Hartwig Poultry, Inc. v. CW Service (In re Hartwig Poultry, Inc.)

70 B.R. 748, 1987 Bankr. LEXIS 315
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Ohio
DecidedFebruary 10, 1987
DocketBankruptcy No. 84-0256; Related Case: 82-00227
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 70 B.R. 748 (Hartwig Poultry, Inc. v. CW Service (In re Hartwig Poultry, Inc.)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hartwig Poultry, Inc. v. CW Service (In re Hartwig Poultry, Inc.), 70 B.R. 748, 1987 Bankr. LEXIS 315 (Ohio 1987).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

RICHARD L. SPEER, Bankruptcy Judge.

This cause comes before the Court upon the Motion For Summary Judgment filed by the Plaintiff against the Defendant Target Industries (hereinafter Target). The parties have filed their arguments relative to the merits of this Motion and have had the opportunity to respond to the arguments made by opposing counsel. The Court has reviewed those arguments as well as the entire record in this case. Based upon that review and for the following reasons the Court finds that Summary Judgment should be entered for the Plaintiff.

FACTS

The facts in this case do not appear to be in serious dispute. On or about July 20, 1982, the Debtor-In-Possession ordered certain products from Target. ' Although the exact nature of these items is unclear, it appears that it included some plastic products which were used in the Debtor-In-Possession’s operations. It also appears that the items were shipped to the Debtor-In-Possession, and that an invoice for the shipment was issued on or about July 23, 1982. Target admits that the items were received by the Debtor-In-Possession on July 26, 1982.

On or about August 20,1982, the Debtor-In-Possession issued a check to Target in the amount of $10,039.68. This instrument was issued as payment for the July 23, 1982 shipment of merchandise. While Target admits that it received the Debtor-In-Possession’s check on or about September 6,1982, the evidence reflects that the check was not paid by the drawee bank until September 13, 1982.

The Debtor-In-Possession filed its voluntary Chapter 11 Petition with this Court on October 19, 1982. In an effort to collect assets for the estate, the Debtor-In-Possession filed the above entitled adversary action. In this action, the Debtor-In-Possession alleges that the payment made to Target was an avoidable preferential transfer under the provisions of 11 U.S.C. § 547(b).

The Motion presently before the Court seeks a summary adjudication of this adversary action. In support of this Motion, the Debtor-In-Possession has offered copies of Target’s invoice and the check which was issued to Target in payment of the invoice. It has also offered the affidavit of counsel for the Debtor-In-Possession, wherein he avers to the fact that as of the filing of the Motion the Debtor-In-Possession had approximately $35,002.86 in assets. A review of the Debtor-In-Posses[750]*750sion’s schedules finds that at the time the petition was filed the Debtor-In-Possession had approximately $1,888,000.00 in unsecured obligations, $2,666,000.00 in secured obligations, and $4,100,000.00 in total assets.

In opposition to the Motion, Target has argued that the obligation should not be considered as- owing until thirty days subsequent to the issuance of the invoice. This argument is based on the fact that the invoice bore a statement that payment on the invoice was due thirty days after its issuance. Target has also argued that the date on which the Debtor-In-Possession tendered the check should be considered the date on which a transfer occured. As a result of these arguments, Target contends that certain defenses available under the provisions of 11 U.S.C. § 547 are applicable.

LAW

Prior to the enactment of the Bankruptcy Amendments and Federal Judgeship Act of 1984, P.L. 98-353, the provisions of 11 U.S.C. Section 547 stated in pertinent part:

(b) ... the trustee may avoid any transfer of property of the debtor—
(1) to or for the benefit of the creditor;
(2) for or on account of an antecedent debt owed by the debtor before such transfer was made;
(3) made while the debtor was insolvent;
(4) made—
(A)on or within 90 days before the date of the filing of the petition;
(5) that enables such creditor to receive more than such creditor would receive if—
(A) the case were a case under chapter 7 of this title;
(B) the transfer had not been made; and
(C) such creditor received payment of such debt to the extent provided by the provisions of this title.
(c) The trustee may not avoid under this section a transfer—
(1) to the extent that such transfer was—
(A) intended by the debtor and the creditor to or for whose benefit such transfer was made to be a contemporaneous exchange for new value given to the debt- or; and
(B) in fact a substantially contemporaneous exchange;
(2) to the extent that such transfer was—
(A) in payment of a debt incurred in the ordinary course of business or financial affairs of the debtor and the transferee;
(B) made not later than 45 days after such debt was incurred;
(C) made in the ordinary course of business or financial affairs of the debtor and the transferee; and
(D) made according to ordinary business terms.

The pre-amendment version of that section is applicable to this adversary proceeding, inasmuch as the Chapter 11 case was filed prior to the effective date of the amendments. See, P.L. 98-353 Section 553(a).

Under these provisions, a trustee or a debtor-in-possession, see, 11 U.S.C. Section 1107, may avoid the transfer of an interest of the debtor in property which was made to a creditor on account of an antecedent debt within ninety days prior to the petition if the debtor was insolvent at the time of the transfer and if the transfer enables the creditor to receive more than they would have received in a Chapter 7 proceeding had the transfer not been made. Allison v. First Nat. Bank & Trust Co. (In re Damon), 34 B.R. 626 (Bkcy.D.Kan.1983).

A trustee can not avoid a transfer which was intended by the debtor, and which was, in fact, a contemporaneous exchange for new value. Ray v. Security Mutual Finance Corp. (In re Arnett), 731 F.2d 358 (6th Cir.1984). The most determinative factor in assessing whether or not a transfer was a contemporaneous exchange is the intent of the parties to create such an exchange. McClendon v. Cal-Wood Door (In re Wadsworth Bldg. Components, Ins.), 711 F.2d 122 (9th Cir.1983). A trustee may also not avoid any transfer to the [751]*751extent it was payment of an ordinary business expense which was incurred within forty-five (45) days prior to the time the transfer was made. Quinn v. TTI Distribution Corp. (In re Moran Air Cargo, Inc.), 30 B.R. 406 (Bkcy.R.I.1983).

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
70 B.R. 748, 1987 Bankr. LEXIS 315, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hartwig-poultry-inc-v-cw-service-in-re-hartwig-poultry-inc-ohnb-1987.