Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca10-89-03070/USCOURTS-ca10-89-03070-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 210
Nature of Suit: Land Condemnation
Cause of Action: 

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PUBLISH 

FILED 

United Stift, Cm!rt Qf Appeals 

Tenth Circuit 

MAY 2 1990 

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS 

TENTH CIRCUIT 

ROBERT t, HOECKER 

Clerk 

JOHN GRIFFIN; SONDRA GRIFFIN, 

Husband and Wife, 

Plaintiffs-Appellants, 

v. 

FEDERAL LAND BANK OF WICHITA, 

a Federally Chartered Corporation, 

Defendant-Appellee. 

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No. 89-3070 

APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

FOR THE DISTRICT OF KANSAS 

(D.C. No. C-88-1599) 

Ann M. Zimmerman of Legal Services of Wichita, Wichita, Kansas, 

for Plaintiffs-Appellants. 

Laurie B. Williams (Martin R. Ufford on the brief) of Redmond, 

Redmond & Nazar, Wichita, Kansas, for Defendant-Appellee. 

Before McKAY, BARRETT, Circuit Judges, and KANE,* District Judge. 

*Honorable John L. Kane, Senior District 

District Court for the District of 

designation. 

PER CURIAM. 

Judge, United States 

Colorado, sitting by 

Appellate Case: 89-3070 Document: 010110296434 Date Filed: 05/02/1990 Page: 1
This case presents the issue whether plaintiffs-appellants 

John and Sondra Griffin can maintain a private right of action to 

enforce the provisions of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1987 (the 

Act). 1 We hold they may not, and affirm on that basis. 

FACTS 

The Griffins originally filed suit in the United States 

District Court for the District of Kansas seeking adjudication of 

their rights under the Act. The plaintiffs are Kansas farmers who 

mortgaged their property in the early 1980's to finance a seed 

company. When the farm economy collapsed in the mid-eighties, the 

Griffins became unable to make their payments to the mortgagee, 

Federal Land Bank of Wichita (FLB). John Griffin filed for 

Chapter 7 bankruptcy in February, 1986, and his debts, including 

the note held by FLB, were discharged on June 26, 1986. In 

February, 1987, FLB began foreclosure proceedings on the property. 

Judgment was entered on December 2, 1987. A duly noticed sale was 

scheduled for and held on January 11, 1988, with FLB acquiring the 

property. The Act went into effect five days earlier, on 

January 6, 1988. 

Pursuant to Kansas law, the Griffins were allowed a six-month 

redemption period during which they could repurchase their 

property following the sa+e. 2 They took no action and were forced 

to vacate the premises on July 11, 1988. The property at issue 

l 

2 

12 u.s.c. §§ 2001-2279aa-14 (1988). 

Kan. Stat. Ann. § 60-2414(q). 

2 

Appellate Case: 89-3070 Document: 010110296434 Date Filed: 05/02/1990 Page: 2
consists of approximately 300 acres of land and a residential 

home. 

PROCEDURAL HISTORY 

The Griffins' complaint was filed in October, 1988. In it, 

they sought money damages, as well as injunctive and declaratory 

relief under the Act, which was passed to provide credit 

assistance to farmers and to strengthen the Farm Credit System. 

H.R. Rep. No. 295(I), 100th Cong., 1st Sess., 1, reprinted in 1987 

U.S. Code Cong. & Admin. News 2723. The parties filed 

cross-motions for summary judgment in November, 1988. On 

February 16, 1989, the district court issued its order denying 

Griffins' motion and granting FLB's. Griffin v. Federal Land Bank 

of Wichita, 708 F. Supp. 313, 320 (D. Kan. 1989). This appeal 

followed. The trial court did not address the question whether 

the Griffins can maintain a private right of action to enforce the 

Act. Apparently, the issue was not raised. Therefore, we 

directed the parties to file supplemental briefs addressing this 

question. 

DISCUSSION 

Only two circuit courts have addressed this threshold 

jurisdictional issue. In Harper v. Federal Land Bank of Spokane, 

878 F.2d 1172 (9th Cir. 1989), cert. denied, 110 S. Ct. 867 

(1990), the Ninth Circuit held the Act does not provide 

individuals a· private cause of action. Id. at 1177. Conversely, 

in Zajac v. Federal Land Bank of St. Paul, 887 F.2d 844 (8th Cir. 

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Appellate Case: 89-3070 Document: 010110296434 Date Filed: 05/02/1990 Page: 3
1989), a panel of the Eighth Circuit held that individual farmers 

may sue to enforce the provisions of the Act. 3 The United States 

district courts are also equally divided on this question. See, 

~, Renick Bros., Inc. v. Federal Land Bank Ass'n of Dodge City, 

721 F. Supp. 1198, 1201-02 (D. Kan. 1989); Walker v. Federal Land 

Bank of St. Louis, 726 F. Supp. 211, 218 (C.D. Ill. 1989); In re 

Jarrett Ranches, Inc., 107 Bankr. 963, 969 (D.S.D. 1989); Leckband 

v. Naylor, 715 F. Supp. 1451, 1454 (D. Minn. 1988). 

After considering the briefs and decisional law, the court 

has concluded the Ninth Circuit's analysis in Harper v. Federal 

Land Bank of Spokane is correct and we join that circuit in 

holding that there is no private right of action available to 

enforce the Act. The decision of the trial court dismissing the 

action is affirmed on this basis. In light of our disposition, we 

need not reach the merits of this case. 

The decision of the United States District Court for the 

District of Kansas is AFFIRMED. 

3 The Zajac decision has 

bane. 

been vacated pending 

4 

rehearing en 

Appellate Case: 89-3070 Document: 010110296434 Date Filed: 05/02/1990 Page: 4