Gordon v. Hackenberry (In re Alpha Protective Servs., Inc.)

593 B.R. 682
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, M.D. Georgia
DecidedOctober 12, 2018
DocketCase No. 12-70482-JTL; Adversary Proceeding No. 14-07032-JTL
StatusPublished

This text of 593 B.R. 682 (Gordon v. Hackenberry (In re Alpha Protective Servs., Inc.)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, M.D. Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gordon v. Hackenberry (In re Alpha Protective Servs., Inc.), 593 B.R. 682 (Ga. 2018).

Opinion

JUDGMENT FOR DEFENDANT

John T. Laney, III, United States Bankruptcy Judge *685The Court tried the above styled case1 between September 19 and September 27, 2018. The parties consented to the Court's entry of a final order. At the conclusion of the evidence, the Court took this matter under advisement to review the evidence presented and to draft a memorandum opinion. Having carefully reviewed the applicable law and the record in this case, THE COURT ISSUES A JUDGMENT IN FAVOR OF THE DEFENDANT. The corresponding memorandum opinion filed in this case explains the Court's reasoning in coming to this conclusion.

SO ORDERED.

MEMORANDUM OPINION

The Court tried the above styled case1 between September 19 and September 27, 2018. The Plaintiff in this action seeks to avoid a pre-petition payment made by the Debtor to the Defendant, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 3304(a)(2). The parties consented to the Court's entry of a final order. See 28 U.S.C. § 157.

At the conclusion of the evidence, the Court took this matter under advisement to review the evidence presented and to draft this memorandum. Having carefully reviewed the applicable law and the record in this case, the Court issues a judgment in favor of the Defendant. The following memorandum explains the Court's reasoning in coming to this conclusion.

I. BRIEF STATEMENT OF THE CASE

Alpha Protective Services ("APS") filed a petition under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code on April 12, 2012. (Pet., Bankr. Doc. 1). The case was converted to a Chapter 7 on December 20, 2012. (Order Granting Motion to Convert, Bankr. Doc. 156). Neil Gordon was appointed Chapter 7 trustee on the same day.2 (Notice of Appointment of Trustee, Bankr. Doc. 158). The case before the Court is an adversary proceeding arising from APS's bankruptcy. The Trustee brings this action under the Federal Debt Collection Procedures Act ("the FDCPA"). 28 U.S.C. §§ 3001 - 3308. He may assert this claim through 11 U.S.C. § 544(b)(1). See Gordon v. Harrison (In re Alpha Protective Servs. ), 531 B.R. 889, 906 (Bankr. M.D. Ga. 2015) (permitting a Chapter 7 Trustee to assert an avoidance claim under the FDCPA).

28 U.S.C. § 3304(a)(2)(A) provides:

(a) ... [A] transfer made... by a debtor is fraudulent... if...
(2)(A) the transfer was made to an insider for an antecedent debt, the debtor was insolvent at the time; and
(B) the insider had reasonable cause to believe that the debtor was insolvent.

*686These basic facts are not disputed: On January 25, 2011, Paul Hackenberry, the Defendant ("Hackenberry"), advanced $110,000 to help APS make payroll at the request of Jeffery Brinson, the Debtor's president and CEO ("Brinson"). APS repaid Hackenberry on February 11, 2011 ("the Transfer"). This repayment is the subject of the avoidance action. Hackenberry was a member of the APS's board of directors at the time of the Transfer. Further, the Transfer occurred within two years of filing of this case and is thus within the FDCPA's statute of limitation. See 28 U.S.C. § 3306(b)(3) ; see also 11 U.S.C. § 108(a) (extending any statute of limitation that has not expired before filing a petition under Title 11).

The Court granted partial summary judgment on two of the claim's elements, determining Hackenberry was an insider and that the Transfer was on account of an antecedent debt. (Order Granting Partial Summary Judgment, A.P. Doc. 105). Therefore, the only issues before the Court at trial were (i) whether APS was insolvent at the time of the Transfer and (ii) whether Hackenberry "had reasonable cause to believe that the debtor was insolvent" at the time of the Transfer.

II. FINDINGS OF FACT

APS is a Georgia corporation that provided private security services primarily through government contracts. Hackenberry's involvement with APS began when he oversaw security for the G8 Summit on Sea Island, Georgia in 2004. APS was among the team of subcontractors providing security personnel for the event. APS's performance there and its business model impressed Hackenberry and he offered his services as a consultant to the company. At this point, Brinson held a majority of the shares in APS. Two other shareholders, Guy and James Harrison, held minority interests. Brinson, believing Hackenberry's services would benefit APS in obtaining additional federal contacts, hired Hackenberry as a consultant. Brinson's decision was apparently against the wishes of the minority shareholders.

a. The Harrison Dispute

Hackenberry's continued involvement with APS and other personal disputes between Brinson and the Harrisons further divided APS's shareholders. These disputes escalated in 2006, when Brinson removed James Harrison from APS's board of directors and appointed Hackenberry to the board. In response, the Harrisons caused APS's bank to withdraw its line of credit. These events triggered litigation between the shareholders, which the parties resolved through a settlement agreement in June 2007. The settlement required APS and Brinson to purchase the Harrisons' shares for $1,543,500 and pay $1,606,500 for services performed by James Harrison's consulting business. After making an initial $1 million payment upfront, APS financed the remaining amount due on the settlement through a note requiring eighty-four (84) monthly payments of approximately $30,000. Brinson then executed a note agreeing to repay APS for its purchase of the Harrisons' stock. Brinson never made payments to APS on account of this note.

This settlement drastically changed APS's financials.

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Bluebook (online)
593 B.R. 682, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gordon-v-hackenberry-in-re-alpha-protective-servs-inc-gamb-2018.