Assurance Systems Corp. v. Jackson (In Re Jackson)

141 B.R. 909, 6 Tex.Bankr.Ct.Rep. 264, 1992 Bankr. LEXIS 1022, 1992 WL 153989
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Texas
DecidedJune 30, 1992
Docket19-30697
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 141 B.R. 909 (Assurance Systems Corp. v. Jackson (In Re Jackson)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Assurance Systems Corp. v. Jackson (In Re Jackson), 141 B.R. 909, 6 Tex.Bankr.Ct.Rep. 264, 1992 Bankr. LEXIS 1022, 1992 WL 153989 (Tex. 1992).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OF OPINION ON CORPORATE FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY

JOHN C. AKARD, Bankruptcy Judge.

Leslie C. Clary, a stockholder of Assurance Systems Corporation (ASC), the principal stockholder of ASC Management, Inc. (Management), and a personal guarantor of some of the corporate obligations, brought this action in the nature of a stockholders’ derivative suit against Donald E. Jackson and Jeanne Jackson (Jacksons) asserting that the Jacksons as officers and directors of both corporations breached their fiduciary duties thereby injuring the corporations.

ISSUE

The question before the court is whether the transfer of all corporate assets by officers and directors of a corporation without stockholder approval to a proprietorship owned by the participating officers and directors is a breach of their fiduciary duty; whether the officers and directors are lia *913 ble to the corporation for damages; and whether any such debt owed to the corporation is dischargeable in the officers’ and directors’ Chapter 7 proceeding. Under the facts presented in this case, the court finds that the Jacksons violated their fiduciary duty to ASC and Management, and are liable to the corporations. Further, the court finds these debts are not dischargea-ble under § 523(a)(4) of the Bankruptcy Code. 1

FACTS 2

In 1978 Mr. Jackson formed ASC to engage in the insurance brokerage business. Through ASC, Mr. Jackson found insurance companies wishing to issue various types of policies. He then located licensed insurance agents who were willing to sell these policies. When a policy was sold, the agent received a commission and ASC received an “overriding commission.” Generally, the commissions were larger in the first year, but they continued as long as the policy remained in force. ASC had a continuing obligation to provide service to the policyholders, the agents and the insurance companies.

In 1983 Mr. Clary joined ASC to set up a life insurance division. Mr. Clary owns 30,000 shares of the stock of ASC. Mr. and Mrs. Jackson held the remaining 60,000 shares, which are now owned by their Trustee-in-Bankruptcy.

Management was formed in early 1987. It entered into a management agreement with ASC to provide it all the employees, office space and overhead it needed. In exchange, ASC assigned all of its commissions to Management. Mr. Jackson acquired 50,001 shares of Management’s initial stock issue. 3 Mr. Clary and the other stockholders, Bob Jackson (Mr. Donald Jackson’s brother), Aaron Ratliff, Rose Shannon, and Ed Keifer each borrowed $15,000.00 which they contributed to the corporation in exchange for 9,999 shares of stock each. The corporations encountered financial difficulties and in the Summer and Fall of 1987, Bob Jackson, Mr. Ratliff, Ms. Shannon and Mr. Keifer left Management and Management acquired their stock. That stock was reissued to Mr. Jackson and Mr. Clary. Mr. Keifer also left in the Fall of 1987 but his stock was not purchased by Management and he remains a stockholder.

The business continued to deteriorate and Mr. Clary left the companies in September 1988. He retained his stock in both companies. Mr. Jackson operated both companies until Fall, 1990.

Mr. Jackson acknowledged that both ASC and Management were insolvent as of the end of 1987. His accountant stated that both of the corporations were in "very, very poor financial condition” at that time. They remained insolvent until the businesses were closed. Mr. Jackson talked to an attorney about bankruptcy for the corporation and personal bankruptcy in 1989. By August 1990 he expected that personal bankruptcy was looming in his future.

Even though Management was insolvent during 1990, the Jacksons drew large amounts from Management principally by having personal bills paid by the corporation. These draws were shown on the General Ledger of October 12, 1990 as “notes receivable” totalling $164,562.27. During 1990, Management did not pay its obligations, particularly notes to banks.

Mr. Jackson, as President and a director of the corporation, and Mrs. Jackson, as Vice President and a director, approved minutes of a called meeting of the Board of *914 Directors of ASC dated September 31, [sic] 1990. The minutes recited that the corporation did not have funds to renew its professional liability insurance coverage and that it would not renew its insurance license when it expired on February 2, 1991. The minutes further recited that the corporation was not successful in selling its “block of business” and therefore

the block of business in effect- with the various companies will be transferred to Jeanne Jackson, D.B.A. Agency Service Company, along with any first year or renewal commissions, whether vested or not vested, as consideration for assuming responsibility of servicing current agents, insureds, and companies for as long as such policies and contracts remain in force. This transfer will be through assignment of insurance company contracts and commission agreements directly to Jeanne Jackson as General Agent, or to Donald E. Jackson as General Agent if Jeanne Jackson is not accepted as General Agent by any such insurance company.

Minutes of a called meeting of the Board of Directors of Management dated September 31, [sic] 1990 were approved by Mr. Jackson as the sole member of the Board of Directors. The first resolution granted all of the furniture and equipment of the corporation not encumbered at First National Bank of Amarillo to Mrs. Jackson. The second resolution reads as follows:

Be it resolved the the [sic] corporation accepts the verbal notice from Assurance Systems Corporation’s President, Donald E. Jackson, of that corporation’s intent to discontinue the management agreement with this corporation effective today, September 31, [sic] 1990.

Thus the assets, but not the liabilities, of both corporations were transferred to Agent. At the time of the transfer, the liabilities of the corporations included notes to the First National Bank of Amarillo for $123,470.23 (plus accrued interest of $30,-706.20) and to City National Bank of Amarillo for $19,160.18. The transfer of assets was not made in the ordinary course of business and was made without approval of all of the stockholders.

In order to retain its insurance license, ASC needed to maintain an errors and omissions insurance policy. The policy was due to expire October 1, 1990 and renewal would have cost approximately $2,000.00. Since ASC had assigned all of its income to Management, Management would have had to provide the funds to purchase the policy. Mr. Jackson asserted that Management did not have sufficient monies for this purpose. He further stated that ASC’s insurance license could not be renewed at its next annual renewal on February 2, 1991 because of the lack of the errors and omissions insurance. The evidence showed that Management received, through ASC commissions, $89,344.86 during the period January 1, 1990 through September 30, 1990, including $8,839.52 received in September. Income from the same sources received by Agent was $8,226.51 in October, 1990; $8,650.69 in November, 1990 and $7,533.40 in December, 1990.

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Bluebook (online)
141 B.R. 909, 6 Tex.Bankr.Ct.Rep. 264, 1992 Bankr. LEXIS 1022, 1992 WL 153989, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/assurance-systems-corp-v-jackson-in-re-jackson-txnb-1992.