Ehrenberg v. Roussos (In re Roussos)

541 B.R. 721, 2015 Bankr. LEXIS 4024, 61 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 248
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, C.D. California
DecidedNovember 25, 2015
DocketCase Nos.: 2:15-bk-21624-ER and 2:15-bk-21626-ER (jointly administered); Adv. Nos.: 2:15-ap-01404-ER and 2:15-ap-01406-ER
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 541 B.R. 721 (Ehrenberg v. Roussos (In re Roussos)) 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
Ehrenberg v. Roussos (In re Roussos), 541 B.R. 721, 2015 Bankr. LEXIS 4024, 61 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 248 (Cal. 2015).

Opinion

AMENDED MEMORANDUM OF DECISION DENYING MOTIONS TO DISMISS

Ernest M. Robles, United States Bankruptcy Judge

At issue is whether a 21-year old bankruptcy sale may be set aside for fraud on the court under Fed. R. Civ. P. 60(d)(3), even in the absence of specific allegations that the fraud reduced the sales price. [725]*725The fraud alleged here was so serious as to prevent the judicial machinery from performing “in the usual manner its impartial task of adjudging cases that are presented for adjudication.” Anand v. CITIC Corp. (In re Intermagnetics Am., Inc.), 926 F.2d 912, 916 (9th Cir.1991). The Chapter 7 Trustee’s Complaint to vacate the sale for fraud on the court states a claim upon which relief can be granted, and the motions to dismiss are denied.1

I. Facts2

In the early 1980s, August Michaelides partnered with Theodosios Roussos (“Theodosios”) and Harry Roussos (“Harry”) 3 (collectively, the “Roussos Brothers”) to purchase two apartment buildings in the greater Los Angeles area: (1) a 20-unit building located at 2727-2741 Abbott Kinney Boulevard, Venice, CA (“Abbot Kinney Property”) and (2) a 30-unit building located at 153 San Vicente Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA (“San Vicente Property”) (collectively, the “Properties”). Complaint [Doc. No. 1] at ¶ 26.4 Pursuant to the agreement with the Roussos Brothers, August was to receive a 33 1/3% ownership interest in the Abbot Kinney Property and a 10% ownership interest in the San Vicente Property. Id. at ¶ 27.

August Michaelides died in 1992. Id. at ¶ 28. When his widow Lula Michaelides (“Michaelides”) inquired about her pro-rata share of income from the Properties, she failed to receive satisfactory responses from the Roussos Brothers. Id. at ¶29. Michaelides then discovered that the Rous-sos Brothers had failed to include her husband August on title to the Properties. Id.

Michaelides commenced an action to quiet title in the Los Angeles Superior Court (“State Court”).5 Id. at ¶ 30. On March 2, 1994, the State Court entered judgment awarding Michaelides monetary damages and quieting title to the Properties. Id. at ¶31. On June 15, 1994, the State Court entered an amended judgment (“Amended State Court Judgment”) awarding $600,000 in compensatory damages, $400,000 in punitive damages, and $10,000 in costs, and quieting Michaelides’ title to the 10% interest in the San Vicente Property and the 33 1/3% interest in the Abbot Kinney Property. Id. at ¶¶ 31-32.

The Roussos Brothers retained attorney Robert Beaudry (“Beaudry”) to facilitate a conspiracy in which the Properties would fraudulently be transferred out of their names and into the names of corporate entities which they secretly controlled, thereby extinguishing Michaelides’ fractional ’ interest. Id. at ¶ 33. In furtherance of the conspiracy, Beaudry formed S.M.B. and O.F., both of which were controlled by Harry and Theodosios and their spouses Paula and Christine. Id. at ¶¶ 34-[726]*72636. The Roussos Brothers then filed individual chapter 11 petitions6 and filed a motion to sell the Properties to S.M.B. and O.F. free and clear of Michaelides’ interest (“Sale Motion”). Id. at ¶¶ 37-39. On August 5, 1994, the Bankruptcy Court approved the sale, free and clear of Michaelides’ interest (“Sale Order”). Id. at ¶ 40 and Exhibit 4. The Sale Order gave S.M.B. and O.F. protection as good-faith purchasers pursuant to § 363(m). Id.

In approving the sale, the Bankruptcy Court relied upon declarations submitted by Theodosios and Harry, which falsely stated that the sale was an arms-length transaction; that neither Theodosios or Harry held any interest in S.M.B. and O.F.; and that the Properties were over-encumbered. Id. at ¶ 41. The Bankruptcy Court would not have approved the sale had it known that Theodosios and Harry controlled S.M.B. and O.F.; that the Properties were not over-encumbered; and that the sale motion was part of the Roussos Brothers’ conspiracy to dispossess Michae-lides of her fractional interest. Id. at ¶ 42.

On October 19,1994, the Roussos Brothers executed a grant deed conveying title to the Abbott Kinney Property to O.F. Id. at ¶ 45. On November 29, 1994, the Rous-sos Brothers executed a grand deed conveying title to the San Vicente Property to S.M.B. Id. at ¶ 46.

The Roussos Brothers’ chapter 11 cases were converted to chapter 7 on May 2, 1995.7 Both Harry and Theodosios received discharges on January 2, 1996.8 Michaelides’ Amended State Court Judgment was excepted from discharge. Id. at ¶ 47. The cases were closed on June 27, 2002.9

On November 14, 2005, Michaelides conducted Theodosios’ judgment debtor examination, during which Theodosios falsely testified that he and his brother Harry were not limited partners of S.M.B.; that he did not know who the limited partners of S.M.B. were; that he had not spoken to any of S.M.B.’s general partners; and that he and Harry had no interest in either S.M.B. or O.F. Id. at ¶ 49.

On November 14, 2005, Michaelides filed an alter ego action (“Alter Ego Complaint”) in the Los Angeles Superior Court alleging that O.F. and S.M.B. were alter [727]*727egos of the Roussos Brothers. The Alter Ego Complaint was dismissed. Id. at ¶ 50.

On July 20, 2006, Beaudry resigned from the California State Bar with charges pending relating to Beaudry’s formation of sham corporations on behalf of his clients. Id. at ¶ 51.

In September and December 2014, Mi-chaelides conducted Harry’s judgment debtor examination. Harry testified that he had no interest in the Properties or in O.F. and S.M.B. Id. at ¶ 53.

In the beginning of 2015, Michaelides discovered that an arbitration action, Case No. BS138099 (“Arbitration Action”), existed between Harry and Theodosios regarding management of the Properties. Id. at ¶ 56. On June 19, 2012, Harry and his spouse Christine commenced the Arbitration Action against Theodosios and his spouse Paula. Id. In connection with' the Arbitration Action, David Haberbush, counsel for the Roussos Brothers, submitted a declaration stating that he had acted as legal counsel with respect to the Rous-sos Brothers’ business operations pertaining to the Properties. See Declaration of David Haberbush at 11 (attached to the Complaint as Exhibit 8).

On June 18, 2015, Michaelides informed the United States Trustee (“UST”) of the Arbitration Action. See generally Ex-Parte Motion to Reopen Chapter 7 Case under 11 U.S.C. § 350(b) [Doc. No. 367, Case No. 2:15-bk-21624-ER], On July 21, -2015, the UST moved to reopen Harry and Theodosios’ chapter 7 cases and to appoint a Chapter 7 Trustee. The Court granted the motion on July 23, 2015. The Chapter 7 Trustee (“Plaintiff’) filed the instant Complaints on August 4, 2015.

Based upon the foregoing allegations, Plaintiff seeks to vacate the Sale Order for fraud on the court pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
541 B.R. 721, 2015 Bankr. LEXIS 4024, 61 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 248, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ehrenberg-v-roussos-in-re-roussos-cacb-2015.