Curbow v. Conley

CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Tennessee
DecidedFebruary 5, 2020
Docket3:17-ap-03043
StatusUnknown

This text of Curbow v. Conley (Curbow v. Conley) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Curbow v. Conley, (Tenn. 2020).

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF TENNESSEE

In re Case No. 3:17-bk-32877-SHB JOHN FREDERICK CONLEY Chapter 7

Debtor

JOHN T. CURBOW

Plaintiff

v. Adv. No. 3:17-ap-03043-SHB

JOHN FREDERICK CONLEY

Defendant

M E M O R A N D U M

APPEARANCES: AMBROSE, WILSON, GRIMM & DANIEL, PLLC Ronald L. Grimm, Esq. 625 South Gay Street Suite 550 Post Office Box 2466 Knoxville, Tennessee 37901 Attorneys for Plaintiff

DOUGLAS L. DUNN, ESQ. 706 Walnut Street Suite 402 Knoxville, Tennessee 37902 Attorneys for Defendant

SUZANNE H. BAUKNIGHT UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY JUDGE Before the Court is the question of whether summary judgment should be entered for Defendant for the reasons raised by the Court under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56(f)(2) and (3) based on the record submitted by the parties on Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment that was denied on July 26, 2019.

I. PROCEDURAL POSTURE Plaintiff filed the Complaint for Determination of Dischargeability Pursuant to Section 523 of the Bankruptcy Code (“Complaint”) on December 22, 2017 [Doc. 1], commencing this adversary proceeding that seeks judgment against Defendant in the amount of $100,000.00 and a determination that the judgment is nondischargeable under 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(2)(A). In May 2019, Defendant filed a Motion for Summary Judgment (“Motion for Summary Judgment”) [Doc. 39], supported by a brief, a statement of undisputed facts as required by E.D. Tenn. LBR 7056-1(a), deposition testimony of both Plaintiff and Defendant together with referenced exhibits, and an Affidavit of Defendant. [Docs. 40, 41.] Plaintiff’s response included purchase agreements executed by the parties and additional deposition testimony. [Docs. 46, 47, 48.]

After Defendant filed a reply [Doc. 49], and the Court entered a Memorandum and Order Denying Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment on July 26, 2019 (“Memorandum and Order”) [Doc. 52]. In the Memorandum and Order, the Court set forth the undisputed facts established by the record or not disputed by the parties, provided the standard for summary judgment, outlined the requirement for a determination of nondischargeability under 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(2)(A), and, pursuant to of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56(f)(2) and (3), stated that the § 523(a)(2)(A) issues are whether Defendant represented to Plaintiff that he would prepare and execute a promissory note but never intended to do so and, if so, whether Plaintiff reasonably relied on such misrepresentation. [Id.] The Memorandum and Order directed Plaintiff to file a brief setting forth his argument (along with any statement of undisputed material facts with record citations) against a finding that the undisputed material facts establish that (A) Defendant did not make a material misrepresentation concerning his intent to prepare a promissory note and

security agreement and (B) even if such a misrepresentation was made, Plaintiff’s reliance on the representation was not justified, such that summary judgment against Plaintiff should be entered. The Court also provided Defendant with the opportunity to respond to Plaintiff’s submissions. Plaintiff filed his Brief and Statement of Additional Undisputed Facts on August 16, 2019 [Docs. 55, 56], and Defendant filed his responses to both documents on August 30, 2019, together with additional deposition testimony excerpts and discovery responses. [Docs. 57, 58]. Although summary judgment on claims involving the issue of fraudulent intent is very rare because intent is almost always an issue of fact, see e.g., Mendelsohn v. Jacobowitz (In re Jacobs), 394 B.R. 646, 658 (Bankr. E.D.N.Y. 2008) (citing Golden Budha Corp. v. Canadian Land Co. of Am., 931 F.2d 196, 201-02 (2d Cir. 1991)), in this case, after review of the entire

record, including the supplemental documents filed by the parties as directed by the Memorandum and Order, the Court determines that Plaintiff cannot prove that Defendant materially misrepresented his intent to prepare a promissory note and security agreement thereby inducing Plaintiff to enter into the Agreements. Furthermore, the record makes clear that even if Defendant had misrepresented an intent to prepare a promissory note and security agreement, Plaintiff did not justifiably rely on any such representation nor was it the proximate cause of his losses. Accordingly, summary judgment will be granted in Defendant’s favor, and the Complaint will be dismissed. II. UNDISPUTED FACTS1 The debt in question is owed by Defendant to Plaintiff under an Agreement for Stock Purchase and Sale of Central Communications and Electronics, Inc. executed by the parties on January 20, 2012, and a second Agreement for Stock Purchase and Sale of Central

Communications and Electronics, Inc. executed on January 31, 2012 (collectively, “Agreements”). [Docs. 40 and 48 at ¶ 1; 40-1 at pp. 26, 31; 48-1; 48-2.] Defendant, who was a licensed attorney, prepared the first agreement in August or September 2011, and Plaintiff reviewed it briefly (i.e., for five minutes) before he approved it. [Docs. 40 and 48 at ¶¶ 7, 10.] Plaintiff did not hire Defendant as an attorney, nor did Plaintiff consider Defendant to be Plaintiff’s attorney for preparation of the Agreements, and Defendant did not represent Plaintiff in the transaction. [Docs. 40 and 48 at ¶¶ 14-15.] Plaintiff chose not to have a lawyer review the Agreements “because he was anxious to conclude the deal and get out.” [Docs. 40 and 48 at ¶ 15.] The Agreements, which Defendant testified were taken from the internet, provide that

“Buyer shall execute a promissory note setting forth the above terms [of payment] (attached as Exhibit ‘A’), which shall be secured by a Security Interest on the assets of Central.” [Docs. 48-1 at ¶ 2.02(c); 48-2 at ¶ 2.02(c).] Only Defendant would have executed a promissory note and security agreement, and neither party raised the issue concerning the lack of either document until after Defendant defaulted under the Agreements. [Docs. 56 at ¶¶ 4-5; 58 at ¶¶ 4-5.] Under the Agreements, Defendant purchased stock from Plaintiff for $250,000.00. [Docs. 40 and 48 at ¶ 3; 40-1 at p. 26 and 31; 48-1; 48-2.] To learn about the business before purchasing the stock,

1 For clarity and completeness, the Court includes here the undisputed facts stated in the Memorandum and Order and the additional undisputed facts provided by the parties in response to the Court’s directives in the Memorandum and Order. Defendant, who informed Plaintiff that he wanted to change careers, worked for Plaintiff at Central Communications and Electronics, Inc. in 2011. [Docs. 40 and 48 at ¶¶ 6-7.] Defendant filed a Voluntary Petition commencing his Chapter 7 bankruptcy case on September 18, 2017, approximately six months after Plaintiff had filed suit in state court for the

unpaid balance of $100,000.00 owed under the Agreements. [Docs. 5 at ¶ 12; 13 at ¶ 12.] At the time the case was filed, Defendant owed $100,000.00 to Plaintiff under the Agreements. [Docs. 40 and 48 at ¶ 5.] In addition, Plaintiff’s Statement of Additional Undisputed Material Facts includes a number of facts that he claims are supported by the parties’ deposition testimony and documents attached as exhibits to Plaintiff’s brief that were included in the original summary judgment record; however, a number of those facts were disputed by Defendant in part because those portions of the parties’ depositions were not entered into the record. [Docs.

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