Dymarkowski v. Savage (In re Hadley)

561 B.R. 384
CourtBankruptcy Appellate Panel of the Sixth Circuit
DecidedDecember 21, 2016
DocketNo. 16-8010
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 561 B.R. 384 (Dymarkowski v. Savage (In re Hadley)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Bankruptcy Appellate Panel of the Sixth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dymarkowski v. Savage (In re Hadley), 561 B.R. 384 (bap6 2016).

Opinion

OPINION

PAULETTE J. DELK, Bankruptcy Appellate Panel Judge.

In this case, the Chapter 7 trustee filed an adversary proceeding to avoid and recover preferential or fraudulent transfers from Debtor’s business attorney, Appellant herein. The bankruptcy judge granted the trustee’s motion for partial summary judgment, finding that two preferential transfers occurred just six days prior to bankruptcy, and awarded the trustee the value of the transferred property pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 550(a). A separate hearing was subsequently held to determine the value of the property transferred. The transferee attorney appeals the bankruptcy court’s order granting partial summary judgment, the order determining the value of the property transferred, and the order denying his motion to amend and modify the judgment.

[388]*388I.ISSUES ON APPEAL

Appellant raises three issues on appeal:

A, Did the bankruptcy court err in concluding that the transfers at issue were preferential and subject to avoidance under 11 U.S.C. § 547(b)?
B, Did the bankruptcy court clearly err in its determination of the value of the property transferred?
C, Did the bankruptcy court abuse its discretion in denying the transferee’s motion for a new trial and for amendment and modification of the judgment?

II.JURISDICTION AND STANDARD OF REVIEW

The Panel has jurisdiction to decide this appeal. The United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio has authorized appeals to this Panel, and neither of the parties has timely elected to have these appeals heard by the district court. 28 U.S.C. § 158(b)(6), (c)(1), A bankruptcy court’s final order may be appealed as of right pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 158(a)(1), For purposes of appeal, an order is final if it “ends the litigation on the merits and leaves nothing for the court to do but execute the judgment.” Midland Asphalt Corp. v. United States, 489 U.S. 794, 798, 109 S.Ct. 1494, 1497, 103 L.Ed.2d 879 (1989) (citation omitted). The bankruptcy court’s grant of summary judgment and subsequent orders resolved the underlying adversary proceeding on its merits and the orders appealed are therefore final, appealable orders. Lyon v, Eiseman (In re Forbes), 372 B.R. 321, 325 (6th Cir. BAP 2007).

The bankruptcy court's legal conclusions are reviewed de novo, Caradon Doors & Windows, Inc. v. Eagle-Picher Indus., Inc, (In re Eagle-Picher Indus., Inc.), 447 F.3d 461, 463 (6th Cir. 2006), including a decision that applies or interprets state law. See Official Comm. of Unsecured Creditors v. Dow Corning Corp. (In re Dow Corning Corp.), 456 F.3d 668, 675 (6th Cir, 2006). “De novo means that the appellate court determines the law independently of the trial court’s determination.” Treinish v. Norwest Bank Minn., N.A. (In re Periandri), 266 B.R. 651, 653 (6th Cir. BAP 2001) (citations omitted). “No deference is given to the trial court’s conclusions of law.” Mktg. & Creative Solutions, Inc. v. Scripps Howard Broad. Co. (In re Mktg. & Creative Solutions, Inc.), 338 B.R. 300, 302 (6th Cir. BAP 2006) (citations omitted). Decisions to grant summary judgment are reviewed de novo.

A determination of value is a finding of fact, reviewed under the clearly erroneous standard. Tedeschi v. Falvo (In re Falvo), 227 B.R. 662, 663 (6th Cir. BAP 1998). “ A factual finding is clearly erroneous when ‘a court, on reviewing the evidence, is left with the definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been committed.’ ” United States v. Ray, 803 F.3d 244, 275 (6th Cir. 2015) (quoting United States v, Gunter, 551 F.3d 472, 479 (6th Cir. 2009)).

The bankruptcy court’s denial of a motion to amend and modify a judgment pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure Rule 59(e) (made applicable by Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 9023) is reviewed for abuse of discretion. Kreipke v. Wayne State Univ., 807 F.3d 768, 781-82 (6th Cir. 2015). An abuse of discretion occurs where the reviewing court has “ ‘a definite and firm conviction that the trial court committed a clear error of judgment.’” CFE Racing Prods. v. BMF Wheels, Inc., 793 F.3d 571, 584 (6th Cir. 2015) (quotation omitted).

III.FACTS

The facts of this case are undisputed. Prior to bankruptcy, Debtor had a long[389]*389standing professional and personal relationship with Appellant, Debtor’s attorney. Appellant provided legal services for Debt- or and Debtor’s business interests. Debt- or’s businesses were flailing, and Debtor was unable to pay the $70,000 attorney fees that accrued over a period of several years. Appellant was aware that Debtor would be unable to pay his fees, but continued to provide legal services. Debtor’s unpaid legal expenses continued to escalate, and on May 19, 2008, Debtor gave Appellant possession of the titles to two of Debtor’s vehicles—a 1954 MG and a 1977 Ferrari—as a form of security for payment of the legal fees. There was, however, no written security agreement.

Appellant continued to provide legal services over the next several years, and the legal fees remained unpaid. When a bank began putting pressure on Debtor for payment, Appellant requested possession of the vehicles to further solidify his security interest. Debtor accordingly turned over possession of the two vehicles to Appellant in the spring (last week of April or first week of May) of 2012. Debtor did not transfer ownership of the vehicles by signing over the two titles and completing assignment of ownership forms, however, until August 15, 2012—just six days prior to Debtor’s Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing on August 21, 2012. Debtor and Appellant agreed that the Ferrari was worth approximately $25,000 and that the MG was worth approximately $15,000. Although these amounts were insufficient to cover the amount of the unpaid legal fees, Debt- or and Appellant agreed that the transfer would satisfy Debtor’s fee debt.

At the time Appellant obtained ownership of the vehicles, the vehicles were not in working order—both required mechanical work to get them running—with substantial work required on the Ferrari. Appellant presented no evidence, however, of the value of the mechanical work that was performed.

Once Appellant obtained title to the vehicles, he put the vehicles up as collateral on two bank loans totaling $37,500, and then, in November 2013, sold the vehicles to a third party for $40,000.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
561 B.R. 384, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dymarkowski-v-savage-in-re-hadley-bap6-2016.