Heyer v. FNBC Bank & Trust, Inc. (In re Heyer)

583 B.R. 141
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Illinois
DecidedJanuary 17, 2018
DocketBankruptcy No. 17 BK 04889; Adversary No. 17 AP 00406
StatusPublished

This text of 583 B.R. 141 (Heyer v. FNBC Bank & Trust, Inc. (In re Heyer)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Heyer v. FNBC Bank & Trust, Inc. (In re Heyer), 583 B.R. 141 (Ill. 2018).

Opinion

Jack B. Schmetterer, United States Bankruptcy Judge

Defendants FNBC Bank & Trust, Inc. f/k/a First National Bank of LaGrange ("FNBC") and Adam B. Rome ("Rome" or collectively "Defendants") move to dismiss Plaintiffs David J. Heyer and Ellen J. Heyer's ("Debtors," "Plaintiffs," or "Heyers") Adversary Complaint ("Adversary Complaint" or "Complaint") pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, made applicable by Rule 7012(b) of the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure.

*145In their Motion to Dismiss Debtors' Complaint, and the accompanying Defendants' Memorandum of Law in Support of its Motion to Dismiss Debtors' Complaint, Defendants principally argue that the Plaintiffs' Adversary Complaint must be dismissed because the Heyers lack standing to pursue the claims that they have asserted, because those claims belong solely to the Chapter 7 trustee. Defendants also argue that Plaintiffs have failed to state any claim upon which relief may be granted.

Defendants have cited binding 7th Circuit authority that supports their position that only the Chapter 7 trustee may pursue the claims that Plaintiffs have pleaded in their adversary complaint, so the Adversary Complaint must be dismissed on that ground. Each Count will also be dismissed for failure to state a claim. For those reasons, as more detailed below, Defendants' Motion to Dismiss is granted.

A separate order granting Defendants' motion is entered this date.

BACKGROUND

Co-Debtors David Heyer and Ellen Heyer filed their Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition on February 21, 2017. The claim which Debtors now argue is fraudulent is based upon money loaned to the Debtors, both personally and to two businesses which the Debtors owned or managed, in 2013. On February 28, 2013, Debtors executed four notes with the First National Bank of LaGrange, the predecessor in interest to FNBC. Those notes, attached to Defendants' Amended Proof of Claim No. 6 show that Debtors owned or managed two businesses: Hycon Corp., in which David Heyer served as president of the company, and Burlington Building, LLC, in which Ellen Heyer served as a managing member.

On the first note, David Heyer, both individually and as president of Hycon Corp., borrowed $1,347,140.86 at a rate of 4.5% interest. On the second note, Ellen Heyer and David Heyer, both as individuals, borrowed $492,500.00 at a rate of 4.5% interest. On the third note, Ellen Heyer, both individually and as a managing member of Burlington Building, LLC, and David Heyer, individually, borrowed $429,716.55 at a rate of 5.0% interest. On the fourth note, David Heyer both individually and as president of Hycon Corp., and Ellen Heyer, both individually and as a managing member of Burlington Building, LLC, borrowed $115,486.67 at a rate of 4.25% interest. Each of the notes indicates that the Debtors will be liable for attorney's fees that are incurred as a result of any actions required to collect on them.

On February 26, 2016, FNBC, represented by its co-defendant in the adversary, Rome, filed a complaint in the Circuit Court of Cook County for forcible entry and detainer as to the Property under the case number 2016 MI 703690. In that complaint, Defendants sought only an order of possession from the court, not any monetary relief. The Circuit Court indicated in a September 21, 2016 order that an order of possession would be entered in favor of FNBC on November 15, 2016.

On November 13, 2016, Plaintiffs filed their petition for Chapter 13 bankruptcy relief, a case assigned to Judge Hollis. On November 23, 2016 Defendants filed a motion to modify the automatic stay, and on November 30, 2016, Judge Hollis granted that motion, allowing FNBC to seek only the order of possession in the Circuit Court of Cook County. On January 12, 2017, the Circuit Court entered an order of possession in favor of Defendants which was stayed through January 26, 2017. On January 13, 2017, Defendants filed an Objection to Confirmation of Plaintiffs' Chapter *14613 plan, seeking money owed on the notes and filing a proof of claim in the amount of $1,778,247.90 and $112,034.65 in attorney's fees. Debtors allege that because FNBC fraudulently filed this large proof of claim, their Chapter 13 plan was denied confirmation. Debtors' Chapter 13 case was dismissed on Trustee's Motion for Unreasonable Delay on February 13, 2017. The Debtors did not vacate the Property until May of 2017 when they were evicted from the premises.

Debtors filed their pending case under Chapter 11 on February 21, 2017. On April 18, 2017 FNBC filed its Claim No. 6 for $1,808,126.94. On July 6, 2017, the United States Trustee for the Northern District of Illinois filed a Motion to Convert or Dismiss Debtors' Chapter 11 case. On August 7, 2017, this Court entered an order converting Debtors' Chapter 11 case to one under Chapter 7. The case now pends in Chapter 7.

Also on August 7, 2017, Debtor filed the underlying, five count adversary complaint. Count I alleges that the sworn Proof of Claim filed by Rome on behalf of FNBC is, "false, fraudulent and is not a valid debt of either Debtor." Count II alleges that Defendants violated Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 2016 by filing a proof of claim with the Court that had no supporting documentation, specifically alleging that Defendants failed to document or itemize the purported attorney's fees. Count III alleges that Plaintiffs were subjected to intentional infliction of emotional distress due to Defendants' conduct. Count IV alleges that Defendants "had an implicit, covert agreement to defraud Plaintiffs" with the filing of the allegedly fraudulent Claim No. 6 of FNBC. Count V alleges common law fraud due to Defendants' alleged knowing and intentional misrepresentation of material facts related to the filing of Claim No. 6.

Defendants filed the instant 12(b)(6) Motion to Dismiss and their Memorandum of Law in Support of their Motion to Dismiss on August 30, 2017. The Defendants first argue that the Plaintiffs' complaint must be dismissed because, pursuant to 7th Circuit precedent, only the Chapter 7 Trustee has the standing to defend claims against the estate.

Alternatively, Defendants argue that Plaintiffs have not sufficiently alleged that FNBC's proof of claim is false, addressing each of the Plaintiffs' counts separately.

In response to Count I, Defendants argue that Plaintiffs failed to state any reason why FNBC's proof of claim should be considered false. Specifically, the Defendants argue that Plaintiffs have not alleged that the notes upon which the claim is based are false and that FNBC did not waive its right to file a claim simply because it sought an order of possession from a state court.

In response to Count II, Defendants argue that Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 2016(A) does not apply to FNBC's claim primarily because no private cause of action arises under Rule 2016(A).

In response to Count III, Defendants argue that the Plaintiffs have not met the standard for intentional infliction of emotional distress.

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

Related

Conley v. Gibson
355 U.S. 41 (Supreme Court, 1957)
Exxon Mobil Corp. v. Saudi Basic Industries Corp.
544 U.S. 280 (Supreme Court, 2005)
Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly
550 U.S. 544 (Supreme Court, 2007)
Swanson v. Citibank, N.A.
614 F.3d 400 (Seventh Circuit, 2010)
James A. Knight v. Bank of America
695 F.3d 714 (Seventh Circuit, 2012)
In Re Radcliffe
563 F.3d 627 (Seventh Circuit, 2009)
Damato v. Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
878 F. Supp. 1156 (N.D. Illinois, 1995)
In Re Five Boroughs Mortg. Co., Inc.
176 B.R. 708 (E.D. New York, 1995)
In Re Olsen
123 B.R. 312 (N.D. Illinois, 1991)
Yancey v. Citifinancial, Inc. (In Re Yancey)
301 B.R. 861 (W.D. Tennessee, 2003)
Rosewood Corp. v. Transamerica Insurance
311 N.E.2d 673 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1974)
Miller v. Daley
476 N.E.2d 753 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1985)
Public Finance Corp. v. Davis
360 N.E.2d 765 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1976)
GURGA v. Roth
964 N.E.2d 134 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2011)
Gurga v. Roth
2011 IL App (2d) 100444 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2011)
Moon v. Liu
2015 IL App (1st) 143606 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2016)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
583 B.R. 141, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/heyer-v-fnbc-bank-trust-inc-in-re-heyer-ilnb-2018.