Burke v. Georgia Department of Revenue (In re Burke)

258 B.R. 310, 2001 Bankr. LEXIS 86, 37 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 98
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Georgia
DecidedFebruary 1, 2001
DocketBankruptcy No. 92-11482; Adversary No. 95-01050A
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 258 B.R. 310 (Burke v. Georgia Department of Revenue (In re Burke)) 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
Burke v. Georgia Department of Revenue (In re Burke), 258 B.R. 310, 2001 Bankr. LEXIS 86, 37 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 98 (Ga. 2001).

Opinion

ORDER

JOHN S. DALIS, Chief Judge.

This matter comes before the Court on Plaintiffs’ Motion for Summary Judgment and Defendant’s Cross Motion for Summary Judgment. The issue presented is whether there has been a violation of the discharge injunction of 11 U.S.C. Section 524(a) and the determination of damages and/or sanctions. Plaintiffs’ motion asserts that I previously found that the Defendant violated the discharge injunction and that trial on the issue of damages should be scheduled. Defendant’s response and cross motion for summary judgment asserts that the damages or sanctions, if any, will be limited to attorney fees and costs. Defendant also argues that an award of damages or sanctions would not be appropriate under the facts of this case. This is a core proceeding pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 157(b).

The facts and procedural history of this case are as follows. Plaintiffs filed a [312]*312Chapter 13 case on August 14, 1992. On December 1, 1992, Defendant (“Georgia”) filed a proof of claim for outstanding tax liabilities for several tax years. Plaintiffs filed an objection to the proof of claim. On May 18, 1993, I entered an Order on Plaintiffs’ Objection which held that Georgia’s tax claim for the 1980-1984 tax years was a general unsecured claim. I also held that Georgia’s tax claim for the 1990 tax year was a priority claim. Georgia did not appeal that Order. On July 20, 1993, Plaintiffs converted their case to chapter 7 and a discharge was entered on February 1, 1994. After the discharge was entered, Georgia sent Plaintiffs a collection letter dated May 3, 1994, demanding payment of the nondischarged 1990 taxes as well as the discharged taxes for the 1980 through 1984 tax years.

Plaintiffs’ filed a Motion to Reopen their chapter 7 case. That motion was granted and an Order was entered on March 7, 1995. Plaintiffs subsequently filed this adversary proceeding alleging a violation of the Section 524(a) discharge injunction. On August 9, 1995, I entered an Order which held that the 1990 taxes were not discharged, but the 1980-1984 tax liabilities, penalties, and interest were discharged in the chapter 7 case. Subsequently, Georgia filed a Motion to Dismiss this adversary proceeding asserting sovereign immunity and that it did not commit a willful violation of the discharge injunction as a matter of law. On September 6,1996, I entered an Order denying the Motion to Dismiss finding that Georgia waived its Eleventh Amendment sovereign immunity by filing a proof of claim against the bankruptcy estate. I also found that Georgia violated the discharge injunction by making post-discharge collection efforts on discharged debts. Burke v. State of Georgia, Dept. of Revenue (In re Burke), 200 B.R. 282 (Bankr.S.D.Ga.1996).

Georgia filed a Motion to Alter or Amend the September 6, 1996, Order asserting that the waiver of immunity provision expressly provided in 11 U.S.C. Section 106 was unconstitutional. I denied the Motion to Alter or Amend on December 16, 1996, and found that by filing of a proof of claim in the bankruptcy case, Georgia voluntarily subjected itself to the Court’s equitable power which included enforcement of the discharge injunction. Burke v. State of Georgia, Dept. of Revenue (In re Burke), 203 B.R. 493 (Bankr.S.D.Ga.1996).

Georgia subsequently appealed the matter on the issue of sovereign immunity. By Order dated July 23, 1997, the District Court affirmed and held that Section 106(a) validly abrogated Georgia’s Eleventh Amendment immunity. State of Georgia, Dept. of Revenue v. Burke (In re Burke), No. CV197-42, slip op. (S.D.Ga. Jul. 23, 1997). The matter was then appealed to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals which held that Georgia waived its Eleventh Amendment immunity by filing a proof of claim in the bankruptcy case and that the Bankruptcy Court retained jurisdiction over Georgia in order to enforce the discharge injunction. State of Georgia Dept. of Revenue v. Burke (In re Burke), 146 F.3d 1313 (11th Cir.1998). On appeal to the United States Supreme Court, the petition for a writ of certiorari was denied. Georgia Dept. of Revenue v. Burke (In re Burke), 527 U.S. 1043, 119 S.Ct. 2410, 144 L.Ed.2d 808 (1999).

The matter is now before this Court on remand. At a status conference Plaintiffs announced that they were ready for trial. Georgia asserts that I must first determine if there has been a violation of the discharge injunction. If the Court finds a violation, Georgia argues that the holding of the Eleventh Circuit limits any recovery to attorney fees and costs. Georgia then contends that such an award would not be appropriate under the facts of this case. Subsequently, the parties filed Motions for Summary Judgment on the issue of violation of the discharge injunction and the determination and extent of damages.

Summary judgment is appropriate when there is no dispute as to any material fact [313]*313and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c); Combs v. King, 764 F.2d 818, 827 (11th Cir.1985). The moving party bears the burden of proof and may do so by showing that an essential element of the non-movant’s case is lacking. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2552, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). “[A] party seeking summary judgment always bears the initial responsibility of informing the ... court of the basis for its motion, and identifying those portions of the ‘pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any,’ which it believes demonstrate the absence of a genuine issue of material fact.” Id. at 2553 (quoting Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c)). Once the moving party has properly supported its motion with such evidence, the party opposing the motion “ ‘may not rest upon the mere allegations or denials of his pleading, but ... must set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.’ ”

Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 2510, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986) (quoting First Nat’l Bank of Arizona v. Cities Service Co., 391 U.S. 253, 88 S.Ct. 1575, 20 L.Ed.2d 569 (1968) and Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(e)). “In determining whether the movant has met its burden, the reviewing court must examine the evidence in a light most favorable to the opponent of the motion. All reasonable doubts and inferences should be resolved in favor of the opponent.” Amey, Inc. v. Gulf Abstract & Title, Inc.,

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258 B.R. 310, 2001 Bankr. LEXIS 86, 37 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 98, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/burke-v-georgia-department-of-revenue-in-re-burke-gasb-2001.