Dufrane v. Navient Solutions, Inc. (In re Dufrane)

566 B.R. 28
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, C.D. California
DecidedMarch 23, 2017
DocketCase No. 9:15-bk-11839-PC; Adversary No. 9:15-ap-01074-PC
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 566 B.R. 28 (Dufrane v. Navient Solutions, Inc. (In re Dufrane)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, C.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dufrane v. Navient Solutions, Inc. (In re Dufrane), 566 B.R. 28 (Cal. 2017).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM RE: DEFENDANT SUNTRUST BANK, N.A.’S MOTION TO DISMISS SECOND AMENDED COMPLAINT AS TO DEFENDANT SUNTRUST BANK, N.A. PURSUANT TO FED. R. CIV. PROC. 12(b)(6)

Peter H. Carroll, United States Bankruptcy Judge

Defendant, SunTrust Bank, N.A. (“Sun-Trust”) seeks dismissal of the Second Amended Complaint by Debtor to Determine Dischargeability of Debt Pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(8)1 (“Complaint”) filed by Plaintiff, Scott D. Dufrane (“Dufrane”) insofar as it seeks affirmative relief from SunTrust in this adversary proceeding. Having considered Dufrane’s Complaint in light of the papers2 and arguments of [31]*31counsel, the court will deny SunTrust’s motion based upon the following findings of fact and conclusions of law made pursuant to F.R.Civ.P. 52(a)(1), as incorporated into FRBP 7052 and applied to adversary proceedings in bankruptcy cases.

I.STATEMENT OF FACTS

Dufrane attended Thomas- Jefferson School of Law (“TJSL”) in San Diego, CA and graduated from Hofstra University’s Maurice A. Deane School of Law (“Hofstra Law”) in 2009. By the time he received his law degree, Dufrane had incurred debt of nearly $1,000,000. In his Complaint, Du-frane alleges that he “financed his legal education, as well as his undergraduate and other education, primarily through student loans guaranteed by the U.S. Government.” 3 On the petition date, Dufrane owed student loan debt through the U.S. Department of Education of approximately $400,000. Dufrane also owed approximately $500,000 on loans made to him by various private lenders between 2006 and 2009 (the “Private Loans”), including the balance due by Dufrane of approximately $90,000 owing on two loans made by Sun-Trust (the “SunTrust Private Loans”).

On September 16, 2015, Dufrane filed a voluntary petition under chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code. Jerry Namba (“Nam-ba”) was appointed as trustee. Namba commenced and concluded a meeting of creditors on October 14, 2015, and filed a Chapter 7 Trustee’s Report of No Distribution on November 3, 2015. On December 21, 2015, Dufrane received a discharge. The case was closed on December 29, 2015.

On October 6,2015, Dufrane filed a complaint seeking a determination that the Private Loans, including the SunTrust Private Loans, fell outside the protection of 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(8) and were dischargea: ble. In his Complaint, Dufrane alleges, in pertinent part, that;

2. Shortly after being accepted into Hofstra Law, [Dufrane] began receiving solicitations from the defendants named herein and their predecessors in interest offering private student loans. These solicitations generally stated that the money could be used for anything, and that it would be disbursed directly to the borrower and not through TJSL, Hofs-tra Law or any other school.
3. [Dufrane] applied for the Private Loans, and each of the loans was made without any inquiry from the lender regarding need, cost of tuition, or cost of any other education-related expense.
4. The proceeds of each of the Private Loans were disbursed directly to [Du-frane] without any input, knowledge or approval of the Financial Aid Office ...
6. None of the Private Loans that are the subject of this [Complaint] are of a type excepted.from discharge pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(8).
7. None of the Private Loans that are the subject of this [Complaint] were made, insured or guaranteed by a governmental unit, nor were any of the Private Loans made under any program funded in whole or in part by a governmental unit or nonprofit institution. All of the Private Loans were made by for-profit entities.
[32]*328. None of the Private Loans that are the subject of this [Complaint] are an “educational benefit,” “scholarship,” or “stipend,” as those terms are used in 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(8).
9. None of the Private Loans that are the subject of this [Complaint] are a “qualified educational loan” as that term is used in 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(8) and defined by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. § 221(d)(1) and 221(d)(2)). To qualify under those statutes, among other requirements, the loan must be used “solely to pay qualified higher education expenses,” which are defined as the “cost of attendance at an eligible educational institution” reduced by the sum of certain amounts excluded from gross income and the amount of any scholarship, allowance, or payment.
10. The cost of attendance at TJSL and Hofstra Law was far less than the amount of the Private Loans that were borrowed while [Dufrane] attended those schools, and the cost of attendance had already been covered by the federal loans (that are not the subject of this [Complaint]) and other resources.4

On November 23, 2016, SunTrust filed its motion to dismiss pursuant to F.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6) asserting that Du-frane’s Complaint fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted as to SunTrust because each of the SunTrust Private Loans is excepted from discharge as “an obligation to repay funds received as an educational benefit, scholarship or stipend” within the scope of 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(8)(h). Dufrane’s Opposition was filed on January 9, 2017, to which Sun-Trust replied on February 9, 2017. After a hearing on February 16, 2017, the matter was taken under submission.

II.DISCUSSION

This court has jurisdiction over this adversary proceeding pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 157(b) and 1334(b). This matter is a core proceeding under 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(A), (I) and (O). Venue is appropriate in this court. 28 U.S.C. § 1409(a). “[Exceptions to discharge ‘should be confined to those plainly expressed.’” Kawaauhau v. Geiger, 523 U.S. 57, 62, 118 5.Ct. 974, 140 L.Ed.2d 90 (1998) (citation omitted); see Quarre v. Saylor (In re Saylor), 108 F.3d 219, 221 (9th Cir. 1997) (“[E]xceptions to discharge are to be narrowly construed.”).

A. Standard for Dismissal Under Rule 12(b)(6).

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

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
566 B.R. 28, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dufrane-v-navient-solutions-inc-in-re-dufrane-cacb-2017.