No. 20-461

United States, ex rel., Charles W. Houpt v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.

Lower Court: Ninth Circuit
Docketed: 2020-10-13
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Response Waived
Tags: accountability false-claims-act fraud fraudulent-conduct government-intervention qui-tam-relator relator sba-guarantee statute-of-limitations
Key Terms:
Securities Privacy JusticiabilityDoctri
Latest Conference: 2020-12-04
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether the Ninth Circuit erred in holding that a three year statute of limitations applied

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

QUESTIONS PRESENTED Houpt brought a claim against Wells Fargo Bank under the Federal False Claims Act. After the United States declined to intervene, Houpt proceeded with the case as a Relator. At issue were allegations of false certifications by the bank when it obtained a pre-liquidation SBA guarantee in May of 2010 and a failure of the bank to repay the guarantee payment to the SBA when the bank received the liquidated funds in March of 2014. The District Court dismissed the case on summary judgment, by finding that a three-year statute of limitations applied under 31 U.S.C. § 3731(b)(2). Houpt appealed to the Ninth Circuit, which upheld the District Court’s interpretation of the statute of limitations. The District Court also held that no disputed fact existed as to whether the bank had reimbursed the SBA in March of 2014. The questions presented are: 1. Whether the Ninth Circuit erred in holding that a three year statute of limitations applied when this Court has settled Circuit court conflicts by finding that the ten year statute of limitations under 31 U.S.C. § 3731(b)(2) would apply for Relator pursued FCA claims where the government has not intervened. 2. Whether the bank’s failure to comply with any of the strict reporting and accountability provisions of 13 CFR § 120.524(a) and (b) documenting its liquidation process including the repayment of an SBA guarantee payment raises material issues of fact as to whether it engaged in fraudulent conduct. i

Docket Entries

2020-12-07
Petition DENIED.
2020-11-10
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 12/4/2020.
2020-10-20
Waiver of right of respondent Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. to respond filed.
2020-09-03
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due November 12, 2020)

Attorneys

Charles Houpt
Nathan Miles OlsenPetersen Moss Hall & Olsen, Petitioner
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
Trevor L. HartPerry Law, P.C., Respondent