Flushing Savings Bank, FSB v. Vidro (In re Vidro)

497 B.R. 678
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. New York
DecidedSeptember 26, 2013
DocketCase No. 11-78629-dte; Adv. Pro. No. 12-08122-dte, Adv. Pro. No. 12-08209-dte
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 497 B.R. 678 (Flushing Savings Bank, FSB v. Vidro (In re Vidro)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Flushing Savings Bank, FSB v. Vidro (In re Vidro), 497 B.R. 678 (N.Y. 2013).

Opinion

Chapter 7

MEMORANDUM DECISION

Dorothy Eisenberg, United States Bankruptcy Judge

Before the Court is the motion of William Vidro, the Defendant Debtor, for a directed verdict to dismiss this adversary proceeding with respect to the claims of Flushing Savings Bank, FSB (“FSB”) and the chapter 7 Trustee (the “Plaintiffs”), that the Defendant should be denied a discharge pursuant to 11 U.S.C. section 727(a)(2)(A). This Court has jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1334. This is a core proceeding under 28 U.S.C. §§ 157(b)(2)(J) and 11 U.S.C. §§ 727(a)(2)(A) and 727(a)(5). Based upon the uncontested facts listed in the parties’ joint pretrial statement and testimony of the Defendant, and his non-debtor spouse, Ellen Vidro (hereafter “Ellen”), which was presented to the Court on behalf of the Plaintiffs’ primary case, the Defendant’s motion for a directed verdict is denied.

BACKGROUND

Prior to the Debtor’s chapter 7 filing on December 12, 2011 (the “Petition Date”), Defendant was an investor in an entity known as Motion Imaging, Inc. (“Imaging”). FSB issued a line of credit to Imaging which was personally guaranteed by the Defendant on September 26, 2007. A default occurred on the line of credit owed to FSB by Imaging on September 1, 2008. FSB sent a Notice of Default to the Defendant on February 11, 2009 and subse[681]*681quently sued the Defendant in state court based on his personal guaranty.

Prepetition, the Defendant had worked at Schoenfeld Group Holdings LLC (“Schoenfeld”). When the Defendant left Schoenfeld, he entered into a severance agreement dated January 1, 2008 (the “Severance Agreement”). Under the Severance Agreement, the Defendant would receive a one year draw, which was approximately $270,000 for 2008, and three years of profit and loss participation. The debtor received the $270,000 representing the one year draw on a bi-weekly basis throughout the course of 2008. As for the profit and loss participation, the Defendant was entitled to one and a half percent of Schoenfeld’s profits for the year if there were profits.

On December 24, 2008, the Defendant’s wife Ellen (hereafter “Ellen”) executed a general power of attorney (the “Power of Attorney”) authorizing the Defendant to conduct banking transactions in bank accounts that were in her name. This allowed the Defendant to sign checks and withdraw funds from any bank account that is in Ellen’s name. On January 27, 2009, a bank account ending in 6052 was opened in Ellen’s name at Signature Bank (“Ellen’s 6052 Account”). After December 24, 2008, the Defendant, using this Power of Attorney, conducted banking transactions using Ellen’s 6052 Account. The Defendant testified that the purpose of creating Ellen’s 6052 Account was to have Ellen learn how to handle their finances should the Defendant no longer be available to do so. Ellen testified that she was not employed and had little to no independent income during 2006, 2007 and 2008. June 8, 2018 Trial Tr. 15:12-20. She also stated that she did not write checks. After the creation of Ellen’s 6052 Account, the Defendant continued to be the sole person handling all the banking transactions for himself and the household using the Power of Attorney. During 2009, 2010 and up to the Petition Date in 2011, Ellen never reviewed bank statements of any accounts in her name.

After the Defendant received FSB’s Notice of Default, the Defendant received approximately $1,992,161.48 from Schoen-feld on February 27, 2009, part of which represented the profit and loss participation percentage for the 2008 year and the rest was the Defendant’s balance from his capital account at Schoenfeld. The funds where wire transferred into the Defendant’s joint checking account ending in number 8221 which he had with Ellen at Signature Bank (the “8221 Account”). Of the $1,992,161.48 the Defendant received, $1,940,000 was spent in March of 2009 and $51,146.22 was spent in April of 2009. Of the $1,992, 161.48, an aggregate of $700,000 was transferred to Ellen’s 6052 Account to set aside funds to pay the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). On March 27, 2009, the Defendant wrote a $550,00 check from Ellen’s 6052 Account to the IRS. Afterwards, the Defendant then wrote three checks in the amount of $100,000, $20,000 and $28,000 to Ellen from her 6052 Account and the Defendant had the checks deposited back into the 8221 Account in May of 2009.

On July 21, 2009, FSB commenced an action against Motion Imaging, the Defendant, Robert Thompson, Steven D. Navon and John C. Conkling in New York state court (the “State Court Action”). The individual defendants in the State Court Action had guaranteed FSB’s loan to Imaging.

In addition to the 8221 Account, the Defendant had a bank account he used to keep track of the income and expenses relating to the Defendant’s business of owning/investing in race horses (the “Old Horse Account”). Upon the advice of De[682]*682fendant’s counsel, the Defendant closed the Old Horse Account. April 22, 2013 Trial Tr. 44:8-17. After the Defendant closed his Old Horse Account in August of 2009, he opened a separate horse account under Ellen’s name (the “New Horse Account”). Ellen was not involved in the management of the Defendant’s horse business. All the money that went into the New Horse Account was the Defendant’s money and the money that went out related to the expenses for the Defendant’s horses. Ellen did not know what was going in or out of the horse account in her name. Defendant would write out the checks from the New Horse Account for Ellen to sign.

Approximately two months after the commencement of FSB’s action, the Defendant closed this 8221 Account. After-wards, most of the checks received by the Defendant in his name would be deposited in Ellen’s 6052 Account and any withdrawals that needed to be made would be done using the Power of Attorney. The Defendant also closed his 8221 Account on the advice of his attorneys. April 22, 2013 Trial Tr. 44:8-17. From September of 2009 to the Petition Date, the Defendant conducted all his banking transactions by depositing whatever money he received in Ellen’s 6052 Account or the New Horse Account, and withdrew funds and wrote checks using the Power of Attorney.

In September or October of 2009, after the State Court Action commenced, Defendant stated that he and the other guarantors met with FSB in hopes of obtaining a resolution. However, nothing got resolved from this meeting. April 22, 2013 Trial Tr. 89-92.

On December 18, 2009, the Defendant entered into an agreement to sell his right to receive his profit and loss participation from Schoenfeld for the 2009 and 2010 years to Stepdenn for $175,000 (the “Step-denn Agreement”). The law firm currently representing the Defendant drafted the Stepdenn Agreement. April 22, 2013 Trial Tr. 49:10-17. Stepdenn was an entity created to enter into this purchase agreement and the principals of Stepdenn consisted of the Defendant’s friend and former colleague at Schoenfeld, Stephen Ginsberg, and the Defendant’s brother-in-law, Dennis Maier.

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Bluebook (online)
497 B.R. 678, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/flushing-savings-bank-fsb-v-vidro-in-re-vidro-nyeb-2013.