Foley v. Wilson

CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedJanuary 2, 2020
Docket1:18-cv-00504
StatusUnknown

This text of Foley v. Wilson (Foley v. Wilson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Foley v. Wilson, (S.D.N.Y. 2020).

Opinion

MARPLE DOCUMENT ELECTRONICALLY FILED UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DOC#: SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK DATE FILED: !/2/2°

BENJAMIN FOLEY, Plaintiff, laintiff, No. 18-CV-504 (RA) v. MEMORANDUM OPINION & ORDER PETER WILSON AND KPC, LLC, Defendants.

RONNIE ABRAMS, United States District Judge: Plaintiff Benjamin Foley, a lawyer proceeding pro se,' filed this action against Defendants Peter Wilson and KPC, LLC for breach of contract, unjust enrichment, and fraud under New York state law.? Although Defendant Wilson, also proceeding pro se, eventually filed an Answer (over fifteen months after the Complaint was filed), Defendant KPC has not yet appeared in this action, and Defendant Wilson has failed to comply with several Court orders or otherwise indicate that he intends to defend this action since the filing of his Answer. Now before the Court is Plaintiff's motion for default judgment against both Defendants for failure to comply with the Court’s orders under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 37(b)(2)(A), and for failure to defend this action under

As an attorney, Plaintiff is not entitled to the special solicitude generally afforded to pro se parties. See Sullivan v. City of New York, No. 14-CV-1334 (IMF), 2015 WL 5025296, at *4 (S.D.N.Y. Aug. 25, 2015) (citing Holtz v. Rockefeller & Co., 258 F.3d 62, 82 0.4 (2d Cir. 2001) and Tracy v, Freshwater, 623 F.3d 90, 102 (2d Cir. 2010)). 2 The Court notes that Plaintiff's complaint also includes, as a fourth cause of action, a “federal claim” for securities fraud. There are no allegations, however, in the Complaint to support a claim for securities fraud. Indeed, in his affidavits filed in support of his motions for default judgment, Plaintiff states that this action is to “recover $400,000 plus interest owed by the defendant to plaintiff for breach of contract, unjust enrichment, and fraud.” See, e.g., Foley Aff., Dkt. 3093. Plaintiff does not mention a federal claim for securities fraud in any of these submissions. Plaintiff also repeatedly asserts that this Court’s subject matter jurisdiction is based on diversity jurisdiction, and not based on any federal law or statute. See, ¢.g., Oct. 1, 2019 Mot., Dkt. 30 at 1. The Court thus construes Plaintiff's Complaint as pleading only three causes of action: breach of contract, unjust enrichment, and fraud,

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 55(a). For the reasons that follow, Plaintiff's motion is granted in part and denied in part. BACKGROUND I. Facts} Plaintiff, a resident of Florida, and Wilson, a resident of California, entered into an agreement in February 2012, whereby Wilson agreed to purchase stock on behalf of Plaintiff from acompany named Uniloc. Compl. #3, 5, 7. Since Wilson was a “large shareholder” of Uniloc and “purchasing more shares,” he allegedly offered to purchase shares for Plaintiff and to then transfer those shares to him. /d. According to Plaintiff, prior to their investment agreement, Wilson and Plaintiff met on “at least two occasions” for dinner in Manhattan, New York, and Wilson visited Plaintiff's “place of business” in Manhattan on “at least one occasion.” Foley Amended Aff., Dkt. 15 § 5. Plaintiff and Wilson also allegedly “discussed Uniloc and the investment opportunity” on “several occasions” while in New York. id Plaintiff asserts that Wilson “traveled from California to New York,” where Plaintiff has a business, “to solicit” the funds for his “fraudulent investment scheme.” Jd. Plaintiff also alleges that Wilson’s son, Clayton, who was a New York resident and an employee of Plaintiff's business at the time, participated in the agreement and solicitation of funds from Plaintiff by acting as “an agent” for his father. See id. J] 4, 6. Plaintiff further asserts that he worked “daily side by side” with Clayton during this time, and that he, Clayton, and Wilson “discussed the potential investment over dinner, on the phone, and via email.” /d. 6.

> The following facts are drawn from the Complaint and the exhibits thereto, Wilson’s Answer, and the affidavits and exhibits submitted by Plaintiff in connection with his motions for default judgment. . 2

Although “many of the details of the agreement were oral,” Plaintiff alleges that “key elements” of the agreement, such as the purchase price, were “memorialized in email.” Compl. | 9, Specifically, on February 7, 2012, Wilson emailed Plaintiff with the “terms” of the deal, stating “400k @ $40 per share or better....confirmed. Doc tomorrow or the next day.” See id { 10; Compl. Ex. C. In that same email, Wilson provided Plaintiff with wire instructions, in which he directed Plaintiff to wire the money to a bank account titled “KPC, Ilc."* See Compl. { 11; Compl. Ex. C, Plaintiff alleges that he “promptly accepted said offer” and wired $400,000 from his New York business account, which was “established in a New York bank,” to Wilson’s “KPC, LLC” account. Compl. | 12. At the very least, it appears that Plaintiff expected to receive a certain amount of stock in Uniloc in exchange for the $400,000 that he transferred to Wilson. It is undisputed that Plaintiff never received those or any other shares. Plaintiff alleges that in the weeks following the agreement, Wilson “represented” that “Uniloc and Microsoft had entered inte a large, confidential settlement.” Jd § 15. Wilson subsequently sent Plaintiff a text message on March 6, 2012, stating “U owe me,” to which Plaintiff replied “Haaaaa, agreed.” See id. | 15; Compl. Ex. B. □

According to Plaintiff, Wilson also “made assurances” on several occasions that “performance of his obligation [under the agreement] had been perfected and evidence was forthcoming.” Jd. € 14. Plaintiff asserts, however, that in 2017, Wilson “admitted the shares had not been transferred due to a previously undisclosed shareholder restriction of transfer.” id § 16.

4 While the relationship between Wilson and KPC is not entirely clear, Wilson is listed as the “Manager” of KPC on the registration form filed with California’s Secretary of State for KPC, and signed that form in June 2010. See Compl. Ex. A. In addition, Wilson is an authorized agent of KPC for the purposes of receiving service of iegal papers, see Dkt. 17, and appears to share a mailbox and address with KPC, see Foley Amended Aff, Dkt. 15 ff] 10-12. KPC thus appears to be Wilson’s company.

Plaintiff alleges that Defendants have failed to deliver the “full purchase price” of the shares to him, “despite years of assurances that said interest would be delivered,” id. { 6, and that to date, he has received “no consideration for the $400,000 wire sent as directed by the contract between” himself and Wilson, id. 917. In his Answer, Wilson avers that the shares at issue “reside in KPC lle as per the agreement.” Answer { 6. I. Procedural History □ Plaintiff commenced this action on January 19, 2018, asserting claims for breach of contract, unjust enrichment, and fraud under New York state law, and seeking repayment of the $400,000 that he wired to Wilson in February 2012, as well as interest at the “statutory rate of 9%” under N.Y. C.P.L.R. § 5001. Dkt. 1. Defendants were served with a Summons and Complaint on January 23, 2018, according to affidavits of service that Plaintiff filed on January 30, 2018. See Dkts. 5,6. According to those affidavits, Defendants had been served by “sub-serv[ing] the summons on Pat Palazuelos, owner of The UPS Store at 3334 E.

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Foley v. Wilson, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/foley-v-wilson-nysd-2020.