Beneficial Mutual v. Kwasnik, M.

CourtSuperior Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedOctober 5, 2015
Docket2581 EDA 2014
StatusUnpublished

This text of Beneficial Mutual v. Kwasnik, M. (Beneficial Mutual v. Kwasnik, M.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Superior Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Beneficial Mutual v. Kwasnik, M., (Pa. Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

J-A16021-15

NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37

BENEFICIAL MUTUAL SAVINGS BANK IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA Appellant

v.

MICHAEL W. KWASNIK, CAROL J. KWASNIK, KWASNIK, RODIO, KANOWITZ & BUCKLEY, P.C., OPIS MANAGEMENT FUND, LLC, LIBERTY STATE FINANCIAL HOLDINGS CORP., AND IRREVOCABLE TRUST OF STEVEN C. KWASNIK

Appellees No. 2581 EDA 2014

Appeal from the Order Entered August 1, 2014 In the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County Civil Division at No(s): April Term, 2011 No. 001488

BEFORE: LAZARUS, OLSON and PLATT,* JJ.

MEMORANDUM BY OLSON, J.: FILED OCTOBER 05, 2015

Appellant, Beneficial Mutual Savings Bank, appeals from the order

entered on August 1, 2014, denying its motion to enforce settlement

agreement. We vacate and remand.

The trial court ably explained the underlying facts and procedural

posture of this case:

This matter was initiated by Appellant on April 13, 2011, when it filed a praecipe for entry of judgment by confession (“Confession of Judgment” or “Judgment”) in the Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County in the amount of $4,261,103.24 against several defendants,[fn.1] including [Defendant William M. Kwasnik, Trustee of the Irrevocable Trust of Steven C. Kwasnik (hereinafter “Trustee”),] for defaulting on the terms of a loan and security agreement

*Retired Senior Judge assigned to the Superior Court. J-A16021-15

[(hereinafter “Loan Agreement”)] and promissory note dated May 18, 2006. The Defendants additionally pledged Liberty Bell Bank common stock that they owned as security for the loan by an agreement also dated May 18, 2006 (hereinafter “Pledge Agreement”). [The Pledge Agreement reflected that the Defendants were pledging the following shares of Liberty Bell Bank stock as security: Trustee: 132,838 shares; Opis Management Fund, LLC: 121,797 shares; Carol Kwasnik: 127,807 shares; Liberty State Financial Holdings, Corp.: 130,530 shares; and, Michael Kwasnik: 251,250 shares. See Pledge Agreement, at Schedule 1. The Pledge Agreement defined the above-listed shares as the “Pledged Shares;” the Pledge Agreement further declared that the term “Pledged Collateral” included the “Pledged Shares.” Id. at 1-2.]

[fn.1] The other defendants included Michael W. Kwasnik; Carol J. Kwasnik; Kwasnik, Rodio, Kanowitz & Buckley[,] P.C.; Opis Management Fund, LLC; and[,] Liberty State Financial Holdings Corp. Upon motion by Appellant, Defendant Liberty State Financial Holdings [] was severed from the action by [] order docketed September 9, 2011. [Trial Court Order, 11/9/11, at 1.] The remaining defendants, along with Trustee are hereinafter, collectively, referred to as “Defendants.”

In response to that Confession of Judgment, Defendants filed a “Petition to Strike Judgment, and, In the Alternative, to Open Judgment, and to Stay Execution Pending Final Disposition on the Petition” on May 25, 2011 [(hereinafter “Petition to Open/Strike”)], arguing that, among other reasons, the Judgment should be opened because Appellant accepted late payments from Defendants, thereby waiving the right to claim default, and that the parties had orally agreed to amend the Loan Agreement. [Petition to Open/Strike, 5/25/11, at 2-4]. [In the alternative,] Defendants argued that . . . the Judgment should be stricken because Appellant had failed to sufficiently state the basis of the default in its complaint, and that the [trial] court should stay the execution of the Judgment as a result, pending the opportunity to conduct a hearing on the validity of the Judgment. Id. at 4-5. . . .

-2- J-A16021-15

Appellant responded to Defendants’ [Petition to Open/Strike] on June 14, 2011, arguing that Defendants and Appellant had not entered into an oral agreement [] and [that] Appellant had not accepted late payments from Defendants without objection. [Appellant’s Response, 6/14/11, at 3-4]. . . .

Upon consideration of the Petition to Open/Strike and Appellant’s response thereto, the [trial court] issued an order on June 22, 2011, granting leave for the parties to take discovery on disputed issues of fact, ordering that the parties submit notes of testimony and supplemental memoranda, scheduling a hearing [], and staying the execution proceedings. [Trial Court Order, 6/22/11, at 1].

On March 5, 2012, Appellant filed a praecipe to satisfy judgment [(hereinafter] “Satisfaction of Judgment”) as to defendants Michael Kwasnik; Rodio, [Kwasnik,] Kanowitz & Buckley, P.C.; and[,] the Trustee[. The praecipe requested] that [the trial court] mark the Judgment as satisfied with [respect] to those defendants upon payment of court costs. Satisfaction of Judgment, 3/5/12, at 1]. Appellant filed its praecipe pursuant to a settlement agreement [(hereinafter] “Settlement Agreement”) signed by the parties on January 11, 2012. [In relevant part, the Settlement Agreement provides:

SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND MUTUAL GENERAL RELEASE

THIS SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT [] is made effective this 11th day of January, 2012, by and among [APPELLANT], and MICHAEL W. KWASNIK, CAROL J. KWASNIK, OPIS MANAGEMENT FUND LLC, KWASNIK, RODIO, KANOWITZ & BUCKLEY, PC, AND [THE TRUSTEE] (individually, a “Borrower” and collectively, the “Borrowers”) ([Appellant] and the Borrowers are collectively referred to as “the Parties”). . . .

BACKGROUND

A. On or about May 18, 2006, [Appellant] loaned the Borrowers [$4,200,000.00] (the “Loan”) pursuant to

-3- J-A16021-15

that certain [Loan Agreement] also dated as of May 18, 2006. . . . The Loan also was evidenced by a Promissory Note dated May 18, 2006. . . .

B. The Loan is secured by a pledge of all shares of Liberty Bell Bank common stock owned now or hereafter by any Borrower (the “Stock”), as further provided in the Loan Agreement and the Pledge Agreement dated May 18, 2006. . . . The aforementioned Loan Agreement, [Promissory] Note, Pledge Agreement and all other documents executed or delivered in connection with the Loan are hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Loan Documents”. All of the indebtedness, liabilities and obligations owing from any of Borrowers to [Appellant] under the Loan Documents and this Agreement are hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Obligations.” All of the Stock, Pledged Collateral (as defined in the Pledge Agreement, Collateral (as defined in the Loan Agreement) real property, personal property and other assets of any Borrower now or hereafter subject to any lien or security interest under any of the Loan Documents, as modified by this Agreement, are hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Collateral.”

C. Borrowers delivered to [Appellant] the original Stock certificates along with stock powers . . . .

D. Borrowers have failed to make payments due and owing under the terms and conditions of the Loan Agreement and currently are in default. Moreover, the value of the Collateral currently securing the Loan has depreciated significantly in value, as a result, the Borrowers currently are in breach of certain financial covenants contained in the Loan Documents.

E. Judgment by Confession has been entered by [Appellant] against Borrowers in the [Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas] and [Appellant] and the Borrowers wish to resolve all claims between and among them by surrendering collateral subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.

...

-4- J-A16021-15

NOW THEREFORE, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound hereby, mutually agree:

3. Surrender of Collateral as Consideration for Settlement.

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Beneficial Mutual v. Kwasnik, M., Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/beneficial-mutual-v-kwasnik-m-pasuperct-2015.