Baxter v. Baxter

United States Bankruptcy Court, W.D. Oklahoma·Decided January 26, 2023·No. 22-01045·Unknown

Opinion

Lo OD, □□ Q) qo Se □□ □□ Dated: January 26, 2023 2 Sere . s : Baa □□□ □ The following is ORDERED: wo ONY BAEZ

Janice D. Loyd U.S. Bankruptcy Judge

IN THE UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF OKLAHOMA In re: ) ) Summer D. Baxter, ) Case No. 22-10877-JDL ) Ch. 7 Debtor. ) ) Dustin Baxter, ) ) Plaintiff, ) V. ) Adv. No. 22-1045-JDL ) Summer D. Baxter, ) ) Defendant. ) MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER SUA SPONTE GRANTING SUMMARY JUDGMENT I. Introduction This is an adversary proceeding brought by the Debtor’s former husband, Dustin Baxter (“Father”), seeking to determine that a state court judgment awarding him $13,750 in attorney fees in a post divorce decree child custody proceeding is a non-dischargeable “domestic support obligation” within the scope of 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(5) and/or non-

dischargeable as being “in connection with a separation agreement, divorce decree or other order of a court of record” under § 523(a)(15).1 Contrary to well-established, black- letter law, Debtor Summer D. Baxter (either “Debtor” or “Mother”) filed a Motion to Dismiss Amended Complaint asserting that “the judgment against (her) was not a domestic support obligation and is not an order arising from a divorce decree.” [Adv. Doc.10, ¶ 11]. On January 6, 2023, the Court entered its Order Denying Motion to Dismiss and Notice of

Intention to Grant Sua Sponte Summary Judgment (the “Order”) [Adv. Doc. 12]. Finding that the Debtor’s assertion that the State Divorce Court Judgment was a dischargeable debt under either § 523(a)(4) or (15) was, as a matter of law, not supportable, the Court granted the Debtor fourteen days from the date of its Order to present any legal authority, pertinent material, evidence or argument which she believed precluded the entry of summary judgment against her. The Debtor has made no submissions to the Court in response to the Court’s affording her the opportunity to oppose the notice that it intended to enter summary judgment sua sponte. Pursuant to Fed. R. Bankr. P. 7054 and 9014, the below constitute the Court’s Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law.2

II. Jurisdiction This Court has jurisdiction to hear this motion pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1334(b), and 157(a) and the Order of Reference of the United States District Court for the Western

1 All further references to “Code”, “Section”, and “§” are to the United States Bankruptcy Code, Title 11 U.S.C. § 101 et seq., unless otherwise indicated. 2 All future references to “Rule” or “Rules” are to the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure or to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure made applicable to bankruptcy proceedings, unless otherwise indicated. -2- an objection to the dischargeability of a particular debt is a core proceeding under 28 U.S.C.§ 157(a)(2)(I).3 Venue is proper pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1409. III. Facts 1. Father and Debtor/Mother were husband and wife and are the parents of one minor child born in 2008. They were divorced by a Decree of Dissolution entered on May 23, 2012, in the case styled, In re The Marriage Dustin Baxter, Petitioner, v. Summer Baxter, Respondent, Case No. FD-2011-1085, in the District Court of Oklahoma County, Oklahoma (the “State Domestic Action”). [Adv. Doc. 4, ¶ 6]. Under a Joint Child Custody

Plan entered in the Domestic Action on March 7, 2013, Father and Mother were awarded joint custody of the minor child.4 2. An eleven-year long, post-divorce decree litigation between Father and Mother ensued.5 In matters relevant to this adversary proceeding, on March 3, 2021, after a three

3 Both parties in their pleadings have refused to consent to the entry of a final order or judgment by the Bankruptcy Court. Such an assertion misapprehends the law of bankruptcy court jurisdiction. “Core” proceedings are those that are either under Title 11 or arise in a bankruptcy case. As stated by the Supreme Court in Executive Benefits Insurance Agency v. Arkinson, 573 U.S. 25, 34, 134 S.Ct. 2165 (2014): “Put simply: If a matter is core, the statute empowers the bankruptcy judge to enter final judgment on the claim, subject to appellate review by the District Court.” The Plaintiff’s claim for determination of non-dischargeability is indisputably core. § 157(b)(2)(I). With rare exceptions not applicable here, consent of the parties is only required in non-core matters. 4 The Court is entitled to take judicial notice of the docket sheets of other state or federal courts. United States v. Ahidley, 486 F.3d 1184, 1192 n. 5 (10th Cir. 2007); Hutchinson v. Hahn, 402 Fed. Appx. 391, 394-95 (10th Cir. 2010); Shoulders v. Dinwiddie, 2006 WL 2792671, at *3 (W.D. Okla. 2006) (court may take judicial notice of state court records available on the world-wide web, including docket sheets in district courts). “[F]acts subject to judicial notice may be considered in a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss without converting the motion to dismiss into a motion for summary judgment. This allows the court to take judicial notice of its own files and records, as well facts which are a matter of public record.” Stroble v. Rusch, 431 F.Supp.3d 1315, 1324 (D. N.M. 2020); Wildearth Guardians v. Public Service Co. of Colorado, 690 F.Supp.2d 1259, 1263 (D. Colo. 2010); Tal v. Hogan, 453 F.3d 1244, 1264 n. 24 (10th Cir. 2006). 5 The Docket Sheet in the State Court Domestic Action consists of 42 pages. -3- sought to modify the custody of the minor child by designating Father as the primary custodial parent with final decision-making authority, granting him primary physical custody of the child and finding Mother guilty on six counts of contempt relative to child custody.6 3. On April 22, 2021, the State Court entered its Order of Modification, memorializing and expanding its findings under the March 3, 2021, Court Minute, approving an Amended Joint Custody Plan and Child Support Computation under which Father was awarded primary physical custody of the minor child and granting him final decision-making authority as to the child’s care. [Adv. Doc. 4-1, Ex. A]. In the Order of

Modification, the State Court found Mother to be guilty of six counts of civil contempt, namely; Count II - unilaterally changing the minor child’s school without conferring with Father in violation of the Joint Custody Plan; Count III - unilaterally changing the minor child’s counselor on multiple occasions without conferring with Father in violation of the Joint Custody Plan; Count V - repeatedly making disparaging remarks concerning Father to the minor child in violation of the Joint Custody Plan; Count VI - repeatedly discussing the pending litigation with the minor child in violation of the Joint Custody Plan; Count VII - repeatedly failing to inform Father when the minor child was receiving medical care in violation of the Joint Custody Plan, and Count IX - unilaterally terminating the court-ordered

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