Frank v. Ward (In re Ward)

557 B.R. 508
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Texas
DecidedSeptember 7, 2016
DocketCASE NO. 14-32939-BJH; ADV. PROC. NO. 15-3050-BJH
StatusPublished

This text of 557 B.R. 508 (Frank v. Ward (In re Ward)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Frank v. Ward (In re Ward), 557 B.R. 508 (Tex. 2016).

Opinion

Related to ECF. No. 72

MEMORANDUM OPINION

Barbara J. Houser, United States Bankruptcy Judge

Before the Court are the (1) Motion for Partial Summary Judgment [AP No. 72]1 and brief in support [AP No. 73] (the “Motion for Partial Summary Judgment”) filed by debtor Lloyd Ward (the “Debtor”), (2) Plaintiffs’ Response to Defendant’s Motion for Partial Summary Judgment [AP No. 81] and brief in support [AP No. 82] (“Plaintiffs’ Brief’) filed by [510]*510Robert Yaquinto, Chapter 7 trustee of the Debtor’s bankruptcy estate (the “Trustee”), and various creditors holding a judgment against the Debtor (collectively, the “Judgment Creditors” and, together with the Trustee, the “Plaintiffs”), and (3) Debtor’s Reply in Support of Motion for Partial Summary Judgment [AP No. 85] (“Debtor’s Reply”).2 The Third Amended Complaint Objecting to Discharge Under 11 U.S.C. § 727 and 11 U.S.C. § 523 [AP No. 58] (the “Complaint”), which is the subject of the Motion for Partial Summary Judgment, objects to the entry of a discharge in favor of the Debtor pursuant to 11 U.S.C. §§ 727(a)(2)(A), 727(a)(3), 727(a)(4)(A), 727(a)(4)(D) and 727(a)(5), as well as the dischargeability of an Amended Final Judgment held by the Judgment Creditors (the “Amended Final Judgment”)3 pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(6). However, the Motion for Partial Summary Judgment only addresses the Plaintiffs’ asserted failure, as the parties bearing the ultimate burden of proof, to provide sufficient summary judgment evidence to raise a genuine issue of material fact with respect to each element of their 11 U.S.C. § 727(a)(2)(A) claim.

A hearing on the Motion for Partial Summary Judgment was held before this Court on August 3, 2016 (the “Hearing”) and the Motion for Partial Summary Judgment is now ripe for ruling.

1. SUMMARY JUDGMENT STANDARD

In deciding a motion for summary judgment a court must determine whether the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Fed. R. Crv. P. 56, as made applicable by Fed. R. Bankr. P. 7056. In deciding whether a fact issue has been raised, the facts and inferences to be drawn from the evidence must be viewed in the light most favorable to the non-moving party. Berquist v. Washington Mut. Bank, 500 F.3d 344, 349 (5th Cir.2007). A court’s role at the summary judgment stage is not to weigh the evidence or determine the truth of the matter, but rather to determine only whether a genuine issue of material fact exists for trial. Peel & Co., Inc. v. The Rug Market, 238 F.3d 391, 394 (5th Cir.2001) (“the court must review all of the evidence in the record, but make no credibility determinations or weigh any evidence”) (citing Reeves v. Sanderson Plumbing Prods., Inc., 530 U.S. 133, 135, 120 S.Ct. 2097, 147 L.Ed.2d 105 (2000)); see also U.S. v. An Article of Food Consisting of 345/50-Pound Bags, 622 F.2d 768, 773 (5th Cir.1980) (the court “should not proceed to assess the probative value of any of the evidence.... ”). While courts- must consider the evidence with all reasonable inferences in the light most favorable to the non-movant, the nonmoving party must come forward with specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial. Matsu-[511]*511shita Elec. Indus. Co., Ltd. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 587, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986). A genuine issue of material fact exists “if the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party.” Pylant v. Hartford Life and Acc. Ins. Co., 497 F.3d 536, 538 (5th Cir.2007) (quoting Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986)).

“After the movant has presented a properly supported motion for summary judgment, the burden then shifts to the nonmoving party to show with ‘significant probative evidence’ that there exists a genuine issue of material fact.” Hamilton v. Segue Software Inc., 232 F.3d 473, 477 (5th Cir.2000) (internal citation omitted). However, where, as here, “the burden at trial rests on the non-movant, the movant must merely demonstrate an absence of evidentiary support in the record for the nonmovant’s case.” Miss. River Basin Alliance v. Westphal, 230 F.3d 170, 174 (5th Cir.2000) (citing Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986)).

II.JURISDICTION AND VENUE

The District Court for the Northern District of Texas has subject matter jurisdiction over the Debtor’s bankruptcy case (the “Bankruptcy Case”) and this adversary proceeding under 28 U.S.C. § 1334. Venue is proper in this district under 28 U.S.C. § 1409. Objections to the Debtor’s discharge are core proceedings under 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(J) (objections to discharge).

The Bankruptcy Case and all core and non-core proceedings in the Bankruptcy Case have been referred to this Court under the Order of Reference of Bankruptcy Cases and Proceedings Nunc Pro Tunc adopted in this district on August 3, 1984. This Memorandum Opinion contains the Court’s analysis of the Motion for Partial Summary Judgment.

III. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

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Bluebook (online)
557 B.R. 508, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/frank-v-ward-in-re-ward-txnb-2016.