Golden v. JP Morgan Chase Bankt (In re Golden)

596 B.R. 239
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. New York
DecidedJanuary 31, 2019
DocketCase No. 16-40809-ess; Adv. Pro. No.: 17-01005-ess
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 596 B.R. 239 (Golden v. JP Morgan Chase Bankt (In re Golden)) 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
Golden v. JP Morgan Chase Bankt (In re Golden), 596 B.R. 239 (N.Y. 2019).

Opinion

HON. ELIZABETH S. STONG, UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY JUDGE

Introduction

Before the Court are the motions to dismiss of defendants Firstmark Services ("Firstmark"), Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency ("PHEAA"), and jointly, defendants National Collegiate Student Loan Trust 2005-3, National Collegiate Student Loan Trust 2006-4, and Goal Structure Solutions Trust 2016-A (the "Trusts") (collectively, the "Defendants").

In these motions, each of the Defendants argues that the Amended Complaint must be dismissed because it fails to state a plausible claim for relief for a declaratory judgment that any of them violated the discharge order entered in Tashanna Golden's bankruptcy case, or for damages, attorneys' fees, and costs as a result of a discharge violation. They argue, among other things, that they simply cannot discern what loans are at issue here, or what they have done to violate the discharge entered in Ms. Golden's bankruptcy case. And they argue that Ms. Golden has not alleged a plausible claim that her loans are not excluded from discharge by Bankruptcy Code Section 523(a)(8)(B), as "qualified education loan[s]." In addition, PHEAA argues that the Amended Complaint must be dismissed because it is blocked by a different obstacle - the nondischargeability provisions of Bankruptcy Code Section 523(a)(8)(A)(ii) - because Ms. Golden's loans are excluded from discharge as "an obligation to repay funds received as an educational benefit, scholarship, or stipend." And the Trusts argue that one of the loans at issue is rendered nondischargeable by *244Bankruptcy Code Section 523(a)(8)(A)(i), because it was funded, at least in part, by a nonprofit institution.

Ms. Golden responds that she has alleged adequately that her direct-to-consumer student "Tuition Answer Loans" do not come within a category of debt that is excluded from discharge under any subsection of Bankruptcy Code Section 523(a)(8), including Section 523(a)(8)(B), as specifically alleged in the Amended Complaint, or any other subsection of Section 523. She also argues that she has alleged adequately her request for a declaratory judgment that her loans were discharged pursuant to this Court's discharge order in her Chapter 7 bankruptcy case, and also her request for damages, attorneys' fees, and costs, arising from the Defendants' violations of the discharge order entered in her case. For these reasons, she argues, the Court should not dismiss the Amended Complaint, and the Defendants' motions to dismiss should be denied.

Jurisdiction

This Court has jurisdiction over this adversary proceeding pursuant to Judiciary Code Sections 157(b)(1) and 1334(b), and the Standing Order of Reference dated August 28, 1986, as amended by the Order dated December 5, 2012, of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. In addition, this Court may adjudicate these claims to final judgment to the extent that they are core proceedings pursuant to Judiciary Code Section 157(b), and to the extent that they are not core proceedings, pursuant to Judiciary Code Section 157(c) because the parties have stated their consent to this Court entering a final judgment. Tr. 6:25-7:15 (May 14, 2018), ECF No. 83. See Wellness Int'l Network, Ltd. v. Sharif , --- U.S. ----, 135 S.Ct. 1932, 1940, 191 L.Ed.2d 911 (2015) (holding that in a non-core proceeding, a bankruptcy court may enter final orders "with the consent of all the parties to the proceeding" (quoting 28 U.S.C. § 157(c)(2) ).

Background

Ms. Golden's Bankruptcy Case

On February 29, 2016, Tashanna Golden, fka Tashanna B. Pearson, filed a petition for relief under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code, together with her bankruptcy schedules and statements. Case No. 16-40809. On April 22, 2016, she filed amended schedules and statements. In her Schedule F, "Creditors Holding Unsecured Nonpriority claims," she listed a "Student Loan" owed to "Aes/Nct" in the amount of $ 6,758.00 (the "NCT Loan"), a "Student Loan" owed to "Fm/Slfv Tru" in the amount of $ 8,828.00 (the "Citibank Loan"), and a "Student Loan" owed to "Aes/Jpmg Ch" in the amount of $ 5,539.00 (the "Chase Loan"). On July 28, 2016, the Chapter 7 Trustee filed a "no-asset" report stating that "there is no property available for distribution from the estate over and above that exempted by law." Case No. 16-40809, Doc. entry dated July 28, 2016. On August 3, 2016, the Court entered an order discharging Ms. Golden (the "Discharge Order"), and on that same day, her bankruptcy case was closed.

On December 6, 2016, Ms. Golden filed a motion to reopen her bankruptcy case to obtain a determination of the dischargeability of certain of her student loans, and on January 10, 2017, the Court entered an order reopening the case.

This Adversary Proceeding

On January 18, 2017, Ms. Golden commenced this adversary proceeding by filing a complaint against JP Morgan Chase Bank, Firstmark Services, GoldenTree Asset, and National Collegiate Trust. She seeks a determination that certain debts that she incurred as a student are not nondischargeable student loan debts under *245Bankruptcy Code Section 523(a)(8)(B), and an award of damages, including attorneys' fees and costs, for the Defendants' willful violations of the bankruptcy discharge injunction. Compl., Adv. Pro. No. 17-01005, ECF No. 1.

On May 31, 2017, the Court approved a stipulation between Ms. Golden and National Collegiate Student Loan Trust 2005-3 and 2006-4, permitting them to intervene in this action. And on July 25, 2017, the Court approved a stipulation of dismissal as to defendant JP Morgan Chase Bank.

On October 17, 2017, Ms. Golden filed an Amended Complaint to add class action allegations and additional defendants. Am. Compl., ECF No. 32. And on November 2, 2017, Ms. Golden voluntarily dismissed defendant GoldenTree Asset Management from this action.

By Memorandum Decision and Order dated July 25, 2018, the Court denied Firstmark's motion to the extent that it sought to compel arbitration of these claims. Golden v. JP Morgan Chase Bank (In re Golden) , 587 B.R. 414 (Bankr. E.D.N.Y. 2018).

The Allegations of the Amended Complaint

Ms. Golden alleges that "[f]or at least the last ten years, Defendants and other student lenders and servicers have acted to mislead student debtors and subvert the orderly working of the bankruptcy courts." Am. Compl. ¶ 1. She claims that the "Defendants ... originated and serviced dischargeable consumer loans but have disguised them as non-dischargeable student loans." Id. Ms.

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596 B.R. 239, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/golden-v-jp-morgan-chase-bankt-in-re-golden-nyeb-2019.