Roland Hansalik v. Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, 2012 WL 1423014 (Cal. Ct. App. April 25, 2012)
In a case before the California Court of Appeals, Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC (“Wells Fargo”) appealed the trial court order to vacate the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) arbitration award in its favor against Ronald Hansalik (“Hansalik”). The appellate court found no error in the trial court ruling and affirmed the decision.
Case Overview
The underlying dispute in this case arose from Wells Fargo’s action to collect from Hansalik the unpaid balance of $1,239,044.16 due on a promissory note that contained a clause agreeing to arbitrate before FINRA. Prior to the initiation of arbitration proceedings, Hansalik moved from California to Switzerland, and failed to notify FINRA of his change of address as required by a notice sent to all members of FINRA’s predecessor, the National Association of Securities Dealers (“NASD”).
FINRA mailed Wells Fargo’s Statement of Claim and other notices to Hansalik’s prior residential address in California. The post office notified FINRA that Hansalik’s forwarding address was an incomplete address in Zurich, Switzerland. Wells Fargo provided FINRA with the street address of the private bank where Hansalik worked in Switzerland. FINRA continued to mail arbitration notices to Hansalik’s former residential address in California. In April 2010, FINRA issued a default award against Hansalik for the principal sum of $1,297,694.14, plus interest, costs and attorney fees. The award also stated that the arbitrator determined that Hansalik had been properly served notice of the Statement of Claim and Notification of the Arbitrator.
Effort to Vacate the Arbitration Award
After the award, Wells Fargo hired a Swiss attorney who demanded payment from Hansalik. Hansalik immediately filed a petition to vacate the FINRA arbitration award under the relevant provisions of California law, claiming that he never received notice and challenging the fundamental fairness of the entire arbitration proceeding.
The trial court granted the petition on the grounds that Hansalik was not properly served under FINRA rules and that he was denied due process. Wells Fargo appealed contending that the arbitrator found that service complied with FINRA rules, that Hansalik was not denied due process, and that there was substantial evidence that Hansalik received actual notice of the arbitration.
Under California law, the limited grounds for vacating an arbitration award include instances when an arbitrator exceeds his authority by denying the litigant a fair hearing. Code Civ. Proc. § 1286.2, subd. (a)(4). This is substantially similar to the statutory grounds for vacatur in the Federal Arbitration Act (“FAA”), 9 U.S.C. § 10(a). California case law provides precedent for reversal of an arbitration award when the arbitrator “did not give appellant notice of any hearing, nor did he give it any opportunity to be heard.” Smith v. Campbell & Facciolla, Inc. 202 Cal.App.2d 134, 135 (1962).
The Decision
FINRA Rule 13301(a) requires that the initial Statement of Claim be served on the individual at his residential address or “usual place of abode.” The rule further provides that if service cannot be completed at this address, the initial Statement of Claim will be served at the person’s business address.
The appellate court concurred with the trial court determination that FINRA did not give Hansalik notice and an opportunity to be heard because it knowingly sent notices to his previous residential address instead of sending them to the current business address provided by Wells Fargo. Furthermore, the appellate court concurred that even if Hansalik had actual notice of the initial Statement of Claim from Wells Fargo via Federal Express and e-mail, he was entitled to such notice from FINRA.
FINRA Rule 13413 provides that the arbitration panel has the authority to interpret and determine the applicability of all provisions under the FINRA rules. The appellate court held that proper notice is so intrinsic to the fundamental fairness of a hearing that it denied Wells Fargo’s argument that this rule gave the arbitrator the power to interpret the FINRA notice rule and determine if service was proper under FINRA rules.
In light of FINRA’s unfair procedure and Hansalik’s lack of actual notice, the appellate court determined that the trial court properly vacated the FINRA arbitration award.
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