David Sansone Company, Inc. v. Waiaha Ridge LLC

District Court, D. Hawaii·Decided June 23, 2022·No. 1:20-cv-00411·Unknown

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF HAWAII ) DAVID SANSONE COMPANY, INC.; Civ. No. 20-00411 HG-RT ) SANSONE REAL ESTATE ) INVESTMENTS, LLC; DAVID ) SANSONE; SANSONE COMPANY, INC.; ) AVILA PROPERTIES, LLC; LOS ) PADRES CONSTRUCTION, INC., ) ) Plaintiffs, ) ) vs. ) ) ) WAIAHA RIDGE LLC; DANIEL B. ) BOLTON; THE KONA COFFEE & TEA ) COMPANY, INC.; BOLTON INC.; ) JANET T. BOLTON; JOHN DOES 1- ) 50; JANE DOES 1-50; DOE ) CORPORATIONS 1-50; DOE ) PARTNERSHIPS 1-50; DOE ENTITIES ) 1-50, ) ) Defendants. ) ) ) ) WAIAHA RIDGE LLC, ) ) Counter-Claimant, ) ) vs. ) ) DAVID SANSONE COMPANY, INC. ) ) Counter-Defendant. ) ) ORDER DENYING PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION FOR PARTIAL SUMMARY JUDGMENT ON COUNTS 7-12 OF THE FOURTH AMENDED COMPLAINT AGAINST DEFENDANTS WAIAHA RIDGE, LLC, DANIEL B. BOLTON, AND JANET T. BOLTON (ECF No. 97) and 1 DENYING DEFENDANTS’ MOTION FOR PARTIAL SUMMARY JUDGMENT OF COUNTS I-III AND V OF PLAINTIFFS’ FOURTH AMENDED COMPLAINT AND COUNT I OF COUNTERCLAIM AS TO LIABILITY (ECF No. 103) Plaintiffs’ claims arise out of an alleged agreement with Defendants to acquire and develop real estate on the island of Hawaii beginning in 2006. Plaintiff David Sansone alleges that he agreed to enter into a joint business venture with Defendant Daniel Bolton based on a representation by Bolton that it would be a “50/50 partnership” with each partner contributing half of the funds necessary to purchase and develop the property. Plaintiffs assert that they advanced millions of dollars to Defendants for the joint venture, but they claim that Defendants improperly used the funds for activities outside of the venture, including to pay unrelated debts and to purchase property unconnected to the joint venture. The case was filed on September 30, 2020 and is now on its Fourth Amended Complaint. After the Third Amended Complaint was filed, Defendant Waiaha Ridge, LLC, filed a counterclaim against Plaintiff/Counter-Defendant David Sansone Company, Inc. The counterclaim is for Wrongful Refusal To Release A Mortgage that the Parties entered into in 2018. PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION: Plaintiffs filed a Motion for Partial Summary Judgment, 2 requesting the Court rule in their favor as to Counts VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, and XII of their Fourth Amended Complaint. DEFENDANTS’ MOTION: Defendants filed their own Motion for Partial Summary Judgment, requesting the Court rule in their favor as to Counts I, II, III, and V of Plaintiffs’ Fourth Amended Complaint as well as in favor of the Counter-Claimant Waiaha Ridge LLC as to liability. There are genuine issues of material fact that preclude the Court from granting summary judgment as to either Motion. Plaintiffs’ Motion for Partial Summary Judgment (ECF No. 97) is DENIED. Defendants/Counter-Claimant’s Motion for Partial Summary

Judgment (ECF No. 103) is DENIED. PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On September 30, 2020, Plaintiffs filed a Complaint. (ECF No. 1). On October 7, 2020, Plaintiffs filed a FIRST AMENDED COMPLAINT. (ECF No. 6). On the same date, the Court issued a Minute Order instructing Plaintiffs that the allegations in the First Amended Complaint were insufficient to confer the Court with subject- matter jurisdiction based on diversity. (ECF No. 7). 3 On October 16, 2020, Plaintiffs filed an Ex Parte Motion for Leave to File Second Amended Complaint. (ECF No. 8). On October 20, 2020, the Court granted Plaintiff’s Motion for Leave to File Second Amended Complaint. (ECF No. 9). On October 20, 2020, Plaintiffs filed their SECOND AMENDED COMPLAINT. (ECF No. 10). On November 25, 2020, Defendants filed a Motion to Dismiss. (ECF No. 17). On December 10, 2020, the Court held a Status Conference. (ECF No. 23). At the Status Conference, Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss (ECF No. 17) was stricken and Plaintiffs were granted leave to file a Third Amended Complaint. (ECF No. 23). On January 15, 2021, Plaintiffs filed their THIRD AMENDED COMPLAINT. (ECF No. 24). On February 4, 2021, Defendants filed DEFENDANTS WAIAHA RIDGE, LLC AND DANIEL B. BOLTON’S MOTION TO DISMISS THIRD AMENDED COMPLAINT FOR FAILURE TO STATE A CLAIM. (ECF No. 29). On March 31, 2021, the Court held a hearing on Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss Third Amended Complaint and denied the Motion.

(ECF No. 36). On April 14, 2021, Defendants filed their Answer and Defendant/Counter-Claimant Waiaha Ridge LLC filed its COUNTERCLAIM against Plaintiff/Counter-Defendant David Sansone Company, Inc. (ECF No. 43). 4 On July 30, 2021, Plaintiffs filed a Motion for Leave to File Fourth Amended Complaint. (ECF No. 60). On September 16, 2021, the Magistrate Judge held a hearing on Plaintiffs’ Motion for Leave and granted the Motion. (ECF No. 66). On September 16, 2021, Plaintiffs filed their FOURTH AMENDED COMPLAINT. (ECF No. 67). On October 22, 2021, Defendants filed a Motion to Dismiss, In Part, Plaintiffs’ Fourth Amended Complaint. (ECF No. 81). On January 5, 2022, the Court held a hearing on Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss, In Part, Plaintiffs’ Fourth Amended Complaint. (ECF No. 88). On April 13, 2022, Plaintiffs filed their Motion for Partial Summary Judgment. (ECF No. 97). On the same date, Defendants filed their Motion for Partial Summary Judgment. (ECF No. 99). On April 19, 2022, the Court issued a Minute Order striking Defendants’ Motion for failure to comply with the Local Rules and provided Defendants additional time to file their Motion. (ECF

No. 101). On April 25, 2022, the Court issued its ORDER DENYING DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO DISMISS PLAINTIFF’S BREACH OF FIDUCIARY DUTY AND CONSPIRACY CLAIMS AND GRANTING DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO DISMISS PLAINTIFFS’ UNFAIR METHODS OF COMPETITION CLAIM. (ECF 5 No. 102). On April 27, 2022, Defendants filed their Motion for Partial Summary Judgment. (ECF No. 103). On May 17, 2022, the Parties filed their Oppositions to the Motions for Partial Summary Judgment. (ECF Nos. 107 and 109). On May 31, 2022, the Parties filed their Replies. (ECF Nos. 118 and 120). On June 15, 2022, the Court held a hearing on the Parties’ Motions for Partial Summary Judgment. (ECF No. 130).

ANALYSIS Plaintiffs David Sansone Company, Inc., Sansone Real Estate Investments, LLC, David Sansone, Sansone Company, Inc., Avila Properties, LLC, and Los Padres Construction, Inc. (“Plaintiffs”) and Defendants Waiaha Ridge LLC, Daniel B. Bolton, The Kona Coffee & Tea Company, Inc., Bolton Inc., and Janet T. Bolton (“Defendants”) have each filed a Motion for Partial Summary Judgment.

Plaintiffs seek summary judgment on the following causes of action in the Fourth Amended Complaint: COUNT VII - Fraudulent Transfer/Conveyance pursuant to Haw. Rev. Stat. §§ 651C-4(a)(1), 651C-7(a)(1), and 651C-8(b) and Common Law; COUNT VIII - Fraudulent Transfer pursuant to Haw. Rev. Stat. §§ 651C-4(a)(2), 651C-7(a)(1), and 651C-8(b); 6 COUNT IX - Fraudulent Obligation Incurred pursuant to Fraudulent Transfer/Conveyance pursuant to Haw. Rev. Stat. §§ 651C-4(a)(1), 651C-7(a)(1), and 651C-8(b) and Common Law; COUNT X - Fraudulent Obligation Incurred pursuant to Fraudulent Transfer/Conveyance pursuant to Haw. Rev. Stat. §§ 651C-4(a)(2), 651C-7(a)(1), and 651C-8(b); COUNT XI - Fraudulent Transfer and Fraudulent Obligation Incurred pursuant to Fraudulent Transfer/Conveyance pursuant to Haw. Rev. Stat. §§ 651C-5(a), 651C-7(a)(1), and 651C-8(b); COUNT XII - Preferential Transfer pursuant to Fraudulent Transfer/Conveyance pursuant to Haw. Rev. Stat.

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David Sansone Company, Inc. v. Waiaha Ridge LLC, (D. Haw. 2022).

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