Hellenbrand Glass, LLC v. Pulvermacher (In re Pulvermacher)

567 B.R. 881
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, W.D. Wisconsin
DecidedMarch 31, 2017
DocketCase Number: 16-10249-7; Adversary Number: 16-25
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 567 B.R. 881 (Hellenbrand Glass, LLC v. Pulvermacher (In re Pulvermacher)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, W.D. Wisconsin primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hellenbrand Glass, LLC v. Pulvermacher (In re Pulvermacher), 567 B.R. 881 (Wis. 2017).

Opinion

DECISION

Hon. Catherine J. Furay, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge

I. Statement of Procedural History

On January 29, 2016, Debtors/Defendants Scott G. and Jean M. Pulvermacher (collectively the “Pulvermachers”) filed a voluntary Chapter 7 petition. On April 21, 2016, Hellenbrand Glass, LLC (“Hellenb-rand”) filed a Complaint seeking determination that a debt evidenced by a state court judgment is nondischargeable under 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(4). The Pulvermachers answered the Complaint. The parties filed a Stipulation agreeing that $15,457.03 was nondischargeable. Despite the fact Jean Pulvermacher was not a defendant in the state court action, she has also stipulated to nondischargeability. The adversary proceeding asserts marital property, including her interest therein, is available for satisfaction of the debt. The parties dispute whether the treble damage portion of the debt or the costs and fees are dischargea-ble. The parties also dispute whether payments made on the state court judgment should be applied first to the portion of the judgment stipulated to be nondischargeable. The parties agreed there were no material issues of fact and the Court ordered briefs.

II. Statement of Facts

Debtor Scott G. Pulvermacher was the owner and managing member of Property Medix, LLC (“Medix”), a Wisconsin limited liability company. Hellenbrand and Me-dix entered into a subcontract agreement whereby Hellenbrand agreed to sell Me-dix, and Medix agreed to purchase from Hellenbrand, certain windows, doors, and related materials to be used by Medix to improve the real property located on Baker Road in Madison, Wisconsin (the “Premises”). Medix was the prime contrae[885]*885tor on the project to improve the Premises.

Medix failed to pay for these materials. Hellenbrand filed suit in Dane County Circuit Court alleging a claim for theft by contractor under Wis. Stat. § 779.02(5) (the “Circuit Court Case”). In addition, Hellenbrand sought damages for intentional theft under Wis. Stat. §§ 895.466 and 943.20, including the amount Medix,misap-propriated plus treble damages, attorney’s fees, costs, and prejudgment and post-judgment interest.

Hellenbrand, Medix, and Scott G, Pul-vermacher entered into a Settlement Agreement intending to resolve all disputes between the parties regarding the Gircuit Court Case. Hellenbrand agreed to dismiss the Circuit Court Case without prejudice in exchange for payment of $17,-979.741 by Scott G. Pulvermacher. In the event Pulvermacher missed a payment under the Settlement Agreement and failed to cure the default within 30- days, the parties agreed to an immediate entry of a judgment in favor of Hellenbrand in the amount remaining due and owing together with treble damages and all reasonable costs of investigation and litigation.

Scott Pulvermacher defaulted under the Settlement Agreement. The state court entered a judgment against him and Me-dix in the amount of $38,396.57, including treble damages, fees and costs for the investigation and- litigation of the theft by contractor claim, and prejudgment and postjudgment interest. Jean Pulvermacher was not a defendant in the state court action, nor was she a party to the Settlement Agreement.

The Judgment provides that “[Hellenb-rand’s] motion for entry of judgment is GRANTED in its. entirety, and [Hellenb-rand] is granted judgment against [Scott G. Pulvermacher] ... in the amount of $38,396.57. [Hellenbrand] is also entitled to collect statutory post-judgment interest and its additional attorneys’ fees and other costs of investigation and litigation reasonably incurred to collect this Judgment.”

In the present case, the parties stipulate:

(1) The sum of $15,457.03 was the amount owed under the Settlement Agreement minus payments made by Pulvermacher prior to default under that agreement plus prejudgment interest (“Initial Debt”);
(2) The Initial Debt is nondischargeable under 11 U.S.C, § 523(a)(4);
(3) A judgment in the amount of $38,396.57 was entered. This amount included the Initial Debt plus treble damages and statutory attorneys’ fees and costs under Wis. Stat. §§ 779.02(5), 895.446, and 943.20 (“Judgment”);
(4) The Pulvermachers paid Hellenb-rand $17,575.33 prior to filing this Chapter 7; and
(5) The unpaid balance on the Judgment is $20,821.00.

III. Discussion

Jurisdiction

This Court has jurisdiction over this matter pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1334, In accordance with section 157(a), the District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin has referred all of its bankruptcy cases to the Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Wisconsin. W.D. Wis. Admin. Order 161 (July 12, 1984). A proceeding for [886]*886determination of dischargeability is a core proceeding. 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(I).

11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(4)

Whether a debt is nondischargeable in bankruptcy is a matter of federal law governed by the Bankruptcy Code. Grogan v. Garner, 498 U.S. 279, 111 S.Ct. 654, 112 L.Ed.2d 755 (1991). The creditor seeking to establish a nondischargeable debt under section 523(a)(4) bears the burden to establish each element thereunder by a preponderance of the evidence. See id. at 287, 111 S.Ct. 654; see also Green v. Pawlinski (In re Pawlinski), 170 B.R. 380, 388 (Bankr. N.D. Ill. 1994).

Section 523(a)(4) provides as follows: “A discharge under section 727 ... of this title does not discharge an individual debtor from any debt for fraud or defalcation while acting in a fiduciary capacity, embezzlement, or larceny.” 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(4). To establish a nondischargeable debt for defalcation under section 523(a)(4), Hellenbrand must prove “(1) the existence of a trust; (2) the debtor is a fiduciary of that trust; and (3) fraud or defalcation by the debtor while acting as a fiduciary of the trust.” See Baytherm Insulation, Inc. v. Carlson (In re Carlson), 456 B.R. 391, 395 (Bankr. E.D. Wis. 2011).

The Pulvermachers stipulated, post-petition, that the Initial Debt of $15,457.03 is nondischargeable under section 523(a)(4), They also stipulated that the state court trebled this amount pursuant to Wis. Stat. §§ 895.446 and 943.20, and awarded attorneys’ fees and other costs of investigation and the investigation costs reasonably incurred to collect on the Judgment.

Preclusion

The Full Faith and Credit Act requires bankruptcy courts to recognize and give state court judgments the same preclusive effect the judgments would otherwise enjoy in state court. Dollie’s Playhouse, Inc. v.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
567 B.R. 881, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hellenbrand-glass-llc-v-pulvermacher-in-re-pulvermacher-wiwb-2017.