EBC I, Inc. v. America Online, Inc.

356 B.R. 631, 2006 Bankr. LEXIS 3320, 47 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 131, 2006 WL 3525031
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. Delaware
DecidedDecember 7, 2006
Docket19-50145
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 356 B.R. 631 (EBC I, Inc. v. America Online, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Delaware primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
EBC I, Inc. v. America Online, Inc., 356 B.R. 631, 2006 Bankr. LEXIS 3320, 47 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 131, 2006 WL 3525031 (Del. 2006).

Opinion

OPINION 1

MARY F. WALRATH, Bankruptcy Judge.

Before the Court is a Motion for Partial Summary Judgment filed by EBC I, Inc., f/k/a eToys, Inc. (the “Debtor”) and a Motion for Summary Judgment filed by America Online, Inc. (“AOL”). For the reasons set forth below, the Court will grant, in part only, AOL’s Motion for Summary Judgment and dismiss Counts IV and V of the Complaint. The Court will also grant, in part, the Debtor’s Motion for Partial Summary Judgment on Count I.

I. BACKGROUND

On March 7, 2001, the Debtor filed a voluntary petition under chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. On that same day, the Debtor ceased operations and shut down its website. All the Debtor’s assets were subsequently liquidated.

Prior to the bankruptcy filing, the Debt- or and AOL had executed a contract dated August 10, 1999 (the “Contract”), under which AOL committed to provide online advertisements and other services for the Debtor for three years for $18 million, payable in installments. The Debtor paid $7.5 million through July 2000 in accordance with the Contract, but AOL failed to perform its obligations, providing less than $2.4 million in advertisements. As a result, the Contract was modified on November 15, 2000. The Debtor paid an additional $750,000 at that time and AOL agreed to provide a lesser amount of advertisements (worth approximately $6 million) for the following two years without further payments by the Debtor.

On February 26, 2001, the Debtor issued a press release announcing its financial difficulties and intent to file bankruptcy. Two days later, AOL terminated the Contract pursuant to section 5.6 which allowed termination if the Debtor became insolvent or filed bankruptcy.

On January 3, 2003, the Debtor filed an adversary complaint against AOL seeking (1) to avoid and recover alleged fraudulent transfers pursuant to sections 548 and 544 of the Bankruptcy Code, (2) damages for breach of contract, and (3) equitable relief based on unjust enrichment. According to the Debtor, the payments made under the Contract, the amendment of the Contract, and the termination of the Contract by AOL were all avoidable transfers of property of the Debtor.

AOL filed a motion to dismiss the complaint. At oral argument held on April 30, 2003, the Court granted the motion to dismiss with respect to the unjust enrichment count because the parties conceded that their relationship was governed by the Contract.

On May 14, 2004, the Debtor filed a motion for partial summary judgment, and AOL filed a motion for summary judgment on all counts. The Debtor conceded in its response to AOL’s motion for summary judgment that its breach of contract claim and any claim for recovery of payments made under the Contract prior to its *635 amendment on November 15, 2000, should be dismissed.

The motions for summary judgment as they relate to the remainder of the Debt- or’s claims were taken under advisement. Briefing is complete, and the matter is ripe for decision.

II. JURISDICTION

The Court has jurisdiction over this adversary proceeding pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1334(b) & 157(b)(2)(A), (E), (H) & (O).

III. DISCUSSION

A. Standard for Summary Judgment

Summary judgment is appropriate where “there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and ... the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c). “In deciding a motion for summary judgment, the judge’s function is ... to determine if there is a genuine issue for trial.” Josey v. John R. Hollingsworth Corp., 996 F.2d 632, 637 (3d Cir.1993).

The moving party bears the initial burden of demonstrating the absence of a genuine issue of material fact. Huang v. BP Amoco Corp., 271 F.3d 560, 564 (3d Cir.2001) (citing Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986)). Once the moving party establishes the absence of a genuine issue of material fact, however, the burden shifts to the non-moving party to “do more than simply show that there is some metaphysical doubt as to the material facts.” Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 586, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986) (citations omitted). A party may not defeat a motion for summary judgment unless it sets forth specific facts, in a form that “would be admissible in evidence,” establishing the existence of a genuine issue of material fact for trial. Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(e) (providing that in response to a summary judgment motion the “adverse party may not rest upon the mere allegations or denials of [its] pleading, but the adverse party’s response, by affidavits or as otherwise provided in this rule, must set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial”). See also Fireman’s Ins. Co. of Newark, N.J. v. DuFresne, 676 F.2d 965, 969 (3d Cir.1982); Olympic Junior, Inc. v. David Crystal, Inc., 463 F.2d 1141, 1146 (3d Cir.1972).

In determining whether a factual dispute warranting trial exists, the court must view the record evidence and the summary judgment submissions in the light most favorable to the non-movant. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 249, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). Issues of material fact are those “that might affect the outcome of the suit under the governing law.” Id. at 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505. An issue is genuine when it is “triable,” that is, when reasonable minds could disagree on the result. Matsushita, 475 U.S. at 587, 106 S.Ct. 1348.

B. Fraudulent Transfer under Section 518(a)(1)(B)

The version of section 548(a)(1) applicable to this case 2 provides that:

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356 B.R. 631, 2006 Bankr. LEXIS 3320, 47 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 131, 2006 WL 3525031, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ebc-i-inc-v-america-online-inc-deb-2006.