Cummings v. Anderson (In re Cummings)

173 B.R. 959, 1994 Bankr. LEXIS 1552
CourtDistrict Court, D. Georgia
DecidedAugust 31, 1994
DocketBankruptcy No. A92-68601-SWC; Adv. No. 92-6537
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 173 B.R. 959 (Cummings v. Anderson (In re Cummings)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cummings v. Anderson (In re Cummings), 173 B.R. 959, 1994 Bankr. LEXIS 1552 (gad 1994).

Opinion

ORDER

STACEY W. COTTON, Bankruptcy Judge.

Before the court is plaintiff Deborah C. Cummings’ complaint to set aside foreclosure of real property by defendant Knute A. Anderson (“Anderson”) and to avoid the deed under power. The complaint came on for trial and both plaintiff and defendant were present and represented by counsel. This is a core matter pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(A) and (H). The court’s findings of fact and conclusions of law are as follows.

FACTS

On or about July 29, 1983, John Henry Cummings borrowed $12,099.50 from Tower Financial Services, Inc., evidenced by a promissory note and secured by a deed to secure debt on real property located at 2869 Darrah Drive, S.W. Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia. Thereafter, the note and security [961]*961deed were transferred and assigned to Fleet Finance, Inc., of Georgia (“Fleet”). Although plaintiff was married to John Henry Cummings at the time of the loan, she owned no interest in the property and did not sign the note or the security deed.

On February 12, 1992, Fleet accelerated the loan as a result of a default in payments, giving notice to John Henry Cummings at 2869 Darrah Drive, S.W. Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia. Fleet advertised the subject property for foreclosure on April 7,1992. Plaintiff Exhibit “4”. On March 18, 1992, a copy of the newspaper notice was sent certified mail by Fleet’s attorneys to John Henry Cummings at the property address. Plaintiff was not given notice of the Fleet foreclosure except through the newspaper advertisement.

On March 16, 1992, plaintiff was awarded the 2869 Darrah Drive property in a divorce proceeding by the Superior Court of Fulton County. Plaintiff did not file a lis pendens and did not give Fleet notiee of the pending divorce or of its outcome. However, the divorce decree was recorded on the land deed records of Fulton County, Georgia.

Defendant Anderson attended the Fleet foreclosure. At or about 12:50 p.m. on April 7, 1992, prior to a foreclosure sale, Fred A. Hasty, as attorney for Fleet, and Anderson executed a handwritten document by which Fleet agreed to assign its interest in the Cummings’ deed to secure debt. Plaintiff Exhibit “3”. Anderson paid $8,559.93 to Fleet’s attorney. Anderson then left the courthouse, contacted attorney Sanford McCalla, and instructed him to conduct a foreclosure of the subject property.

McCalla testified that pursuant to Plaintiff. Exhibit “3” and Anderson’s instructions, he travelled to the courthouse for Fulton Superior Court and at 2:01 p.m. on April 7, 1992, conducted a foreclosure sale on behalf of Anderson as assignee.1 No evidence whs presented to show any notice or advertisement by defendant Anderson or his attorney. At the foreclosure sale, McCalla testified that he made an $8,560 bid on behalf of Anderson. There were no other bids. A foreclosure deed under power of sale was subsequently executed and recorded on the land deed records in Fulton County, Georgia on May 18, 1992.

On May 19, 1992, plaintiff filed her Chapter 13 petition. Her schedules reflect solvency at all pertinent times, even after the foreclosure. She scheduled assets of $111,645 and liabilities of $25,036. Plaintiff testified at trial that her schedules were true and correct. Further, plaintiffs assets include the subject property which is plaintiffs residence in which she has continuously resided since 1983 and claims title based upon an award in the final divorce decree. Plaintiffs adversary complaint seeks to avoid defendant’s foreclosure sale as a fraudulent conveyance under 11 U.S.C. § 548(a)(2) and for failure to comply with Georgia foreclosure law.

DISCUSSION

Plaintiff seeks to avoid Anderson’s foreclosure sale of her property under 11 U.S.C. § 548(a)(2) and Durrett v. Washington Nat’l Ins. Co., 621 F.2d 201 (5th Cir.1980). However, the Supreme Court in BFP v. Resolution Trust Corp., — U.S. -, 114 S.Ct. 1757, 128 L.Ed.2d 556 (1994), has overruled the Durrett line of cases. The Supreme Court held that in the foreclosure of real property the “reasonably equivalent value” is the actual price paid at the foreclosure sale, if the state foreclosure law requirements have been complied with. In the present case, plaintiff has failed to carry her burden of proof to establish a fraudulent conveyance under § 548(a)(2).

This does not end the inquiry, however, since the sale may be avoided if defendant has not complied with state law. BFP, — U.S. at -, 114 S.Ct. at 1765. In the [962]*962present case, there is no dispute that Georgia law applies. For the reasons set forth hereinafter, the court finds and concludes that defendant Anderson has not complied with the requirements of Georgia law.

The Georgia notice statute, codified as O.C.G.A. §§ 44-14-162 et seq., requires that notice of the intention to exercise the power of sale in a security deed on residential property be given to the debtor by the secured creditor no later than fifteen days before the date of the proposed foreclosure sale. The notice must be in writing and be sent by certified mail to the property address or to such other address as the debtor may designate by written notice to the secured creditor.

“Debtor” is defined as

the grantor of the ... security deed.... In the event the property encumbered by the ... security deed ... has been transferred or conveyed by the original debtor, the term “debtor” shall mean the current owner of the property encumbered by the debt, if the identity of such owner has been made known to and acknowledged by the secured creditor prior to the time the secured creditor is required to give notice[.]

O.C.G.A. § 44-14-162.1. The notice requirement, being in derogation of the common law, is strictly construed. See Breitzman v. Heritage Bank, 180 Ga.App. 171, 348 S.E.2d 713 (1986). Only the debtor is entitled to the notice required by this statute. The notice is complete upon mailing to the address of record with the creditor and the debtor’s actual receipt of the notice is immaterial. McCollum v. Pope, 261 Ga. 835, 411 S.E.2d 874 (1992).

The evidence establishes that Fleet advertised and gave notice for an April 7, 1992, foreclosure sale as required by its documents and Georgia law. Plaintiff was not a grantor in the security deed and has no personal liability on the promissory note. There is no evidence that plaintiff had been identified to or acknowledged by Fleet as owner of the subject property prior to the foreclosure sale.

Fleet, however, did not conduct a foreclosure sale. Rather, it agreed to assign its note and security deed to Anderson.

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Bluebook (online)
173 B.R. 959, 1994 Bankr. LEXIS 1552, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cummings-v-anderson-in-re-cummings-gad-1994.