Colorado v. Wine (In re Wine)

558 B.R. 438
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. Colorado
DecidedSeptember 30, 2016
DocketBankruptcy Case No. 15-13483 TBM; Adv. Pro. No. 15-01366 TBM
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 558 B.R. 438 (Colorado v. Wine (In re Wine)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Colorado primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Colorado v. Wine (In re Wine), 558 B.R. 438 (Colo. 2016).

Opinion

ORDER DENYING MOTION TO DISMISS

Thomas B. McNamara, United States Bankruptcy Judge

I. Introduction.

During the Great Depression, Colorado adopted an unemployment compensation system as a safety net for “persons unemployed through no fault of their own.”1 Although the system has been modified over the years,2 the foundation has remained the same. Employers are required to make contributions to an unemployment compensation fund administered by the State of Colorado (the “State”). Eligible workers who suffer total or partial unemployment may apply for benefits. The benefits are paid from the unemployment compensation fund. The quid pro quo for [440]*440receiving benefits is that the eligible worker must provide accurate information concerning income and employment. Abuse of the system can occur when a worker wrongfully claims an unemployment benefit for a period during which a worker actually was employed or when a worker otherwise provides inaccurate income or employment information. Such circumstances can result in an overpayment of benefits. When an overpayment is discovered, the State may seek recovery of the overpayment, along with a penalty and collection fees. That is what happened in this case — the State sought recovery of overpaid unemployment compensation, statutory penalties, and collection fees from Christopher B. Wine (the “Debtor”).

But, then, the Debtor filed for protection under Chapter 13 of the Bankruptcy Code. The goal of most bankruptcy debtors is a discharge. If the Debtor successfully completes the terms of his confirmed Chapter 13 Plan, the Debtor ordinarily would be entitled to a discharge of debts under Section 1328(a)3 of the Bankruptcy Code. All of which brings us to the current contested matter. The State filed a proof of claim against the Debtor for alleged overpaid unemployment benefits (during various periods in 2013 and 2014), statutory penalties, and collection fees. The State asserts that the overpayments occurred because the Debtor fraudulently misrepresented his employment income.

In addition to filing the proof of claim, the State initiated this lawsuit alleging that the Debtor’s debt to the State for the overpaid unemployment compensation, penalties, and collection fees is nondis-chargeable under Section 523(a)(2)(A) because the overpayments were obtained by “false pretenses, a false representation, or actual fraud.” The Debtor answered and also submitted a “Motion to Dismiss.” (Docket No. 13, the “Motion to Dismiss”). The Debtor concedes that he received overpayments of unemployment compensation and that such overpayments are non-dischargeable under Section 523(a)(2)(A). But, the Debtor argues that the portions of the debt owed to the State for statutory penalties and collection fees are discharge-able as a matter of law under the broad Chapter 13 discharge.

So, the core legal question presented by the Motion to Dismiss is: Can a debt owed to a governmental unit for statutory penalties and collection fees arising from overpaid unemployment compensation obtained by fraud be excepted from the Chapter 13 discharge under Section 523(a)(2)(A)?

II. Jurisdiction and Venue.

The Court has subject matter jurisdiction over this adversary proceeding concerning dischargeability pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1334. Furthermore, this is a core proceeding under 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(I) because it seeks a determination as to the dischargeability of a particular debt. Venue is proper in this Court under 28 U.S.C. §§ 1408 and 1409.

III. Standard Governing Motion to Dismiss.

The Debtor presented the Motion to Dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, which is made applicable to adversary proceedings by Rule 7012 of the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure. A motion under Rule 12(b)(6) tests the legal sufficiency of a complaint. See Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 677-78, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009); Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 [441]*441L.Ed.2d 929 (2007). The court must accept all of the well-pleaded factual allegations in the complaint as true. Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678, 129 S.Ct. 1987 (factual allegations are “accepted as true”); Wasatch Equality v. Alta Ski Lifts Co., 820 F.3d 381, 386 (10th Cir.2016) (quoting Colony Ins. Co. v. Burke, 698 F.3d 1222, 1228 (10th Cir.2012)) (“we ‘accept all facts pleaded by the non-moving party as true and grant all reasonable inferences from the pleadings in favor of the same’”). Then, the court must decide whether the complaint contains sufficient “facts to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.” Twombly, 550 U.S. at 570, 127 S.Ct. 1955.

There is a strong presumption against the dismissal of claims under Rule 12(b)(6). See Cottrell, Ltd. v. Biotrol Intern., Inc., 191 F.3d 1248, 1251 (10th Cir.1999). Dismissal of a complaint is appropriate-only if it appears beyond a doubt that the plaintiff can prove no set of facts in support of his claim which would entitle him to relief. The issue is not whether the plaintiff will prevail, but whether the plaintiff is entitled to offer evidence to support his claims.

While a complaint attacked by a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss does not need detailed factual allegations, ... a plaintiffs obligation to provide the “grounds” of his “entitle[ment] to relief’ requires more than labels and conclusions, and a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action will not do .... Factual allegations must be enough to raise a right to relief above the speculative level ... on the assumption that all the allegations in the complaint are true ....

Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955 (internal citations omitted).

IV. Procedural and Factual Background.

The Debtor filed his petition for relief under Chapter 13 of the Bankruptcy Code on April 4, 2015. (Docket No. 1, Case No. 15-13483.) Four months later, the Court confirmed the Debtor’s Chapter 13 Plan. (Docket No. 63, Case No. 15-13483.)

A. The Amended Complaint and Alleged Facts.

The State initiated this adversary proceeding by filing a “Complaint to Determine Dischargeability of Debt.” (Docket No.

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

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
558 B.R. 438, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/colorado-v-wine-in-re-wine-cob-2016.