Chamberlain v. Messer (In re Messer)

500 B.R. 875
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Michigan
DecidedOctober 18, 2013
DocketBankruptcy No. 10-70444; Adversary No. 10-7612
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 500 B.R. 875 (Chamberlain v. Messer (In re Messer)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Michigan primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Chamberlain v. Messer (In re Messer), 500 B.R. 875 (Mich. 2013).

Opinion

OPINION REGARDING MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

THOMAS J. TUCKER, Bankruptcy Judge.

In this adversary proceeding, Plaintiffs seek a determination that a debt in the amount of $134,074.95 is nondischargeable under 11 U.S.C. §§ 523(a)(2)(A) and (B), [877]*877523(a)(4), and 523(a)(6).1 The debt is based on a prior state court default judgment, entered pre-petition in favor of Plaintiffs and against Defendant/Debtor (“Defendant”), on a multiple-count amended complaint (the “Default Judgment”). This adversary proceeding is before the Court on cross-motions for summary judgment (collectively, the “Motions”).2

Plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment (“Plaintiffs’ Motion”)3 seeks summary judgment on all counts of the adversary complaint, based entirely on collateral es-toppel. Plaintiffs argue that under the doctrine of collateral estoppel, the Default Judgment precludes Defendant from disputing the non-dischargeability of the debt.4

Defendant’s Motion seeks summary judgment on all counts of Plaintiffs’ adversary complaint.

The Court held a hearing on the Motions. During the hearing, the parties requested the opportunity to file briefs to address the relevance of, and impact on the Motions of, Mich. Comp. Laws § 450.4404(5), and the Court granted this request. Also during the hearing, the Court required Defendant’s counsel to file a transcript of the oral argument in the state court on a motion by Defendant to set aside the Default Judgment.5 Defendant then filed transcripts of two state court hearings, which in part, concerned the motion by Defendant to set aside the Default Judgment.6

The Court concludes that, based on the undisputed facts in the record, Plaintiffs’ Motion must be denied, for the reasons stated in this opinion below. The Court also concludes that Defendant’s Motion must be denied, because there are genuine issues of material fact precluding summary judgment for Defendant.

I. Facts

A. The state court action

On August 13, 2009, Plaintiffs filed an amended complaint against Defendant and various corporate defendants in the Kent County, Michigan, Circuit Court (Chamberlain v. Messer, Case No. 09-07287-CK).7 The amended complaint contained the following eight counts: “Count I— Breach of Promissory Notes (All Defendants)”; “Count II — Fraud in the Inducement (Defendant Mr. Messer)”; “Count III — Breach of the November 2005 Agreement and Rockford Operating Agreement & Violation of the Michigan Limited Liability Company Act (Defendant Mr. Mes-ser)”; “Count IV — Breach of Fiduciary Duties (Defendant Mr. Messer)”; “Count V — Unjust Enrichment/Conversion (All Defendants)”; “Count VI — Tortious Interference/Usurpation of Corporate Opportunity (Defendants Mr. Messer and Messer Mobility)”; “Count VII — Accounting”; and “Count [VIII]8 — Temporary Restraining Order & Appointment of Receiver.” When Defendant and the corporate defendants failed to timely file answers to the [878]*878amended complaint, defaults were entered against each of the corporate defendants, but not against the Defendant. Apparently, a default was not entered at that time against Defendant, because the state court erroneously believed that Defendant was a debtor in a pending bankruptcy case.

“On September 16, 2009, the [Plaintiffs formally filed a notice of entry of judgment, including a proposed judgment against all of the defendants for $134,074.95, and wrote in that notice that the defendants had to file written objections within seven days to prevent entry of the proposed judgment.”9 On September 24, 2009, an objection to entry of the proposed default judgment “was filed on behalf of ‘the [defendants ... except [Defendant] Bill Messer.’ 10 The objection stated that “[Defendant] Bill Messer has filed personal bankruptcy and no Judgment can or should be entered against him.” 11 In their objection, the corporate defendants “moved to set aside all of the defaults” against them and objected to entry of default judgments against them.12

B. The state court Default Judgment

On September 25, 2009, upon discovering that there was no pending bankruptcy case in which Defendant was a debtor, the state court, without first holding a hearing, entered a default and the Default Judgment against Defendant, individually, and in favor of Plaintiffs, in the amount $134,074.95.13 The Default Judgment provided, in relevant part: “IT IS ORDERED this judgment is granted in favor of the plaintiff(s) as follows. Damages: $132,966.4.0 Costs: $1,033.55 Attorney fee/Other $75.00 Total Judgment: $134,-074-95 ”14 The Default Judgment was a pre-printed form on which there were blank lines to fill in the total amount of Default Judgment, and the various amounts on which the total Default Judgment amount was computed. There is no indication whatsoever in the Default Judgment that the judgment was being entered on all counts of the Plaintiffs’ amended complaint, or on which counts the judgment was being entered.

On November 11, 2009, Defendant filed a motion to set aside the Default Judgment.15 The state court held hearings on November 18, 2009 and December 11, 2009, which, in part, dealt with Defendant’s motion to set aside the Default [879]*879Judgment.16 At the conclusion of the December 11, 2009 hearing, the state court took the issue of whether to set aside the Default Judgment under advisement.

On January 7, 2010, the state court entered an opinion denying Defendant’s motion to set aside the Default Judgment, because it had been filed after the 21-day time limit for bringing such a motion under Mich. Ct. R. 2.603(D)(2)(b).17 The opinion stated that the Default Judgment was “fully enforceable.”18

II. Jurisdiction

This Court has subject matter jurisdiction over this adversary proceeding under 28 U.S.C. §§ 1334(b), 157(a) and 157(b)(1), and Local Rule 83.50(a) (E.D. Mich.). This is a core proceeding under 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(I).

III. Discussion of Plaintiffs’ Motion

The issue before the Court on Plaintiffs’ Motion is whether under the doctrine of collateral estoppel, the Default Judgment bars Defendant from contesting the dis-chargeability of the $134,074.95 judgment debt under 11 U.S.C. §§ 523(a)(2), 523(a)(4), and/or 523(a)(6).

A. The collateral estoppel doctrine

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Reece v. Carey
W.D. Kentucky, 2022
Lenchner v. Korn (In re Korn)
567 B.R. 280 (E.D. Michigan, 2017)
Chudzinski v. Hanif (In re Hanif)
530 B.R. 655 (E.D. Michigan, 2015)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
500 B.R. 875, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/chamberlain-v-messer-in-re-messer-mieb-2013.