Eagle Pacific Insurance Co. v. Christensen Motor Yacht Corp.

135 Wash. 2d 894
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 30, 1998
DocketNo. 65883-8
StatusPublished
Cited by25 cases

This text of 135 Wash. 2d 894 (Eagle Pacific Insurance Co. v. Christensen Motor Yacht Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Eagle Pacific Insurance Co. v. Christensen Motor Yacht Corp., 135 Wash. 2d 894 (Wash. 1998).

Opinion

Dolliver, J.

Eagle Pacific Insurance Company (Eagle Pacific) filed an action against Christensen Motor Yacht Corporation (CMYC) to recover unpaid insurance premiums. Because CMYC was insolvent, Eagle Pacific sought to recover the debt from Christensen Group, Inc. (CGI), Christensen Shipyards, Limited (CSL), and David Christensen personally.

The Court of Appeals held CSL was liable for CMYC’s [897]*897debts under the successor liability doctrine. Eagle Pac. Ins. Co. v. Christensen Motor Yacht Corp., 85 Wn. App. 695, 934 P.2d 715 (1997). The Court of Appeals remanded for further fact-finding on the separate issue of whether certain cash transfers from CMYC to CGI were fraudulent under RCW 19.40.051(b), part of the Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act (UFTA). We affirm the Court of Appeals on both issues.

David H. Christensen organized CGI in 1962 to do construction and leasing. In 1985 Christensen and another person organized CMYC to build luxury yachts in Vancouver, Washington. CSL is a third corporation created by Christensen in 1993 or 1994. Christensen is the chief executive officer and sole shareholder of CMYC, CGI, and CSL. In his answer to the sixth amended complaint, Christensen admits that he, CGI, and CSL are all insiders to CMYC.

Eagle Pacific issued two workers’ compensation insurance policies to CMYC in 1990 and 1991. These policies were canceled in December 1991 because CMYC failed to pay the premiums. Eagle Pacific claims CMYC’s debt arose from these policies, but materials in the record suggest the actual dollar amount owed by CMYC was not calculated by Eagle Pacific until 1993. Eagle Pacific’s Sixth Amended Complaint explains the insurance policies involved retrospective premiums, with the amount owed being dependent on the number of claims made against the policies. The Sixth Amended Complaint states CMYC’s debt to Eagle Pacific was $268,443 as of August 9, 1993. This August 9, 1993 date was established by a demand letter sent by Eagle Pacific to CMYC on July 9, 1993. The letter states the amount owing was due within 30 days (August 9, 1993).

After attempting, and failing, to collect the debt from CMYC, Eagle Pacific finally filed a court action. On July 29, 1994, Eagle Pacific obtained a judgment against CMYC for $268,443. Because CMYC was insolvent, Eagle Pacific sought to recover the debt from numerous other parties on various legal theories. Only two of those parties are involved here, and just the facts relevant to those claims will be discussed.

[898]*898The first issue presented for review involves Eagle Pacific’s attempt to collect the debt from CSL as a successor corporation to CMYC. Numerous events from 1993 and 1994 are relevant to Eagle Pacific’s claim against CSL.

In 1993, CMYC was building three boats, referred to as the Lastebro, Armstrong, and L&L boats. The buyers of the Armstrong and L&L boats paid CMYC in installments as construction progressed. The Lastebro boat was financed by KHD Deutz of America Corporation (KHD Deutz). The financing agreement with KHD Deutz stated CMYC would be deemed in default of the contract if any judgment was rendered against CMYC which CMYC did not satisfy in 10 days. All three boat buyers held security interests in the boat hulls and appurtenances.

Other parties also held security interests in CMYC’s assets. In September 1987, Northwest National Bank extended a line of credit to CMYC. Under the credit agreement, the bank retained security interests in “essentially all assets of CMYC.” 1 Clerk’s Papers at 16. No exhibits can be found in the record clarifying what particular assets were encumbered by the bank’s lien. The amounts CMYC borrowed against its credit line varied over the years, but as of December 1993, CMYC reached the credit limit and owed $1.2 million to Northwest National Bank.

Christensen personally guaranteed completion of the three boats to the buyers, and Christensen and CGI had also guaranteed payment of the loans made by KHD Deutz. Because of these personal guarantees, Christensen had a strong incentive to see that the boats were completed and delivered to the buyers.

Christensen admits CMYC was, or became, insolvent in 1993. The buyers’ payments on the boats were not covering all costs. In July 1993, after extensive arbitration, Lloyd’s of London was awarded $332,250 against CMYC. This amount was supplemented in September 1993, bringing the total award to $447,250. Eagle Pacific’s demand letter, discussed above, was also sent to CMYC in July 1993.

Because of CMYC’s outstanding debts to Lloyd’s of [899]*899London and Eagle Pacific, KHD Deutz threatened to declare CMYC in default of the financing agreement on the Lastebro boat. For December 1993 and January and February 1994, KHD Deutz suspended installment payments on the construction of the Lastebro boat. Christensen was worried the buyers of the other two boats would also suspend payments. Christensen explained the situation in an affidavit:

The only remaining way to convince KHD Deutz to resume advancing funds for completion of the Lastebro boat, and to assure that the three boat buyers would not all stop making progress payments on their boats, was to form a new corporation to complete the boats, under terms acceptable to KHD Deutz and the three buyers, and which did not have CMYC’s financial burdens.

1 Clerk’s Papers at 20. Christensen then created Christensen Shipyards Limited (CSL) to complete the boats. CSL, being unburdened by any of CMYC’s debts, was able to obtain a line of credit from U.S. National Bank. CSL subcontracted with CMYC to finish construction of the three yachts. CSL paid nothing to take over the yacht contracts, but if the contracts ultimately yielded a profit, the subcontract agreement contained a formula whereby CSL was to pay a percentage of the profits to CMYC. CSL paid $70,000 to CMYC for supplies inventory, and CSL agreed to pay CMYC $5,500 per month to lease CMYC’s machinery and equipment to be used in the construction of the boats.

CMYC did not own the facilities where the yachts were constructed. Christensen states in his affidavit that CMYC was subleasing the space from CGI. After CSL took over the yacht contracts, CMYC forfeited its lease of the building to CGI, and CSL began renting the same space. In the end, CSL, with the same employees and in the same facilities, continued construction of the same three yachts. Eagle Pacific claims CMYC, for all purposes, ceased to exist. Christensen alleges CMYC continues to do business, and at the time he filed his affidavit in 1994 the company was build[900]*900ing a crane for the owner of a boat previously built by CMYC.

In superior court Eagle Pacific argued two theories why CSL was liable for CMYC’s debts under the successor liability doctrine. First, Eagle Pacific claimed CSL was liable because it was a “[m]ere continuation” of CMYC. 2 Verbatim Report of Proceedings at 24 (Oct. 28, 1994). As a second and alternative ground for imposing liability, Eagle Pacific claimed CMYC’s transfer of assets to CSL was fraudulent. The trial court granted partial summary judgment to Eagle Pacific on this issue, and the Court of Appeals affirmed. CSL’s successor liability for CMYC’s debts forms the first issue we review.

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Bluebook (online)
135 Wash. 2d 894, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/eagle-pacific-insurance-co-v-christensen-motor-yacht-corp-wash-1998.