Central Laborers' Pension Fund v. Demex Group, Inc.

158 F. Supp. 3d 725, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11926, 2016 WL 398682
CourtDistrict Court, C.D. Illinois
DecidedJanuary 27, 2016
DocketNo. 08-3069
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 158 F. Supp. 3d 725 (Central Laborers' Pension Fund v. Demex Group, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, C.D. Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Central Laborers' Pension Fund v. Demex Group, Inc., 158 F. Supp. 3d 725, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11926, 2016 WL 398682 (C.D. Ill. 2016).

Opinion

OPINION

RICHARD MILLS, United States District Judge:

Plaintiffs Central Laborers’ Pension, Welfare and Annuity Funds et al., and Defendant Demex Group, Inc., entered into a Stipulated Judgment Order, which provided that Judgment would be entered in favor of the Plaintiffs and against Defendant Demex Group, Inc., in the total amount of $330,816.31 for delinquent contributions, liquidated damages, audit costs and attorney’s fees.

Defendant Edward Fisher is not a party to that Judgment Order.

The Parties have filed Briefs as to whether Judgment should also be entered against Defendant Edward Fisher, personally.

That is the single issue before the Court.

[727]*727In short, the Court finds that it should.

But first, the background and the law.

I. INTRODUCTION

The Plaintiffs, Central Laborers’ Pension Fund, Central Laborers’ Annuity-Fund, Southern Illinois Laborers’ Welfare Fund, Southern Illinois Laborers’ Annuity Fund, et al, are employee benefit funds administered pursuant to the terms and provisions of the Declarations of Trusts creating said funds and are required to be maintained and administered in accordance with the provisions of the Labor Management Relations Act of 1947, as amended, 29 U.S.C. § 140 et seq., and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA),, as amended, 29 U.S.C. §§ 1001 et seq.

The Central Laborers’ Pension, Welfare and Annuity Funds are based in Jacksonville, Illinois, and are the collection agents for the other named Plaintiffs which are employee benefit funds, labor organizations, labor management committees, and/or funds established pursuant to collective bargaining agreements.

The Plaintiffs filed this action seeking to recover employer contributions pursuant to Section 515 of ERISA, 29 U.S.C. § 1145. On June 27, 2011, following a stipulation, a judgment was entered in favor of the Plaintiffs against Defendant De-mex Group, Inc. (“Demex”), in the amount of $330,816.31. The Plaintiffs seek to obtain a judgment against Edward Fisher and impose personal liability for the judgment amount.

The Plaintiffs contend that Edward Fisher signed two Memorandum of Agreements imposing personal liability based on his status as an officer of Demex. Those agreements incorporated the Plaintiffs’ Trust Agreements which provide for personal liability for Edward Fisher. The Plaintiffs further assert that Edward Fisher signed contribution report forms that also imposed personal liability on him. They allege that under existing case law, state contract law and policy considerations under ERISA, Edward Fisher should be held personally liable for the delinquent contributions owed by Demex.

Edward Fisher claims that, even if there are writings which in certain circumstances could impose personal liability for delinquent contributions, the agreements relied upon by the Plaintiffs in this case do not do so.

II. FACTUAL BACKGROUND

(A)

Demex is a demolition/excavation contractor which, during the time period relevant to this lawsuit, engaged in business from a facility located in Manito, Illinois. Demex is an employer engaged in an industry within the meaning of ERISA, 29 U.S.C. §§ 1002(5), (11), (12) and (14). At all relevant times, Edward Fisher served as President of Demex. Before working for Demex, Edward Fisher worked as an equipment operator in the demolition field.

Prior to April of 2007, Edward Fisher owned 50% of the capital stock of Demex. The remaining 50% was owned equally by Billie Moore and William Fisher. Edward Fisher and William Fisher, are brothers and Billie Moore is the brother-in-law of the Fishers.

In April of 2007, Billie Moore left De-mex to start his own tire and auto repair business. Since April of 2007, Edward Fisher has owned 62.5% of the capital stock in Demex and the remaining 37.5% has been owned by William Fisher. In April of 2009, William Fisher left the company but retained 37.5% of the stock of the Defendant’s corporation.

The Defendants allege that Billie Moore served as the Treasurer of Demex and, in this capacity, he was the principal account[728]*728ing and financial officer of the corporation and was responsible for monitoring the financial ■ activities of Demex. However, Edward Fisher testified that it was he who had final and ultimate authority over what creditors or obligations were paid.

The Defendants assert that Billie Moore managed the office and an accountant hired by Demex managed its financial documents. Additionally, Billie Moore had final say over what expenses were to,be paid. Although Edward Fisher initially testified that Moore had the “final say” over what bills were paid, he later admitted that he himself had final authority. Edward Fisher also stated that he reviewed monthly expenses and would approve payment of monthly expenses.

The Defendants contend that prior to working for Demex, Edward Fisher had never held a position which involved the preparation of payroll records or gathering of payroll records or gathering together and preparing a payroll. He never had a responsibility for preparing documents related to employees for governmental bodies such as unemployment or tax withholding documentation. Moreover, Edward Fisher never had a job which involved preparing payroll or statistical' data for worker’s compensation insurers. Additionally, Edward Fisher did not oversee the work of the Demex clerical staff in putting together payroll types of information. He had no background or training which would enable him to effectively oversee that work.

Regardless of the accuracy of the foregoing assertions, the primary issue before the Court is whether the terms and provisions of the applicable cbllective bargaining agreements and Trust Agreements provide for the personal liability of Edward Fisher and, if so, whether the Plaintiffs have proven by a preponderance of the' evidence that the conditions within those agreements have been met so as to impose personal liability on Fisher.

The Defendants allege it was a coincidence when Edward Fisher signed contribution reports which were submitted to the Plaintiffs. Edward Fisher was in the office, the report had been paid and it needed to be signed so that it could be mailed. Because the reports were prepared by those individuals who did the payroll, Edward Fisher assumed they were accurate. He had no roll in preparing or gathering the information needed to prepare the reports. Regardless of the circumstances under which Edward Fisher signed the forms, the issue before the Court is whether Fisher signed the forms that were submitted to the Plaintiffs, which satisfies one of the criteria for imposing personal liability pursuant to the Trust Agreements.

(B)

On January 26, 2005 Edward Fisher, as President of Demex, printed his name to a Memorandum of Agreement with the Great Plains Laborers District Council. Section 4 of that agreement provides in pertinent part as follows:

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Bluebook (online)
158 F. Supp. 3d 725, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11926, 2016 WL 398682, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/central-laborers-pension-fund-v-demex-group-inc-ilcd-2016.