Aspire Fed. Credit Union v. Robinson (In re Robinson)

595 B.R. 148
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. New York
DecidedJanuary 11, 2019
DocketCase No. 17-10275 (MG); Adv. Pro. Case No. 18-01014 (MG)
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 595 B.R. 148 (Aspire Fed. Credit Union v. Robinson (In re Robinson)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Aspire Fed. Credit Union v. Robinson (In re Robinson), 595 B.R. 148 (N.Y. 2019).

Opinion

MARTIN GLENN, UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY JUDGE

Pending before the Court is the motion, filed on behalf of the debtor-defendant, Placida N. Robinson ("Robinson"), to dismiss the denial of discharge adversary complaint filed by Aspire Federal Credit Union ("Aspire"). ("Motion," ECF Doc. # 11.) Aspire filed an opposition to the Motion. ("Opposition," ECF Doc. # 39.)

*154For the reasons explained below, the Motion is DENIED .

I. BACKGROUND

A. Case Background

Aspire made three loans to Robinson's wholly owned taxi companies: Nine T Thirty One Shearn Corporation ("9T31"), 5584 Chicago Corporation ("5584") and 2331 Chicago Corporation ("2331," and with 9T31 and 5584, each a "Company" and collectively, the "Companies"). (Compl. ¶¶ 6, 7, 15, 17.) In December 2013 and January 2014, Robinson caused each Company to take a loan from Aspire and secured by an interest in the Company's property, including vehicles, medallions, moneys, accounts and receivables. (Id. ¶¶ 7, 15, 17.) Robinson personally guaranteed the repayment and other obligations of each Company under the loan documents. (Id. ¶¶ 15, 17.) The 9T31 loan required monthly payments of $3,890.17, and the 2331 and 5584 loans each required monthly payments of $1,082.27. (Id. ¶ 18.) By May 2016, Aspire served notice of defaults and acceleration for each of the loans. (Id. ¶¶ 11, 18.)

On or about October 19, 2016, Aspire filed an action in the Supreme Court of the State of New York against Robinson and 9T31 for replevin of collateral owned by 9T31 consisting of a New York City taxi medallion and vehicle. (Id. ¶ 19.) Aspire submitted a motion for an order of seizure. (Id. ) Days later, Debtor filed the chapter 7 petition ("Petition") in an apparent bid to block the state court from granting Aspire replevin of the collateral. (Id. ¶¶ 8, 20.)

B. Complaint

Aspire commenced this adversary proceeding objecting to the Debtor's discharge under sections 727(a)(2)(A), 727(a)(3), 727(a)(4)(A), 727(a)(4)(D), 727(a)(5), and 523(a)(6) of the Bankruptcy Code. The Complaint contains the following factual allegations:

(i) Debtor evaded Aspire's security interest;
(ii) Debtor's petition and schedules are materially false;
(iii) Debtor gave materially false testimony at the section 341 meeting;
(iv) Debtor failed to keep books and records;
(v) Debtor transferred funds representing Aspire's collateral; and
(vi) Debtor converted and encumbered Aspire's collateral.

C. Motion to Dismiss Pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6)

Robinson moves to dismiss all six claims for relief in the Complaint under Bankruptcy Rule 7012(b) and Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. (Mot. at 5.) Robinson argues that the Complaint against her should be dismissed for two reasons. First, the factual assertions are barebones; Aspire's vague assertions fail to specifically request a piercing of the corporate veil, and Aspire merely copies and pastes into the Complaint the entirety of the Bankruptcy Code sections that allegedly have been violated. (Id. at 5.) Second, Robinson contends that the Complaint fails to allege that she intended to violate sections 523(a)(6) and 727(a), a necessary element of those sections.

II. LEGAL STANDARD

I. Dismissal Under Fed. R. Civ. Pro. 12(b)(6)

To survive a motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, made applicable here by Rule 7012 of the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure, a complaint need only allege *155"enough facts to state a claim for relief that is plausible on its face." Vaughn v. Air Line Pilots Ass'n, Int'l , 604 F.3d 703, 709 (2d Cir. 2010) (citing Ashcroft v. Iqbal , 556 U.S. 662, 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009) (emphasis removed) ). "Where a complaint pleads facts that are merely consistent with a defendant's liability, it stops short of the line between possibility and plausibility of entitlement to relief." Iqbal , 556 U.S. at 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937 (citation and internal quotation marks omitted). Plausibility "is not akin to a probability requirement," but rather requires "more than a sheer possibility that a defendant has acted unlawfully." Id. (citation and internal quotation marks omitted). "The question in a Rule 12 motion to dismiss is 'not whether a plaintiff will ultimately prevail but whether the claimant is entitled to offer evidence to support the claims.' " Medcalf v. Thompson Hine LLP , 84 F.Supp.3d 313, 320 (S.D.N.Y. 2015) (citing Sikhs for Justice v. Nath , 893 F.Supp.2d 598, 615 (S.D.N.Y. 2012) ).

Courts use a two-pronged approach when considering a motion to dismiss. Pension Benefit Guar. Corp. v. Morgan Stanley Inv. Mgmt. Inc. , 712 F.3d 705, 717 (2d Cir. 2013) (stating that motion to dismiss standard "creates a 'two-pronged approach' ... based on '[t]wo working principles' ") (quoting Iqbal , 556 U.S. at 678-79, 129 S.Ct. 1937 ); McHale v. Citibank, N.A. (In re the 1031 Tax Grp., LLC)

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
595 B.R. 148, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/aspire-fed-credit-union-v-robinson-in-re-robinson-nysb-2019.