Cadle Co. v. Hughes (In Re Hughes)

354 B.R. 801, 2006 Bankr. LEXIS 3946, 2006 WL 3290944
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Texas
DecidedNovember 13, 2006
Docket19-40858
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 354 B.R. 801 (Cadle Co. v. Hughes (In Re Hughes)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cadle Co. v. Hughes (In Re Hughes), 354 B.R. 801, 2006 Bankr. LEXIS 3946, 2006 WL 3290944 (Tex. 2006).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING IN PART MOTION FOR FINAL SUMMARY JUDGMENT

STACEY G.C. JERNIGAN, Bankruptcy Judge.

I.

INTRODUCTION

Before this court is the Motion for Final Summary Judgment (the “Summary Judgment Motion”) of The Cadle Company (“Cadle”) on Objection to Discharge of Debtor James Randell Hughes and Brief in Support Thereof and Defendant’s Response to Plaintiffs Motion for Final Summary Judgment (the “Response”) and brief in support filed by James Randell Hughes (“Mr. Hughes” or the “Defendant” or the “Debtor”). Cadle seeks summary adjudication that Mr. Hughes is not entitled to a discharge of his debts pursuant to sections 727(a)(3) and 727(a)(4) of the Bankruptcy Code.

This court has jurisdiction of this matter pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1334 and 157. This is a core proceeding pursuant to 28 *805 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(A) and (I). This memorandum opinion sets forth the facts that appear to be without substantial controversy and the conclusions of law pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 7056.

II.

PROCEDURAL POSTURE

On March 30, 2006, Cadle filed its Original Complaint Objecting to Debtor’s Discharge Pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 727 (the “Complaint”) asserting that Mr. Hughes is not entitled to a discharge of his debts pursuant to sections 727(a)(2), (a)(3), (a)(4), (a)(5), and (a)(7) of the Bankruptcy Code. 1 On May 5, 2006, Mr. Hughes filed his Original Answer (the “Answer”) denying that he is not entitled to a discharge and asserting various affirmative defenses, none of which are pertinent herein. Although Cadle raises several subsections of section 727(a) of the Bankruptcy Code in its Complaint, it seeks only summary adjudication with regard to section 727(a)(3) (for the purported, unjustified failure by the Defendant to keep and maintain financial records) and section 727(a)(4) (for the purported, knowing and fraudulent making of a false oath by Mr. Hughes with regard to his bankruptcy case).

A hearing on the Summary Judgment Motion was held on August 31, 2006, and argument was made by counsel for Cadle and counsel for Mr. Hughes. Also, on August 31, 2006, Cadle filed an Objection to Summary Judgment Evidence of Defendant, objecting to the affidavits of Mr. Hughes and of Melanie Wingo Hughes (“Mrs. Hughes” or “Melanie Hughes”), Mr. Hughes’ wife, arguing principally that statements made within the affidavits were incompetent summary judgment evidence. The court denies Cadle’s Objection, with the proviso that the court, in considering this matter and in drafting this opinion, has given the affidavits the weight to which they are entitled.

III.

UNDISPUTED MATERIAL FACTS

A. Mr. Hughes ’ Business Background

The undisputed facts are that Mr. Hughes is in the real estate business and has been for over 25 years. He manages construction and sales of upscale residences for H. Hughes Properties, Inc. (“HHPI”), a business owned by his wife. He has also been involved in the construction of high-end homes through several business entities for many years. During the 1980s and early 1990s, Mr. Hughes owned, with his business associate, Gordon Todd, several real estate ventures that were caught up in what has come to be known as the savings and loan crisis of the late 1980s. As a result, Mr. Hughes’ business ventures incurred several millions of dollars in debts, embodied in judgments against them. Because Mr. Hughes personally guaranteed his business debts, those judgments extended to him personally. Indeed, Mr. Hughes’ Schedule F filed in his bankruptcy case shows judgments against him in the approximate amount of $41 million.

B. Mr. Hughes’ Financial Records (or Lack Thereof)

It is undisputed that Mr. Hughes has, for at least the last fifteen years, operated mostly on a cash basis. He has not maintained or used a personal checking account, nor has he held credit cards or other accounts at banking institutions. Mr. Hughes asserts by affidavit in support of his Response that he periodically cashes *806 his paychecks from HHPI (his wife’s company), and the funds are used to pay his personal expenses, household expenses, child-related expenses such as tuition, and other living expenses. All such living expenses, he asserts, are paid in cash or through the purchase of a cashier’s cheek or money order. Mr. Hughes testified at his continued section 341 meeting on January 24, 2006, the transcript for which is attached as Exhibit 2 to the Andrew Emerson Declaration (the “Emerson Declaration”) in support of the Summary Judgment Motion, that he receives a paycheck twice a month from HHPI, and that his take-home pay is approximately $5,000.00 a month. Mr. Hughes asserts in his affidavit in support of his Response that he generally cashes his paychecks from HHPI and places approximately $2,000.00 a month into a drawer at his home. He asserts that he uses the other funds for personal expenses. He and Mrs. Hughes both assert by affidavit that she has access to the funds and often uses the funds to pay monthly expenses for the family. There is no record whatsoever reflecting the monies that have passed in and out of the drawer at home. Indeed, Mr. Hughes testified at his continued section 341 meeting that he does not keep any record of the money he spends in any way. He testified that since he has no checking account nor any credit cards, no statements for such types of accounts can be produced because they do not exist. Mr. Hughes testified that the financial records that exist for him are his tax returns, some paychecks, and copies of cashier’s checks used to pay his children’s tuition. These, he asserts, are the only financial documents he has in his possession to turn over for creditor review.

C. Mr. Hughes’ Bankruptcy Disclosures (the Adequacy or Inadequacy Thereof)

Cadle also asserts that Mr. Hughes has failed to disclose certain information in connection with his bankruptcy proceedings, which failures to disclose amount to Mr. Hughes knowingly and fraudulently making a false oath or account within the meaning of section 727(a)(4) of the Bankruptcy Code.

1. Business Entities or Ventures With Which Mr. Hughes Has Had Some Level of Involvement

Cadle first focuses on Mr. Hughes’ asserting at his section 341 meeting that he had not been an officer, director, owner, or been involved in a major way in a business corporation, partnership, or a subchapter S corporation within the last six years. Cadle points to 4323 Beechwood, L.L.C. (“4323 Beechwood”), a business enterprise in which Mr. Hughes has apparently been involved in some capacity, as evidence that Mr. Hughes was not being truthful at his section 341 meeting. Cadle notes that Mr.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
354 B.R. 801, 2006 Bankr. LEXIS 3946, 2006 WL 3290944, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cadle-co-v-hughes-in-re-hughes-txnb-2006.