Bernacchi v. Cascio (In re Cascio)

568 B.R. 851
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, M.D. Florida
DecidedApril 4, 2017
DocketCase No. 3:16-bk-331-PMG; Adv. No. 3:16-ap-108-PMG
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 568 B.R. 851 (Bernacchi v. Cascio (In re Cascio)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, M.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bernacchi v. Cascio (In re Cascio), 568 B.R. 851 (Fla. 2017).

Opinion

[853]*853FINDINGS OF FACT, CONCLUSIONS OF LAW, AND MEMORANDUM OPINION

PAUL M. GLENN, United States Bankruptcy Judge

THIS CASE came before the Court for a final evidentiary hearing in this adversary proceeding.

The Plaintiff objects to the discharge-ability of a debt allegedly owed to her by the Debtor pursuant to § 523(a)(2)(A) of the Bankruptcy Code. For the alleged debt to be nondischargeable under § 523(a)(2)(A), the Plaintiff must establish the traditional elements of common law fraud by a preponderance of the evidence.

The Plaintiff and the Debtor were involved in a personal relationship between 2011 and 2014. In this proceeding, the Plaintiff asserts that she contributed the approximate sum of $190,000.00 for a home that she and the Debtor had agreed to purchase together during the relationship. According to the Plaintiff, however, the Debtor acquired the home solely in his name and did not thereafter repay her for her share of the contributions.

The parties’ testimony at trial does not establish that the Debtor fraudulently represented that he would share the cost and ownership of the home, or that the Plaintiff justifiably relied on any such representations by the Debtor, Accordingly, the preponderance of the evidence in this case does not establish the elements of common law fraud, and the Plaintiffs claim is not excepted from the Debtor’s discharge under § 523(a)(2)(A) of the Bankruptcy Code.

Background

The Plaintiff, Frances R. Bernacchi, was 65 years old at the time of trial. She had worked in real estate for a number of years, and received the sum of $225,000.00 from her husband’s life insurance policies following his death in 2010.

The Debtor, Thomas A. Caseio, is retired from a 26-year career as a detective with the prosecutor’s office in New Jersey.

The Plaintiff and the Debtor met through an on-line date site in November of 2011, and the Debtor moved into the Plaintiffs home in February of 2012.

The parties thereafter began looking for a different home to purchase and reside in together, and ultimately decided to construct a new home at a location in Ormond Beach, Florida.

The Plaintiff and the Debtor verbally agreed that both parties would share equally in the costs and ownership of the home. According to the Debtor, for example, he and the Plaintiff verbally agreed that they would split the costs and own the home “50/50.”

And according to the Plaintiff, she and the Debtor verbally agreed that she would pay the initial construction deposits, and the Debtor would obtain a mortgage and make the mortgage payments until their contributions were equal. The parties originally contemplated a “conventional mortgage” in both parties’ names, with the Debtor as the primary borrower because of the Plaintiffs poor credit history.

A contract with the builder was signed, and construction of the home occurred in 2012 and 2013.

The Plaintiff testified that she made significant disbursements for the home during the construction period, including an initial deposit in the amount of $10,000.00, a second deposit in the amount of $65,000.00,- and a series of payments to the Design Center in the total amount of $52,000.00 for items such as carpet, tile, and appliances.

[854]*854In the summer of 2013, the Debtor, as the sole borrower, obtained a VA mortgage to finance the balance of the home’s purchase price. According to the Debtor, he chose the VA mortgage rather than a “conventional mortgage” because he was able to get a lower interest rate, lower monthly payments, and a refund of a portion of the down payment.

The Plaintiff testified that she was informed prior to the loan’s closing that she was not permitted to sign the mortgage documents as a party to the transaction because she and the Debtor were not married. The Plaintiff understood, however, that she could be added as a co-owner of the home one year after its purchase.

Construction of the home was completed, and the purchase closed on August 16, 2013. The Plaintiff was present at the closing and served as the Debtor’s realtor. At closing, the Debtor received a deed to the home that was solely in his name.

The Plaintiff and the Debtor moved into the home in September of 2013. After they began residing together in the new home, the Debtor made the mortgage payment in the approximate amount of $2,200.00 to $2,400.00 per month, and also paid for the couple’s groceries. The Plaintiff paid other home expenses, such as cable, water, telephone, lawn care, and homeowners’ fees, from her income of $1,500.00 per month.

The Debtor moved out of the home on October 1, 2014, without transferring any interest in the home to the Plaintiff. Shortly after moving out, he filed a state court eviction action against the Plaintiff, and she vacated the home on December 13, 2014.

Within two weeks after the Plaintiff moved out, the Debtor returned to the home with Linda Steigman. He and Linda Steigman were married on February 14, 2015. and they filed a joint petition under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code on January 29, 2016.

The home is listed in the Debtor’s bankruptcy case with a scheduled value of $450,000.00, and a scheduled mortgage in the amount of $420,107.46. The Debtor indicated in his initial statements that he intended to surrender the home, and the Chapter 7 Trustee has filed a Report of No Distribution in the case.

Discussion

In this proceeding, the Plaintiff objects to the dischargeability of a debt allegedly owed to her by the Debtor pursuant to § 523(a)(2)(A) of the Bankruptcy Code. Specifically, the Plaintiff asserts in her Complaint that:

[T]he fraud claimed by Movant relates to promises and facts surrounding the use of approximately $200,000 given by Movant to Debtor based upon his promises and assurances regarding purchase of a home for the parties to live in, in contemplation of marriage. For various reasons, the contract for purchase and mortgage were solely in Debtor’s name although Movant put up the bulk of the funds with the promise that she would be later added. Inevitably, the relationship went sour and Movant was never added to anything regarding ownership of the home.

(Doc. 1, p. 2). Consequently, the Plaintiff asserts that the alleged debt is nondis-chargeable under § 523(a)(2)(A) because the “Debtor defrauded her in that he took her money for his own benefit and never even tried to do what he promised.” (Doc. 1, P- ¾.

Section 523(a)(2)(A) of the Bankruptcy Code provides:

11 USC § 523. Exceptions to discharge
(a) A discharge under section 727, 1141, 1228(a), 1228(b), or 1328(b) of this title [855]*855does not discharge an individual debtor from any debt—
(2)for money, property, services, or an extension, renewal, or refinancing of credit, to the extent obtained by—
(A) false pretenses, a false representation, or actual fraud, other than a statement respecting the debtor’s or an insider’s financial condition.

11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(2)(A)(Emphasis supplied). To prevail under § 523(a)(2)(A), a creditor must establish the traditional elements of common law fraud.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
568 B.R. 851, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bernacchi-v-cascio-in-re-cascio-flmb-2017.