims for obligations other than the periodic monetary rent imposed by a lease.â Qt`, 755 F. Supp. 2d at 201 (internal quotation marks and brackets omitted) (quoting First Bank Natâl Ass ân, 79 F.3d at 368). When determining whether a lesseeâs obligation falls within the scope of the âunpaid rentâ provision, courts look to the lease to determine whether the obligation was âa duty assumed by the lessee as consideration for the occupation of the leased premises.â ld. at 202. Applying that test, the âseveral courts that have delved into the issue have found that repair and maintenance costs qualify as âunpaid rentâ in circumstances where a tenant has assumed the duty to maintain or repair all of the leased premises, or at least the portion of the leased premises at issue.â Id. at 205 (_collecting cases); see Ft`rst Bank Natâl Ass ân, 79 F.3d at 368 (contractual obligation to âkeep the premises in good condition and repairâ and âensure that the premises were maintained lawfullyâ constituted âunpaid rentâ for purposes ofFlRREA). Applying the same reasoning here, the Court easily concludes that Winkal is entitled to recover the money necessary to repair and restore the Premises. Central to the analysis is Article VI of the Lease, which sets forth the partiesâ duties for âmaintenance and repair ofthe premises.â Lease art. Vl (capitalization altered). Article Vl specifies that â[a]s additional rent and at the sole cost and expenseâ of WaMu, WaMu âshall at all times keep all parts of the Premises . . . in good order, good condition and good repair.â Id. (emphasis added). lt similarly states that WaMu âshall permit no injury to the Premises,â and âshall, at its own cost and expense, replace as necessary all systems, appurtenances, equipment and components on the Premises which may be broken or 14 damaged.â Id. Finally, Article Vl provides that upon âexpiration or earlier termination of the Term,â WaMu âshall surrender the Premises . . . in as good condition as the same is on the Commencement Date,â reasonable wear and tear excepted. Id. Pursuant to Article Vl of the Lease, then, it was WaMu who took on the âdutyâ to maintain and keep the Premises in good order and to return the Premises to Winkal in âas good conditionâ as when the Lease commenced. Qz`, 755 F. Supp. 2d at 202. WaMu did so not in a spontaneous act of corporate altruism, but â[a]s additional rentâ pursuant to the plain terms of the Lease. Lease art. Vl. By terminating the Lease and turning over the property in a state of disrepair, the FDlC, standing in the shoes of WaMu, breached that contractual âdutyâ and failed to provide part of the consideration WaMu promised âfor the occupation of the leased premises.â Qi, 755 F. Supp. 2d at 202. Therefore, under FlRREAâs âunpaid rentâ provision, Winkal is entitled to recover the amounts necessary to repair and restore the Premises.3 The FDICâs primary counterargument is that it owes no âunpaid rentâ7 to Winkal because WaMuâs obligation to surrender the Premises in as good condition as received was not âdue,â and thus had not accrued, at the time of the receivership. See, e.g., FDIC Oppân 6-8. That argument makes little sense when it comes to ongoing contractual obligations, such as the obligation to maintain a leased property. The FDIC asserts that ongoing contractual obligations accrue only at the end of the original contract term. Yet in the 3 Contrary to the FDICâs argument, the fact that Nails Supply agreed to perform some of the necessary repair work does not excuse the FDIC froln its statutory duty to pay any âunpaid rentâ owed to Winkal at the time of the appointment lndeed, as Winkal points out, the value of the work performed by Nails Supply âis a means by which to calculateâ the amount of WaMuâs âunpaid rentâ obligation. Pl.âs Oppân to Def.âs l\/lot. Summ. J. [Dkt. # 37] ll n.8. 15 context of a repudiation, the appointment of a receiver necessarily occurs prior to the end of the original contract term. Thus, under the FDICâs âaccrualâ theory, it would be virtually impossible for a property-lessor such as Winkal to recover âunpaid rentâ following a FDIC repudiation, even when a lessee-institution with a contractual obligation to maintain the leased property leaves the property in a state of disrepair. Our Circuit has previously rejected similar FDlC arguments See O]jâice & Profâl E)nps. Intâl Unz`On, Local 2 v. FDIC, 27 F.3d 598, 601 (D.C. Cir. 1994) (fact that employees were not entitled to severance pay until termination, which followed receivership and union contract repudiation, did not mean that employeesâ contractual rights to severance pay had failed to accrue as of receivership). l do the same here. 2. Damages The fact that the FDIC is liable under the âunpaid rentâ provision does not answer just how much money Winkal may recover. As discussed, the FDICâs âunpaid rentâ liability stems from WaMuâs contractual obligations to âkeep all parts of the Premises . . . in good order, good condition and good repairâ and to âsurrender the Premises . . . in as good condition as the same is on the Commencement Date.â Lease art. Vl. As such, the amount of` âunpaid rentâ due is the value of the work: 1) that is necessary to return the Premises to âas good condition asâ it was on the Commencement Date and 2) that is chargeable to WaMu as âadditional rentâ under Article Vl of the Lease, rather than carved out and made chargeable to Winkal under other provisions of the Lease. From those two limitations, it follows that Winkal is not entitled to recover the value of construction work for which it, and not Wal\/Iu, was responsible Nor is Winkal entitled to recover the cost 16 of construction activities beyond the scope of work necessary to repair (rather than upgrade) the Premises. Under those principles, the question of Winkalâs asserted damages remains open. To begin, on Winkalâs own admission, âthe parties dispute a $47,507 charge from the Gill Company for reestablishing electrical service to the building and related electrical work,â and Winkal thus has not pursued summary judgment on that set of expenses Pl.âs Statement of Genuine lssues Oppân to FDICâs SOl\/IF 7 n.3 [Dkt. # 37-1]. ln addition, and unsurprisingly given that the FDICâs liability was not settled at the time Winkal filed its motion for summary judgment, neither Winkal nor the FDlC has briefed the question of damages in a way that reflects the proper scope of the FDICâs âunpaid rentâ liability. 1n general, Winkal has not adequately explained why certain expenses are properly categorized as necessary repairs under Article Vl of the Lease-and thus encompassed by the âunpaid rentâ provision#rather than upgrades contemplated by WaMuâs abandoned âTenantâs Workâ plans Winkal has not clarified, for example, why it should be entitled to recover expenses associated with installing a âfire suppression systemâ when there was no such system on the Premises when WaMu took possession. See Rethman Decl. jj 5. The same goes for the expenses associated with bringing the building into ADA compliance Id. ln short, 1 am not presently convinced, given the current record and briefing, that there remain no genuine issues of material fact with respect to Winkalâs damages After considering this Courtâs liability holding and, in particular, the issues just discussed, Winkal may file a renewed summary judgment motion addressing damages The parties 17 may also, of course, seek to resolve the outstanding issue of damages without need for additional intervention by this Court. For now, 1 will deny summary judgment to Winkal on the question of damages without prejudice C. Winkalâs Claim for Completing âTenantâs Workâ The final category of damages Winkal seeks is $153,078.33 for hiring a contractor to complete Wal\/Iuâs abandoned âTenantâs Work.â Pl.âs Mem. 15. According to Winkal, that work would have resulted in a âcompletely upgraded Premises, including all ADA access requirements a remodeled exterior, and all new interior improvements as required for a typical bank building.â Winkal SOMF jj 43. Winkal argues that its âTenantâs Workâ claim represents âadditional âunpaid rentââ under 12 U.S.C. § 1821(e)(4)(B)(iii).4 Winkalâs âTenantâs Workâ claim falters from the start. That is because the claim was not among the categories of claims presented to the FDIC in Winkalâs Proof of Claim. Winkal concedes that FIRREA ârequires a claimant to file an administrative claim with the FDIC before it seeks damages in district court.â Pl.âs Mem. 7 (citing 12 U.S.C. § 1821(d)). Winkal argues that it satisfied that requirement with respect to its âTenantâs Workâ claim by filing a Proof of Claim that sought â[a]ctual direct compensatory damages caused by the Tenant as a result of its partial demolition of the leasehold property which the Landlord is now required to correct and/or restore.â Proof of Claim Ex. A. 1 disagree 4 Winkal also hints that its âTenantâs Workâ claim falls within subsection (e)(3)âs allowance for âactual direct compensatory damages.â That claim fails for the same reasons explained in the discussion of Winkalâs âLandlordâs Workâ claim. 18 Winkalâs Proof of Claim sought reimbursement for the work performed to âcorrect and/or restoreâ the Premises âas a result of" Wal\/[uâs âpartial demolition of the leasehold property.â Id. But the money spent to correct WaMuâs demolition damage and restore the demolished property is the subject of Winkalâs âunpaid rentâ claim for expenses associated with repairing the Premises. Nowhere in the Proof of Claim did Winkal put the FDIC on notice of` its intent to seek damages associated with completing the additional âTenantâs Workâ_work Winkal concedes would go above and beyond the construction work necessary to âcorrect and/or restoreâ the Premises following Wal\/Iuâs demolition. Therefore, this is not a situation in which Winkal is seeking an additional âdollar amountâ for âthe sameâ claim originally filed with the FDlC. Interlease Corp. v. FDIC, 837 F. Supp. 1, 3 (D.D.C. 1993), lt is one in which Winkal is asking this Court to award damages arising from an entirely new claim not presented to the FDlC. Such efforts are barred by FlRREAâs administrative exhaustion requirement See Westl)erg, 741 F.3d at 1303; cf Autu)nnwood Assocs. v. Resolution Trust Corp., No. Civ. A. 94-5961, 1995 WL 458876, at ââ3 (E.D. Pa. Aug. 2, 1995) (dismissing claims for failure to meet exhaustion requirement when amounts sought represented ânew categories of damagesâ as compared to those contained in administrative claim). Accordingly, l deny summary judgment to Winkal on its âTenantâs Workâ claim and grant summary judgment to the FDIC.5 5 Becausc Winkalâs failure to exhaust is dispositive 1 do not address the validity of Winkalâs âTenantâs Workâ claim beyond briefly noting my skepticisln. At bottom, Winkalâs claim seeks to avoid its loss ofâthe benefit ofits bargain to receive 5547, l 70 ofwork to be completed on its Premises"` and âgreater rental [rates] for the Premises than it was later able to receive.â Pl.âs l\/lem. 15 n.6 (emphasis omitted); l\/louck Decl. Ex. A, at 6. Our Circuit and others, however, have noted that FIRREA bars recovery ofthose kinds of expectation damages See Of/ice & Profâl Elnps. Int'l Unl'on, Local 2, 27 F.3d at 604; Alltel Info. Servs., Inc., 194 F.3d at 1040-41. 19 To be sure, Winkal is not receiving the same relief to which it would be entitled were this a traditional contract case But this half-a-loaf result is dictated by FlRREAâs limitations on the FDICâs repudiation liability_limitations that, according to our Circuit, help advance Congressâs âinterest of maximizing the number of creditors who can recover some portion of what they are owedâ by failed institutions such as WaMu. Nashville Lodging Co., 59 F.3d at 241. To the extent that Congressâs legislative scheme is leading to unfair or counterintuitive results, it is up to that body, not this Court, to modify it.6 CONCLUSION For the foregoing reasons, the Court GRANTS lN PART and DENIES lN PART without prejudice Winkalâs Motion for Summary Judgment and GRANTS lN PART and DENIES lN PART the FDICâs Motion for Summary Judgment. An Order consistent with this decision accompanies this l\/lemorandum Opinion. dam RICI§ARD J<ljlg\! United States istrict Judge h Winkalâs amended complaint also seeks damages under the contract law doctrines of unjust enrichment and promissory estoppe!. See First Am. Compl. Claims lI-Ill. The purpose of FIRREAâs finely wrought damages regime, however, is to "`|imit[] damages for repudiation to those cnurneratedâ in the statute Alltel. liq)âb. Servs,, lac., 194 F.3d at 1039. FlRRE`,Aâs scheme would be all but meaningless were a company able to sidestep those statutory limitations by asserting alternative contract law theories such as those Winkal presses Cf MCI Co)nmc âns Servs., Inc., 808 F. Supp. 2d at 28, 35. 1 therefore reject Winkalâs alternative unjust enrichment and promissory estoppel arguments 20 Case Information
- Court
- D.D.C.
- Decision Date
- December 13, 2017
- Status
- Precedential