Conti: WTS Motion re Appeal Bond - WTS Motion 10/26, Conti's Opposition 11/02, WTS Reply 11/06

by DNCall 57 Replies latest jw friends

  • cedars
    cedars

    AnnOMaly - I apologize! "Reason to believe" was a bit strong. I should have called it more of a hunch based on information I'm receiving. All I'm saying is, I understand there are insurance companies like Travelers who specialize in "posting" bonds on behalf of their clients without actually paying hard cash. They accept property as surety from their clients, but it is more expensive for Watchtower to do it this way than offer property to the court directly as surety themselves.

    If someone can contradict this understanding, I am willing to stand corrected.

    You must admit, it seems odd that Watchtower would have no problems just handing over 17.3 million in cash, but kick up a fuss over a couple of hundred thousand dollars which they will be entitled to receive back if they win, even if they are doubtful of being able to get it. Surely that's Candace's problem to worry about, not Watchtower's?

    Cedars

  • AnnOMaly
    AnnOMaly

    Surely that's Candace's problem to worry about, not Watchtower's?

    Not quite. It's Watchtower's problem too. They don't want to lose any of their cash if it can be avoided. They don't have a hope of recovering that kind of money from Candace.

    All I'm saying is, I understand there are insurance companies like Travelers who specialize in "posting" bonds on behalf of their clients without actually paying hard cash.

    OK, noted. ...

    ... Ooh now look what I've just come across:

    http://www.heylroyster.com/_data/files/Articles%20Chapters/140362%20IDC%20Quarterly%20Elward%20Appeal%20Bonds%20in%20Civl%20Cases.pdf

    Check out p. 3. Of course, this relates to the rules in Illinois, but is it applicable here?

    "Posting The Insurance Policy

    For cases covered by insurance, Rule 305(j) permits the appellant to post the insurance policy as a bond."

    Hmm. Perhaps you're right. Perhaps the insurance policy with the $86k premium is being used in lieu of the bond.

  • cedars
    cedars

    AnnOMaly

    Hmm. Perhaps you're right. Perhaps the insurance policy with the $86k premium is being used in lieu of the bond.

    Yes, I would be EXTREMELY surprised if any actual money has been paid to the court, let alone in the amounts suggested.

    It's easy to read Watchtower's side of the story and assume that's all there is to it, but there's a heavy odour of strategizing surrounding this motion. I believe the premium is just being used as a vehicle to try to lower the amount of costs involved in keeping the bond in place over the course of the proceedings - especially if they drag on (as I'm sure Watchtower hopes they will). One thing's for sure - Candace's team are having none of it.

    If I were Candace, I'd be rather offended at the accusation that I would spend all the premium money and not repay it if it were legally demanded from me. Again, correct me if I'm wrong, but what's to stop her just dumping it in a high interest account so she can produce it again in the future if she needs to?

    Cedars

  • AnnOMaly
    AnnOMaly

    If I were Candace, I'd be rather offended at the accusation that I would spend all the premium money and not repay it if it were legally demanded from me. Again, correct me if I'm wrong, but what's to stop her just dumping it in a high interest account so she can produce it again in the future if she needs to?

    I don't follow. How would Candace get her hands on the premium money???

    By the way, Cedars,

    You'll want to check out,

    This helpful article,

    I found on supersedeas.

    (shoulda been a poet)

  • cedars
    cedars

    Hi AnnOMaly

    Thanks for sending me that information!

    Re. your question, I was referring to this...

    The WTS argues that using Patterson as surety will benefit the Plaintiff because it is "more that adequate security for the prompt payment of the Amended Judgment" if she prevails on appeal, as well as relieving her of the liability of having to pay back the bond premiums if she doesn't.

    Have I got the wrong end of the stick? How else might Candace have a problem paying back the bond premiums if she doesn't spend them?

    Cedars

  • AnnOMaly
    AnnOMaly

    LOL, ya doofus! The WTS have to pay Travelers (not Candace!) a premium to secure/insure the bond. If the cash bond remains set at $17.2 million and the WTS wins the appeal and, let's say, the judgment is completely overturned, the $17.2 million reverts back to the WTS. But the WTS is still out of pocket to the tune of $86/170/200 thousand. They are entitled by law to recover the money they were forced to pay out in premiums to Travelers from the losing appellee/plaintiff.

    I know what it was - "pay back" may have given you the impression the premiums were paid to Candace (LOL, the very thought!). I should have expressed it more clearly, perhaps.

  • cedars
    cedars

    Thanks AnnOMaly - sorry for getting the wrong end of the stick!

    Cedars

  • Justitia Themis
    Justitia Themis

    Here is some information that useful because, 1) it is from an authoritative legal secondary source, 2) it references the relevant California Codes it is addressing which will help those wishing to perform further research. The question I have is whether the property can be used since real property is not one of the “acceptable securities” listed in CCP s 995.710(a), OR if it is allowed, whether it is restricted to California real property. Unfortunately, I am buried in school, and I will not be able to research this for weeks.

    However, please note*, I have not read the latest pleadings, and so I don’t even know if these California Codes are the one upon which the WTS is relying. I am NOT familiar with California law (that’s why I am researching it), and there may be another Code/s that applies. Therefore, if these particular codes are not mentioned in their briefs, this information doesn’t apply.

    In addition, I no longer think 144,001 is an attorney. If s/he were an attorney, he would have understood my post on Cedar’s other thread and would not have emotionally responded that I was trying to “goad” her/him into declaring if she/he is a lawyer. If one posts that ‘X is true,’ one needs to cite to authority. Attorneys never cite to themselves, and if one ever did cite to him or herself, they would have no problem saying that they know ‘X is true’ based on their career, which is all I asked of 144,001. However, attorneys are trained to cite to a legal authority. 144,001 does not do that. S/he merely posts conclusory statements (X is true), and then challenges others to ‘prove him wrong.’ Based on her/his actions, I suspect 144,001 is a paralegal or legal assistant that has some knowledge about California. Nevertheless, paralegals’ information should not be automatically discounted because they do tend to understand the law in which they work.

    ACIVAPP CH. 7-C

    Cal. Prac. Guide Civ. App. & Writs Ch. 7-C

    California Practice Guide: Civil Appeals and Writs, Jon B. Eisenberg, Ellis J. Horvitz, and Justice Howard B. Wiener (Ret.) Chapter 7. Stays And Supersedeas

    [7:96] Purpose: The security requirement is intended to provide monetary protection to a prevailing respondent: i.e., appellant’s security is essentially the "quid pro quo" for respondent's giving up the right to enforce the judgment. Through a bond or undertaking, a third person (surety) basically promises in writing to pay a sum of money to respondent on appellant's behalf should respondent prevail on appeal and appellant fail to comply with the affirmed judgment or order. "The statute [CCP s 917.1] is clearly designed to protect the judgment won in the trial court from becoming uncollectible while the judgment is subject to appellate review ... A successful litigant will have an assured source of funds to meet the amount of the money judgment, costs and postjudgment interest after postponing enjoyment of a trial court victory." [Grant v. Super.Ct. (Bank of America) (1990) 225 CA3d 929, 934, 275 CR 564, 568; Lewin v. Anselmo (1997) 56 CA4th 694, 700, 65 CR2d 682, 686; see also City of Lodi v. Randtron (2004) 118 CA4th 337, 362-363, 13 CR3d 107, 124]

    (b) [7:113] Insurer's conditions to furnishing bond or undertaking: Admitted surety insurers charge a fee (or "premium") for a bond or undertaking, and also require appellant to supply them with some form of security. Depending on the size of the bond or undertaking and the type of appellant (e.g., an individual or a major corporation), the surety's annual premium can be as low as .25% or as high as 1% (or more) of the bonded amount. [See Rossa v. D.L. Falk Const., Inc. (2012) 53 C4th 387, 389, 394, 135 CR3d 329, 331, 335 (citing text)]

    [7:116] Deposit in Lieu of Bond or Undertaking: A stay dependent upon giving a bond or undertaking can alternatively be secured by depositing cash or certain negotiable securities with the trial court. [CCP s 995.710; 7:191 ff.] This approach avoids the cost of obtaining security from an admitted surety insurer. A deposit given in lieu of a bond "has the same force and effect, is treated the same, and is subject to the same conditions, liability, and statutory provisions, including provisions for increase and decrease of amount, as the bond." [CCP s 995.730]

    a. [7:117] Amount of deposit: The amount of the deposit (in cash or acceptable securities, below) must at least equal the amount that would be required of a bond or undertaking from an admitted surety insurer. (In the case of bearer bonds or notes, their market value is determinative; see P 7:194 ff.) [CCPs 995.710(b)]

    b. [7:118] Acceptable securities: Appellant's deposit may be made, in whole or in part, by any of the following types of securities (CCP s 995.710(a)):

    * Federal or California bearer bonds or notes (CCP s 995.710(a)(2) (see P 7:118.1));

    * Certificates of deposit (not exceeding the federally insured amount) made payable to the court (CCP s 995.710(a)(3));

    * Savings accounts (not exceeding the federally insured amount) assigned to the court (CCP s 995.710(a)(4));

    * Savings and loan association investment certificates or share accounts (not exceeding the federally insured amount) assigned to the court (CCP s 995.710(a)(5)); and/or

    * Credit union certificates for funds or share accounts (not exceeding the federally insured amount) assigned to the court (CCP s 995.710(a)(6)).

    [7:134] Trial court discretion to order stay without undertaking to protect set-off (CCP s 918.5): If the judgment debtor (appellant) has another action pending on a disputed claim against the judgment creditor (respondent), the trial court has discretion to stay the appealed judgment or order without a bond or undertaking in order to protect the potential set-off. [CCP s 918.5; Airfloor Co. of Calif., Inc. v. Regents of Univ. of Calif. (1979) 97 CA3d 739, 741, 158 CR 856, 857]

    In exercising its discretion under s 918.5, the court must consider:

    * The likelihood the judgment debtor will prevail in the other action;

    * The amount of the judgment creditor's judgment as compared to the amount of the judgment debtor's probable recovery in the other action; and

    * The judgment creditor's financial ability to satisfy the judgment if a judgment is rendered against him or her in the other action. [CCP s 918.5(b)(1)-(3)

    7:191] Procedure for Deposit in Lieu of Bond or Undertaking: Courts are permitted to prescribe their own terms and conditions for a deposit of cash or negotiable securities in lieu of a bond or undertaking on appeal (P 7:116 ff.). [CCP s 995.710(d)] Hence, the applicable procedure is likely to vary from county to county. The general rules below apply in all cases; but counsel should contact the trial court clerk for specific local procedures.

    [7:192] Amount of deposit: The amount of the deposit must at least equal the amount that would be required of a bond or undertaking from an admitted urety insurer. [CCP s 995.710(b)]

    [7:193] Cash or certain securities: The deposit may be made in cash or in statutorily-specified securities. [See CCP s 995.710(a); and P 7:118 ff

  • Tylinbrando
    Tylinbrando

    AnnoMaly stated:

    The WTS argues that using Patterson as surety will benefit the Plaintiff because it is "more that adequate security for the prompt payment of the Amended Judgment" if she prevails on appeal, as well as relieving her of the liability of having to pay back the bond premiums if she doesn't

    Then to clarify if it is Candace with liability to pay back the bond stated:

    The WTS have to pay Travelers (not Candace!) a premium to secure/insure the bond. If the cash bond remains set at $17.2 million and the WTS wins the appeal and, let's say, the judgment is completely overturned, the $17.2 million reverts back to the WTS. But the WTS is still out of pocket to the tune of $86/170/200 thousand. They are entitled by law to recover the money they were forced to pay out in premiums to Travelers from the losing appellee/plaintiff.

    Confusing to say the least. If Watchtower is paying Travelers, why would they be concerned about getting their money back if they win their appeal? Candace wont have access to the money, therefore she can't spend it. Why is Watchtower going through the trouble of substituting Patterson as a bond then the cash. It appears they are protected from losing the cash bond no matter what. Therefore what is the reason behind their motion? Are they trying to protect the interest on the cash bond they will lose if it is spent out?

  • AnnOMaly
    AnnOMaly

    The basic principle:

    The appeal bond is to ensure the judgment money is put aside safe while the appeal process goes through. The appellants (WTS) have to arrange the bond so that they can readily pay the judgment if they lose the appeal. Neither side can touch the money bonded until a decision on the appeal is made. A bond is procured through an intermediary agent - in this case, Travelers. The agent requires a premium for doing this service which is calculated on the amount bonded.

    If the WTS loses the appeal, the judgment money goes to Candace. If the WTS wins and manages to overturn the judgment, the money in the bond is returned to them. However, if the WTS wins the appeal and overturns the judgment, Candace has to 'compensate' the WTS for the premiums paid to Travelers for securing the bond. At worst, that could be up to $200,000 in total. Candace doesn't have that kind of money (she's lost the appeal, right? - she has nothing). So the WTS will be out of pocket in the order of $200,000 at worst.

    The WTS is trying to avoid that loss. If they could substitute property as surety for the judgment instead of having a cash bond with its sky-high premiums, they don't lose the premium money if they win the appeal, and Candace would be let off the hook of being liable for 'compensating' them for those premiums. The Patterson property is worth way more than the bond and its premiums, the WTS argue, so should be more than adequate as a substitution for them.

    Make any more sense, Tylin?

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