Griffith v. Griffith III (In re First Georgia Financial Corp.)

120 B.R. 239, 1990 Bankr. LEXIS 2235
CourtDistrict Court, D. Georgia
DecidedOctober 23, 1990
DocketBankruptcy Nos. 90-51375, 90-51374; Adv. No. 90-5072
StatusPublished

This text of 120 B.R. 239 (Griffith v. Griffith III (In re First Georgia Financial Corp.)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Griffith v. Griffith III (In re First Georgia Financial Corp.), 120 B.R. 239, 1990 Bankr. LEXIS 2235 (gad 1990).

Opinion

STATEMENT OF THE CASE

ROBERT F. HERSHNER, Jr., Chief Judge.

Mary C. Griffith, Plaintiff, filed a “Complaint for Damages for Conversion of Funds; for Equitable Relief Against Both Defendants; and Under Title 11 USC § 523(c), for a Decree as to Arthur Griffith III that the Obligations are Non-Dis-chargeable” on June 5, 1990. Arthur Griffith III, Debtor, Defendant, and First Georgia Financial Corporation, Debtor, Defendant, filed timely answers. A trial was held on September 20, 1990. The Court now publishes its opinion.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Arthur Griffith III1 is the son of. Plaintiff. Plaintiff and her husband jointly owned, with right of survivorship, a portfolio of stocks and bonds. Plaintiff’s husband died in July 1987, and she became the sole owner of the securities. The securities were worth about $291,000 in August 1987. The securities declined in value by about $35,000 during the “stock market crash” of October 1987. Plaintiff asked Debtor and her stock broker for investment advice. The stock broker advised her not to sell the securities. Debtor advised her to sell the securities, which she did on December 4, 1987. The proceeds were put into a money market account that paid about five-and-one-half percent interest.

About three weeks after Plaintiff sold the securities, Debtor told her that he was planning to open a mortgage banking business. Debtor told her that this business would be “just like the old Griffith Mortgage Company.” Griffith Mortgage was a mortgage banking business founded by Debtor’s grandfather in 1951. Debtor’s father worked there for a number of years. Debtor also worked there from 1964 until the business was sold in 1973. Debtor was in charge of mortgage operations for a local real estate company from 1983 until January 1988. He earned about $130,000 in both 1986 and 1987. Simply stated, Plaintiff knew that Debtor had substantial experience and success in the mortgage banking business.

Plaintiff wanted to earn more interest on her money than the money market account [241]*241paid. Plaintiff gave Debtor a check for $260,000 dated January 13, 1988. This check was written by Debtor and signed by Plaintiff. In the lower left-hand corner, Debtor wrote that the check was “For Transfer.” Plaintiff contends Debtor told her that he would invest her money in first mortgages in her name. Debtor contends that he told Plaintiff that he would put her money into the business he was going to open and pay her eight percent interest. He contends that he did not tell Plaintiff that he would buy mortgages in her name.

Debtor opened his new business, First Georgia Financial, on February 10, 1988. Debtor used $250,000 of Plaintiffs money to purchase, in his name, 2500 shares of stock in the corporation. Debtor was the sole shareholder of the corporation. Debt- or used the other $10,000 of Plaintiffs money for personal living expenses. Debt- or put $39,500 of his own money into the corporation. The corporation also received a line of credit for $250,000 from Liberty Savings Bank.

Plaintiff gave Debtor a second check for $25,000 dated September 7, 1988. This check also was written by Debtor and signed by Plaintiff. The check shows that it was “For Mtges.”

Debtor made the following direct deposits into Plaintiffs bank account:

Date of Deposit2 Amount

2/16/88 $ 1,841.66

4/19/88 1,841.67

5/19/88 1,841.67

7/06/88 1,841.67

9/07/88 1,841.67

10/7/88 1,841.67

12/23/88 600.00

1/12/89 1,900.00

3/02/89 1,900.00

8/04/89 800.00

$19,933.35

Debtor contends that the deposits of $1841.66 and $1900 represent the eight percent interest he promised to pay Plaintiff. Plaintiff telephoned Debtor several times concerning the irregular deposits. Debtor told her that his secretary had forgotten to make the deposit and that he would take care of it. It is undisputed that Plaintiff never asked to see her mortgages or asked how they were doing. Plaintiff testified that she trusted her son.

Unfortunately, First Georgia Financial was not successful and closed around the end of May 1989. Debtor sold the building and fixtures on June 30, 1989. He used part of the proceeds to buy an existing business, Idle Hour Hardware. The hardware store is owned by First Georgia Financial. The name of the hardware store has been changed to Idle Hour Hardware and Horse Supply.

Debtor filed a petition under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code on May 21, 1990. Debtor schedules, as unsecured, a debt owed to Plaintiff in an amount in excess of $285,000. First Georgia Financial Corporation also filed a petition under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code on May 21, 1990. First Georgia Financial schedules, as unsecured, disputed, contingent and unliqui-dated, a debt owed to Plaintiff in the amount of $285,000.

There is only one significant issue. Plaintiff contends that her money was to be put into first mortgages in her name. This would have resulted in security with a good return. If this had been done, she would not have been affected by the bankruptcy of Debtor or of First Georgia Financial. Debtor contends that Plaintiffs money was a loan to him to start his new business, First Georgia Financial. Debtor contends he prepared and signed two promissory notes in favor of Plaintiff at her dining room table when she gave him the two checks. These promissory notes were not produced at trial.

Plaintiffs 1988 federal income tax return shows that she received $16,705 in interest income from Debtor. The tax return shows the “payer” to be Debtor. The Court notes that if the money had been placed in first mortgages in Plaintiffs name, the mortgagor rather than Debtor would have been the payer.

[242]*242Debtor’s 1988 federal income tax return shows that he paid $22,430 in interest to Plaintiff.3 Debtor published a “Personal Financial Statement” to Trust Company Bank of Middle Georgia, N.A., dated March 30, 1989. He listed an unsecured debt of $285,000. This is the exact amount of Plaintiff’s two checks.

Three of Plaintiff’s daughters testified concerning their conversations with Plaintiff and Debtor. These witnesses are Debt- or’s sisters. Louise Griffith lives at Plaintiff’s home. Louise Griffith testified that she thought Plaintiff’s money had been put into mortgages and that Plaintiff was the mortgagee. In February 1989, she confronted Debtor and “wanted to see on paper all the first mortgages to see where they were.” Debtor told her that “it was too complicated for her to understand.” After Debtor closed First Georgia Financial, she talked to Debtor’s wife, the corporation’s secretary. Debtor’s wife told Louise Griffith that Plaintiff’s mortgages were safe. Debtor never told his sister that he would put Plaintiff’s money in first mortgages and never discussed with her what he had done with the money.

Derrelle Griffith Ballard testified that the first time she talked with Debtor about Plaintiff’s money was in August 1989. Mrs. Ballard had reviewed Plaintiff’s bank statements and noticed that Debtor had not made a direct deposit for an interest payment in several months. Debtor told Mrs. Ballard that Plaintiff had loaned him the money and that he had invested it in mortgage inventories. Plaintiff was present during this conversation and objected when Debtor used the term “loan.” Debtor told Mrs.

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Related

Hancock v. Hancock
54 S.E.2d 385 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1949)
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26 S.E.2d 287 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1943)

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Bluebook (online)
120 B.R. 239, 1990 Bankr. LEXIS 2235, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/griffith-v-griffith-iii-in-re-first-georgia-financial-corp-gad-1990.