Hackeling v. Charter Financial, Inc. (In Re Luis Electrical Contracting Corp.)

149 B.R. 751, 1992 WL 404158
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. New York
DecidedOctober 20, 1992
Docket8-19-71061
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 149 B.R. 751 (Hackeling v. Charter Financial, Inc. (In Re Luis Electrical Contracting Corp.)) 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
Hackeling v. Charter Financial, Inc. (In Re Luis Electrical Contracting Corp.), 149 B.R. 751, 1992 WL 404158 (N.Y. 1992).

Opinion

DECISION AND ORDER ON MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

ROBERT JOHN HALL, Bankruptcy Judge.

PRELIMINARY STATEMENT

This matter comes before the Court upon motions for summary judgment (“Sum *753 mary Judgment Motions”) made by four (4) of the eight (8) defendants (collectively, the “Defendants”) in the above-captioned adversary proceedings (the “Adversary Proceedings”). The moving Defendants are Charter Financial, Inc., Sogelease Corporation, Amsave Credit Corporation, and MONY Credit Corporation. John Hancock Leasing Corp. submitted a statement in support of Charter Financial, Inc.’s summary judgment motion.

The Adversary Proceedings were commenced in or about March 1990 by C. Steven Hackeling, chapter 7 trustee (the “Trustee”) of the above-referenced estate of Luis Electrical Contracting Corp. (the “Debtor”). Pursuant to the Adversary Proceedings, the Trustee seeks to avoid and set aside certain allegedly fraudulent transfers made by the Debtor to the Defendants.

For the reasons set forth below, the Summary Judgment Motions are GRANTED. Because the non-moving Defendants are merely assignees of the moving Defendants (as discussed below), and for purposes of these Adversary Proceedings hold the same rights, this decision and order grants summary judgment in favor of both the moving and the non-moving Defendants.

The Court has jurisdiction over these Adversary Proceedings pursuant to sections 157(b)(2)(H) and 1334 of title 28, United States Code. The Summary Judgment Motions are made pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56, made applicable to this matter by Rule 7056 of the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure (the “Bankruptcy Rules”).

FACTUAL HISTORY

The Court finds, from the documentary evidence submitted by both the Trustee and the moving Defendants, and from the hearing held before the Court on the Summary Judgment Motions on October 11, 1990, that the undisputed facts are as follows.

On or about March 10, 1988, the Debtor filed a bankruptcy petition for relief under chapter 7 of title 11, United States Code (the “Bankruptcy Code”). The Debtor was in the business of electrical contracting. Between 1986 and 1989, the Debtor engaged in certain financial transactions with the Defendants. It is with these transactions that the Trustee’s causes of action are concerned.

For convenience, the relevant transactions between the Debtor and each of the Defendants will be set forth in separate portions of the Court’s opinion preceded by the name of the respective Defendant.

CHARTER FINANCIAL, INC.

Between April 18, 1986 and August 14, 1986, the Debtor and Charter Financial, Inc. (“Charter”) entered into eleven (11) lease agreements (the “Lease Agreements”). Pursuant to the terms of the Lease Agreements, Charter agreed to lease items of personal property to the Debtor. The items consisted of equipment, such as diesel fuel electrical generators, including all associated hardware. Each of the Lease Agreements referred to a different piece and amount of the equipment. The Debtor agreed to tender sixty (60) monthly payments under each Lease Agreement to Charter. Depending upon the amount of equipment to be leased under each individual Lease Agreement, the Debtor’s required monthly payments to Charter varied from $6,515.29 to $18,669.06.

For each of the Lease Agreements, Charter obtained certified copies of resolutions of the board of directors of the Debtor (“Corporate Resolutions”). Each Corporate Resolution acknowledged that the Lease Agreements were in conformity with the Debtor’s corporate charter and by-laws, and that any one of the Debtor’s officers would be authorized to enter into the Lease Agreements in the name and on behalf of the Debtor. Each of the Corporate Resolutions contained the signature of either Louis Rosally, president of the Debtor, Do-menico Rabuffo, secretary of the Debtor, or both.

The Lease Agreements also specified that: (i) the Debtor had selected the equipment prior to Charter’s having purchased it; (ii) the Debtor, not Charter, had selected *754 the vendor of the equipment; and (iii) the Debtor was obligated to tender the monthly payments under each Lease Agreement whether or not the Debtor actually received the equipment and whether or not it was in working order.

In each of the Lease Agreements, the Debtor selected Steinway Electrical Corporation (“Steinway”) as vendor of the equipment. Charter then received Steinway’s invoices for the equipment from the Debt- or. Steinway’s invoices reflected orders for the equipment which were placed between approximately February 17, 1986 and August 6,1986. The Steinway invoices also included a description of the equipment, its price, and the order date. Charter was listed as the purchaser of the equipment while the Debtor was listed as the recipient of the shipments.

The Debtor furnished Charter with eleven (11) documents, all signed by either Louis Rosally or Domenico Rabuffo (except for one unsigned document), which contained language to the effect that the equipment was actually received by the Debtor in good working condition.

Finally, the Debtor furnished Charter with signed U.C.C. — 1 financing statements, purporting to grant Charter a security interest in the equipment.

Pursuant to each of the Lease Agreements, Charter delivered eleven (11) checks of varying amounts to the Debtor, each made payable to and deposited by Steinway. The sum received by Steinway through the eleven (11) checks was $4,540,-972.53.

The Lease Agreements were all subsequently assigned by Charter to six (6) other financial institutions (collectively, “Charter’s Assignees”). In each of the Trustee’s Adversary Proceedings commenced against Charter, one of Charter’s Assignees has been named as a joint defendant. Following is a discussion of the relevant facts surrounding those of Charter’s Assignees that have moved for summary judgment, and of John Hancock Leasing Corp. which filed a statement in support of Charter’s motion.

SOGELEASE CORPORATION

At or about the time of execution of Lease Agreement numbered 1068 and dated May 5, 1986, Sogelease Corporation (“Sogelease”) became one of Charter’s Assignees. In consideration for this assignment, Sogelease paid Charter $848,625.77, by wire transfer.

The Debtor’s sixty (60) monthly payments of $18,669.06 to Sogelease (as as-signee) under this Lease Agreement were to commence on June 6, 1986. Between June 1986 and September 1987, Sogelease received 15 (fifteen) monthly payments from the Debtor. Thereafter, Sogelease received no further payments from the Debtor.

JOHN HANCOCK LEASING CORP.

John Hancock Leasing Corp. (“Hancock Leasing”) became one of Charter’s Assignees by virtue of a lease assignment executed on May 27,1986. Hancock Leasing was assigned Lease Agreement numbered 1081, also dated May 27, 1986.

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149 B.R. 751, 1992 WL 404158, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hackeling-v-charter-financial-inc-in-re-luis-electrical-contracting-nyeb-1992.