Barber v. Taylor

CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Georgia
DecidedMarch 31, 2022
Docket18-02005
StatusUnknown

This text of Barber v. Taylor (Barber v. Taylor) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Barber v. Taylor, (Ga. 2022).

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF GEORGIA BRUNSWICK DIVISION

IN RE: ) CHAPTER 7 CASE ) No. 18-20183 CINDY DIANE WALLIN TAYLOR, ) ) Debtor. ) ) ) JAYSON BARBER and JACQUELINE ) ADVERSARY BARBER, ) PROCEEDING ) No. 18-02005 Plaintiffs, ) ) v. ) ) CINDY DIANE WALLIN TAYLOR, ) ) Defendant. ) )

MEMORANDUM OPINION REGARDING PLAINTIFFS’ COMPLAINT TO DETERMINE DISCHARGEABILITY UNDER 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(2)(A)

This matter came on for trial on the Complaint to Determine Dischargeability (A.P. ECF No. 4)1 filed pro se by Jayson and Jacqueline Barber (collectively, the “Plaintiffs”) against Cindy Diane Wallin Taylor (“Defendant”), in which Plaintiffs seek a determination that the debt owed to them by Defendant is nondischargeable pursuant to 11 U.S.C.

1 Docket citations beginning with “A.P.” refer to the docket in the present adversary proceeding, No. 18- 02005. All other citations to the docket refer to the docket in the underlying bankruptcy case, No. 18-20183. § 523(a)(2)(A). This action arises out of a contracting dispute between Plaintiffs and Defendant for roofing work. On October 21, 2017, Plaintiffs contracted with Defendant, who operated a roofing business, to install a new roof on their home and to remove a tree from their

property following damage caused by Hurricane Irma. (A.P. ECF No. 4 at 1.) Plaintiffs allege that they paid Defendant $3,400 for the work, but she never performed any services at their residence. (Id.) Further, they allege Defendant engaged in “pre[-]meditated theft”

of their money because she closed her bank account and her business within days of accepting their payment. (Id.) In sum, Plaintiffs allege that Defendant obtained their $3,400 payment by false pretenses, false representation, or actual fraud, and such debt

should be excepted from discharge. The Court has fully considered the pleadings and other papers submitted by the parties, as well as testimony and documentary evidence entered into the record at the trial, and the relevant law. For the reasons set forth below, judgment will be entered in favor of

Plaintiffs as the Court finds that Plaintiffs have proven by a preponderance of the evidence that the debt at issue should be excepted from discharge. FINDINGS OF FACT2 Background When Hurricane Irma struck southeast Georgia in 2017, Plaintiffs’ roof was

damaged and there seemed to be some water damage on the interior of their home. As a result, Plaintiffs entered into an agreement with Defendant, doing business as Taylor on Top, under which Defendant would provide Plaintiffs with certain services related to replacing the roof. (Pl.’s Ex. 3; Pl.’s Ex. 4; Pl.’s Ex. 5; A.P. ECF No. 96 at 13, 34.) The

Defendant personally inspected Plaintiffs’ roof and prepared the invoice that memorialized their agreement for the subject roofing work. (A.P. ECF No. 96 at 20.) The invoice, dated October 21, 2017, provided that Defendant would replace Plaintiffs’ roof

with a metal roof; remove and replace the decking around the chimney and the chimney collar; remove a tree from near the house on the property; and, upon request, provide dehumidifiers as part of the work. (Pl.’s Ex. 1.) The work was to be completed for $3,400.3

(Id.) At the bottom of the invoice, Defendant drew a star and wrote “All Done Based on Ins – .” (Pl.’s Ex. 1.) While the Plaintiffs’ interior damage was not included in the invoice (A.P. ECF No. 96 at 18, 26, 72, 98), Defendant intended to negotiate with Plaintiffs’

2 The Court makes the following findings of fact and conclusions of law in accordance with Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 52, made applicable to bankruptcy proceedings by Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 7052. 3 According to Defendant, the $3,400 invoice was based on the amount that the insurance company had already given to Plaintiffs to fix the roof damage. (Id. at 36-37.) insurance company on Plaintiffs’ behalf to make a claim to obtain further funding in excess of the $3,400 for the alleged water damage and mold on the interior of the home. 4 (Id. at 18, 21, 25-27, 33, 72, 93.) On October 24, 2017, Plaintiffs wrote a check to Defendant in the amount of $3,400;

and, at Defendant’s direction, Plaintiff, Jacqueline Barber (“Mrs. Barber”), wrote “Materials” and her address on the “for” line at the bottom of the check. (Id. at 22, 37.) Defendant deposited the check into her bank account the same day. (Pl.’s Ex. 2.)

At some point thereafter, Defendant met with an insurance adjuster at Plaintiffs’ home. (A.P. ECF No. 96 at 18, 34, 41.) Additionally, Defendant rented and arranged for dehumidifiers to be placed in Plaintiffs’ home to dry out interior damage. (Id. at 22-23, 39.)

Dehumidifiers were delivered by ServiceMaster and placed in Plaintiffs’ home for four days in November 2017. (Id. at 22.) Defendant also covered parts of the roof with felt paper to prevent it from leaking until it could be replaced.5 (Id. at 16-17, 37-38, 40.) After installing the felt paper, Defendant performed no more work on Plaintiffs’ home.6 (Id. at

18-19, 39.) Defendant did not obtain any additional funding from Plaintiffs’ insurance

4 Both Mrs. Barber and Defendant testified that Plaintiffs’ insurance policy included a clause that provided up to $10,000 to remediate and repair interior water damage and mold. (Id. at 18, 25-27, 72.) 5 Defendant testified that there would be a six-month delay in replacing Plaintiffs’ roof because she had so many jobs to complete ahead of Plaintiffs’ roof. (Id. at 34.) Plaintiffs did not dispute this. 6 At trial, there was contradictory testimony about whether a tarp was installed on the roof. Defendant testified that she put a tarp on part of Plaintiffs’ roof. (Id. at 38.) However, Mrs. Barber testified that there was discussion about putting a tarp on the house, but that it never occurred. (Id. at 16.) With respect to this issue, the Court finds Mrs. Barber’s testimony credible. company. (Id. at 71-72.) Defendant stopped communicating with Plaintiffs in November 2017. (See generally Pl.’s Ex. 6; A.P. ECF No. 96 at 17-18.) By December 2017, and after receiving no response to Plaintiffs’ many attempts to follow up with Defendant for a status update on

the roofing work, Plaintiffs concluded that Defendant would not complete the roofing work and subsequently arranged for another roofing company to replace their roof. (Pl.’s Ex. 8; A.P. ECF No. 96 at 17-18.) Plaintiffs demanded a full refund for the $3,400 they paid

to Defendant. Defendant did not issue any refund to Plaintiffs.7 (A.P. ECF No. 96 at 6, 12, 18, 48.) Credibility of the Witnesses

The Court finds that Defendant is not a credible witness. During her testimony at trial and as described more fully below, she gave answers which directly contradicted prior testimony she had given earlier in the trial, and her testimony was largely self- serving. Whereas, the Court finds Mrs. Barber’s testimony very credible and gives

7 Defendant was asked: “When they asked you for the money back, what did you tell them?” Defendant answered:

I didn’t know what to say, but I knew that the money that they had paid in to me had been spent. I was trying to appease them, trying to keep her from being upset because I had already explained to her on site twice that her roof wouldn’t be done immediately, that she would be 6 to 9 months out. That was in October.

(A.P. ECF No. 96 at 48.) substantial weight to her testimony.

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

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
Barber v. Taylor, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/barber-v-taylor-gasb-2022.