N O T FO R PUB L ICAT IO N UNITED STATES C OUR T OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH C IR C UIT

FEDER AL DEPOSIT INSUR

ANC E C ORPOR ATION, a s R e c e ive r for Va lle y C a p ita l B ank, N.A., a

Nationa l Assoc iation, Plaintiff - Appe lle e , v. FR ANK D. OR TW INE; POLLY ANN OR TW INE, husba

nd a nd wife ; INTER B ANC INVESTM ENT PAR TNER S, L.P., a

n Ariz o na lim ite d pa rtne rship, De fe nda

nts - Appe lla

nts. No. 13-15636

D.C . No. 2:10-c v-01178-GM S
M EM O R ANDUM *

Appe a l from

the Unite d

Stat e s Distric t C ourt for the Distric t of Ariz o na G . M urray

Snow, Distric t Judge , Pre siding Subm itte d

Nove m b e r 16, 2015 ** San Fran c isc o , C a lifornia 

# F IL ED
JAN 15 2016 M OLLY C. DW Y E R, CLERK U. S. CO URT O F APPEALS

* This disposition is not a ppropria te for public at ion a

nd is not pre c e de nt e xc e pt a s provide d

by 9th C ir. R . 36-3. ** The pa

ne l una nim ously c onc lude s this c a se is suita ble for de c ision without ora l a

rgum e nt. Se e Fe d. R . App. P. 34(a )(2).B e fore : M c KEOW N, R AW L INSON, and DAVIS, *** C irc uit Judge s . Appe lla nt Fra nk Ortwine (Ortwine ) a

ppe a ls from

a judgm e nt of the distric t
c ourt, following a

be nc h tria l , finding him

lia b le for bre a c h of a loa

n a gre e m e nt. Ortwine a sse rts tha

t the distric t c ourt viola

t e d Ariz ona ’ s pa

rol e vide n c e rule by c o nside ring e xtrinsic e vide n c e to a lte r and m odify the te rm s of a

ge ne ra l re le a se provision inc l u de d i n his se ve ranc e a gre e m e nt. Ortwineposits tha t the ge ne ra l
re le a se ’ s phra se “ inc luding, but not lim ite d to,” wa s re nde re d m e aningle s s by the distric t c o urt’ s c o n c lusion tha t the pa rtie s inte nde d

for the provision to re l e a se the m only from e m ploy m e nt-re late d c la im s. Ortwine ’ s c la im la c ks m e rit. Unde r Ariz ona

la w, a c ourt initial ly

“ c onside rs a ll of the proffe re d e vide nc e to de te rm ine its re le va

nc e to the pa

rtie s’ inte n t . . .” Tay lor v . State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. C

o. , 854 P.2d 1134, 1139 (Ariz . 1993). It is only a fte r the pa

rtie s’ inte nt is a sc e rta ine d tha

t the c ourt e x c lude s “ e vide nc e tha t c ontra d ic ts or va

rie s the
m e aning of the
a gre e m e nt. . . .” Id
. (c ita

tion omitte d ). The e xtrinsic e vide nc e de m onstra te d the pa rtie s’ inte nt tha

t the ge ne ra l
re le a se a pply only to a ny e m ploy m e n t-re late d c la im s. Im

p orta ntly , the ba

nk c ould

*** The Honora

ble Andre M . Dav is, Se nior C irc uit Judgefor the U.S. C ourt of Appe a ls for the Fourth C irc uit, sitting by de signa tion. 2not le ga lly re le a se Ortwine from the loa n without a

pprova l from

the Offic e of the C om ptrolle r of the C urre nc y . In a ddition, Ortwine a c k nowle dge d tha

t the a c tua l
se ve ranc e a gre e m e nt ne v e r re fe re nc e d the loa n. Furthe r, the C hie f C re dit Offic e r
and the C hie f Ope ra ting Offic e r of the le nding ba nk both te stifie d tha

t the y did not prom ise O rtwine tha

t he would be re lie ve d from his obliga

tion to repa

y the loa n. M ost te lling wa s Ortwine ’ s subse que nt c onduc t. Afte r se ve ra l de m ands for pa ym e nt from

the ba nk, Ortwinene ve r e xpre sse d his be lie f that he wa s re lie ve d from pa y i ng the loa

n . To the c ontra

ry , he a c t ua l ly a c knowle dge d his de linque nc y , and told the

ba nk’ s the n -Pre side nt tha

t he wa s “ working on it.” The e vide nc e c onside re d by the c o urt did not va

ry or c ontra dic t

the
se ve ranc e a gre e m e nt’ s ge ne ra l re le a se provision. R athe r, the e vide n c e e luc idate d the i nte ntion of the pa

rtie s to limit the ge ne ra l re le a se to e m ploy m e nt c la i m s. The distric t c o urt c om

m itte d no e rror in c onside ring this e vide nc e . Se e id. (e xpla ining that if the c ontra c t la

ngua ge is “ re a sona

bly susc e ptible ” to the inte rpre tat ion sugge s te d by

the e xtrinsic e vide nc e , the e vide nc e is a dm issibleto de te rm ine the pa rtie s ’ inte nde d

m e aning). AFFIRM E D.

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