A.T. Clayton & Co. v. Hachenberger

920 F. Supp. 2d 258, 2013 WL 331208, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11901
CourtDistrict Court, D. Connecticut
DecidedJanuary 29, 2013
DocketCivil Action No. 3:11-CV-1218 (JCH)
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 920 F. Supp. 2d 258 (A.T. Clayton & Co. v. Hachenberger) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Connecticut primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
A.T. Clayton & Co. v. Hachenberger, 920 F. Supp. 2d 258, 2013 WL 331208, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11901 (D. Conn. 2013).

Opinion

RULING RE: DEFENDANT’S MOTION FOR PARTIAL SUMMARY JUDGMENT (Doc. No. 29) and PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT (Doc. No. 30)

JANET C. HALL, District Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

Plaintiff A.T. Clayton & Co. (“A.T. Clayton”), a Connecticut paper products company, brings this action against defendant Donald Hachenberger for breach of a personal guaranty. Hachenberger filed this Motion for Partial Summary Judgment [260]*260(“Hachenberger Mot. Partial Summ. J.”) (Doc. No. 29) as to his liability for obligations of certain companies that predated the signing of the guaranty. A.T. Clayton simultaneously filed a Motion for Summary Judgment (“A.T. Clayton Mot. Summ. J.”) (Doc. No. 30) as to its claim against Hachenberger and Hachenberger’s asserted affirmative defenses. For the following reasons, Hachenberger’s Motion for Partial Summary Judgment is denied, and A.T. Clayton’s Motion for Summary Judgment is granted in part and denied in part.

II. STANDARD OF REVIEW

A motion for summary judgment “may properly be granted ... only where there is no genuine issue of material fact to be tried, and the facts as to which there is no such issue warrant judgment for the moving party as a matter of law.” In re Dana Corp., 574 F.3d 129, 151 (2d Cir.2009). Thus, the role of a district court in considering such a motion “is not to resolve disputed questions of fact but only to determine whether, as to any material issue, a genuine factual dispute exists.” Id. In making this determination, the trial court must resolve all ambiguities and draw all inferences in favor of the party against whom summary judgment is sought. See Loeffler v. Staten Island Univ. Hosp., 582 F.3d 268, 274 (2d Cir.2009).

“[T]he moving party bears the burden of showing that he or she is entitled to summary judgment.” United Transp. Union v. Nat’l R.R. Passenger Corp., 588 F.3d 805, 809 (2d Cir.2009). Once the moving party has satisfied that burden, in order to defeat the motion, “the party opposing summary judgment may not merely rest on the allegations or denials of his pleading; rather his response, by affidavits or otherwise as provided in the Rule, must set forth ‘specific facts’ demonstrating that there is ‘a genuine issue for trial.’ ” Wright v. Goord, 554 F.3d 255, 266 (2d Cir.2009) (quoting Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(e)). “A dispute about a ‘genuine issue’ exists for summary judgment purposes where the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could decide in the non-movant’s favor.” Beyer v. County of Nassau, 524 F.3d 160, 163 (2d Cir.2008) (quoting Guilbert v. Gardner, 480 F.3d 140, 145 (2d Cir.2007)); see also Havey v. Homebound Mortg., Inc., 547 F.3d 158, 163 (2d Cir.2008) (citing Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 252, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986)) (stating that a non-moving party must point to more than a mere “scintilla” of evidence in order to defeat a motion for summary judgment).

III. FACTUAL BACKGROUND1

A.T. Clayton & Co. is a Connecticut corporation that is in the business of sup[261]*261plying paper products, and it is a division of Integrated Resources Holdings, Inc. (“IRH”). See Plaintiffs Local Rule 56(a)(1) Statement in Support of Motion for Summary Judgment (“Pl.’s 56(a)(1) Mot. Summ. J.”) (Doc. No. 30-2 at 24) at ¶ 1; Defendant’s Local Rule 56(a)(2) Statement (“Def.’s 56(a)(2)”) (Doc. No. 34) at ¶ 1. Greenwood Advertising & New Media, Inc. (“Greenwood”) is or was a corporation with a principal place of business in South Carolina. PL’s 56(a)(1) Mot. Summ. J. at ¶ 2; Def.’s 56(a)(2) at ¶ 2. Donald Hachenberger is an individual residing in Florida. See Defendant’s Local Rule 56(a)(1) Statement in Support of Motion for Partial Summary Judgment (“Def.’s 56(a)(1) Mot. Partial Summ. J.”) (Doc. No. 32) at ¶ 4.2

On or about August, 2008, Hachenberger executed and delivered to A.T. Clayton an Unconditional Personal Guaranty (the “Guaranty”) relating to obligations of Greenwood to A.T. Clayton in excess of $1,500,000. PL’s 56(a)(1) Mot. Summ. J. at ¶ 4; Def.’s 56(a)(2) at ¶ 4. The most pertinent section of the Guaranty reads:

1. Guaranty. The Guarantor unconditionally guaranties the punctual payment when due, whether at stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise, of all obligations of the Debtor to ATC now or hereafter arising on account of the Transaction, together with all interest and expenses incurred by ATC (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) in enforcing any of its rights under such obligations and this Guaranty.... Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein contained, the liability of the Guarantor hereunder shall be limited to Obligations of the Debtor to ATC in excess of $1,500,000.

Def.’s 56(a)(1) Mot. Partial Summ. J. at Ex. F. The parties dispute whether the Guaranty covered obligations then existing between Greenwood and A.T. Clayton, or only obligations going forward.

The Guaranty provides for the payment of certain collection costs and attorney’s fees. PL’s 56(a)(1) Mot. Summ. J. at ¶ 5; Def.’s 56(a)(2) at ¶ 5. Pursuant to the terms of the Guaranty, Hachenberger agreed that any legal proceeding arising out of the Guaranty shall be brought in the Connecticut state courts or the courts of the United States located in Connecticut, and further submitted and consented in advance to such jurisdiction. PL’s 56(a)(1) Mot. Summ. J. at ¶ 6; Def.’s 56(a)(2) at ¶ 6.

The parties dispute whether, as of April 1, 2010, Greenwood was indebted to A.T. Clayton in the amount of $2,994,536.18 for paper sold and delivered by A.T. Clayton to Greenwood, and whether Greenwood had failed to make payments to A.T. Clayton. PL’s 56(a)(1) Mot. Summ. J. at ¶7; Def.’s 56(a)(2) at ¶ 7, 13, 14, 15. It is not entirely clear whether Hachenberger solely disputes that the amount of outstanding indebtedness was incorrectly calculated by A.T. Clayton, or whether he disputes that any indebtedness existed at all. Def.’s 56(a)(2) at ¶ 7.

On April 1, 2010, IRH sent a document to Hachenberger of the amounts due from Greenwood and demanded payment from Hachenberger of the amount due in excess of $1,500,000. PL’s 56(a)(1) Mot. Summ. J. at ¶ 8; Def.’s 56(a)(2) at ¶ 8. Hachenberger disputes that the document was ever received. Def.’s 56(a)(2) at ¶ 8. Hachenberger has never paid any moneys pursuant to the Guaranty. PL’s 56(a)(1) Mot. Summ. J. at ¶ 9, 10; Def.’s 56(a)(2) at ¶ 9, 10. The parties dispute whether this nonpayment constitutes a breach of the Guaranty. A.T. Clayton has incurred attor[262]

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
920 F. Supp. 2d 258, 2013 WL 331208, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11901, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/at-clayton-co-v-hachenberger-ctd-2013.