Grassmann v. Brown (In re Brown)

570 B.R. 98
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, W.D. Oklahoma
DecidedJune 23, 2017
DocketCase No. 15-14320-SAH; Adv. Pro. 16-01041-SAH
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 570 B.R. 98 (Grassmann v. Brown (In re Brown)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, W.D. Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Grassmann v. Brown (In re Brown), 570 B.R. 98 (Okla. 2017).

Opinion

ORDER ON CROSS MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT [DOCS. 14, 15] AND SUPPLEMENT TO PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT [DOC. 27]

Sarah A. Hall, United States Bankruptcy Judge

Before the Court are the:
1. Complaint [Doc. 1], filed by plaintiffs Robert S. Grassmann and Laura Grassmann (“Plaintiffs”) on April 1, 2016;
2. Defendant’s [sic] Answer to Complaint to Determine Exception to Discharge [Doc. 7], filed by defendants Thomas W. Brown (“T Brown”) and Sandra D. Brown (“S Brown”; T Brown and S Brown collectively, “Defendants”) on May 4, 2016;
[105]*1053. Defendant’s [sic] Motion for Summary Judgment, Supporting Brief and Notice of Opportunity for Hearing [Doc. 14], filed by Defendants on October 7, 2016 (“Defendants Motion”);
4. Plaintiffs [sic] Motion for Summary Judgment, Brief in Support and Notice of Opportunity for Hearing [Doc. 15], filed by Plaintiffs on October 13, 2016 (“Plaintiffs Motion”);
5. Response of the Plaintiffs to Defendants [sic] Motion for Summary Judgment [Doc. 19], filed by Plaintiffs on October 21, 2016 (“Plaintiffs Response”);
6. Defendant’s [sic] Objection to Plaintiffs [sic] Motion for Summary Judgment and Supporting Brief [Doc. 21], filed by Defendants on October 27, 2016 (“Defendants Response”);
7. Supplement to Plaintiffs [sic] Motion for Summary Judgment [Doc. 27], filed by Plaintiffs on April 7, 2017 (“Plaintiffs Supplement”); and
8. Defendants [sic] Objection to Plaintiffs [sic] Motion for Summary Judgment and Supporting Brief [Doc. 29], filed by Defendants on April 19, 2017.

JURISDICTION

The Court has jurisdiction to hear this Complaint pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1334(b), and venue is proper pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1409. Reference to the Court of this matter is proper pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 157(a), and this is a core proceeding as contemplated by 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(H). Furthermore, Plaintiffs and Defendants consent to entry of final orders and judgment by the Court in this adversary proceeding [Doc. 10].

INTRODUCTION

Plaintiffs purchased real property from Defendants by warranty deed, purportedly free and clear of all liens and encumbrances. In reality, however, Defendants failed to disclose a valid existing lien on the property and further did not pay off the lien with the proceeds following the sale. Therefore, Plaintiffs sued Defendants in state court for breach of contract and fraud, but Defendants filed their chapter 7 petition before a final judgment could be entered. After Plaintiffs filed this adversary proceeding, the Court granted relief from the automatic stay to allow the state court litigation to be concluded. Plaintiffs now have a final state court judgment against Defendants and seek a nondis-chargeability determination with respect thereto pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(2). Plaintiffs also seek to deny Defendants their discharge pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 727(a)(2), (4) and (5).1

UNDISPUTED MATERIAL FACTS

For purposes of Plaintiffs Motion and Defendants Motion, the Court finds that no genuine dispute exists as to the following material facts:

1. Defendants, via their business Brown’s Funeral Parlor, LLC, previously owned a funeral home in Wellston. The real property was foreclosed upon by Stroud National Bank and sold through a sheriffs sale in April 2014. Defendants Response, Exhibits 2, 6, 7, and 8. On their 2015 federal tax return, Defendants reported the transaction and also claimed depreciation deductions with respect to the [106]*106real property. Plaintiffs Motion, Exhibit 17.

2. On February 23, 2015, Defendants sold and conveyed certain real property located on Highway 66 in Chandler, Oklahoma (the “Property”) to Plaintiffs, representing and warranting the Property to be free and clear of all judgments, liens, and encumbrances. Plaintiffs Motion, Exhibits 1 and 2.

3. On February 23, 2015, Defendants received net proceeds from the sale of the Property (after payment of a first mortgage) in the amount of $143,468.09 (the “Sale Proceeds”). The Sale Proceeds were divided between T Brown and S Brown at closing, with each receiving approximately $71,734.05. Plaintiffs Motion, Exhibits 3 and 4.

4. At the time of the sale, the State of Oklahoma, specifically the Oklahoma Funeral Board (“OFB”), held a judgment lien on the Property (the “OFB Lien”). The OFB Lien arose from a default judgment in the amount of $42,000 entered against T Brown on June 14, 2004..Plaintiffs Motion, Exhibit 5.

5. Defendants failed to pay off the OFB Lien following sale of the Property. Defendants Response at 2, ¶ 6.

6. On April 22, 2015, S Brown gave a cashier’s check to her son Carson Brown in the amount of $81,639.24, which included her share of the Sale Proceeds. The check was subsequently endorsed over to T Brown who cashed it. Plaintiffs Motion, Exhibits 9 and-10; Defendants Response, Exhibit 2.

7. On April 23, 2015, Plaintiffs filed suit in the District Court of Lincoln County, Oklahoma (the “State Court”) to recover the amount required to release the OFB Lien (the “State Court Action”). Plaintiffs Motion, Exhibit 6.

8. On May 7, 2015, the State Court entered a restraining order directing Defendants to deposit the Sale Proceeds into court and to provide an accounting of any funds that were missing thereafter. Plaintiffs Motion, Exhibit 7.

9. Defendants did not deposit any funds into court, and the accounting they provided (the “Accounting”) indicated the Sale Proceeds had been spent within ninety (90) days after the sale. Plaintiffs Motion, Exhibit 8.

10. The expenditures from the Sale Proceeds identified by Defendants on the Accounting include: home purchase $30,000; automobile purchase $5,000; repayment of loans from various individual persons totaling $26,320.50; payments to or on behalf of Defendants’ son totaling $5,602; vacation and fishing trip expenses totaling $5,600; and “gambling losses at Chandler, Shawnee, and Watonga of approximately $30,000 to $40,000.” Plaintiffs Motion, Exhibit 8. In all, the Accounting filed by Defendants generally lists expenditures totaling approximately $132,069 and otherwise states the remainder of the Sale Proceeds was spent on miscellaneous “expenses for sons and day to day living expenses, meals, travel and entertainment.” Plaintiffs Motion, Exhibit 8. However, the Accounting contains no details and is supported by no documentation whatsoever.

11.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
570 B.R. 98, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/grassmann-v-brown-in-re-brown-okwb-2017.