Hillsman v. Escoto (In re Escoto)

544 B.R. 212
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. Nevada
DecidedJuly 3, 2014
DocketBK-S-13-10096-MKN; Adversary No.: 13-01058-MKN
StatusPublished

This text of 544 B.R. 212 (Hillsman v. Escoto (In re Escoto)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Nevada primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hillsman v. Escoto (In re Escoto), 544 B.R. 212 (Nev. 2014).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM DECISION AFTER TRIAL1

Honorable Mike K. Nakagawa, United States Bankruptcy Judge

On June 2, 2014, a trial was conducted in the above-captioned adversary proceeding. The appearances of counsel were noted on the record. After argument was presented, the matter was taken under submission.

BACKGROUND

On January 4, 2013, Mark J. Escoto (“Debtor”) filed a voluntary Chapter 7 petition. On his Schedule “F,” Debtor listed Robert Hillsman (“Hillsman”) as having an unsecured claim in the amount of $200,000 based on a personal loan.

On April 8, 2013, Hillsman commenced the instant adversary proceeding. The adversary complaint seeks to determine the dischargeability of the personal loan pursuant to Section 523(a)(2)(A) and Section 523(a)(2)(B). (AECF No. 1). On May 15, 2013, Debtor filed an answer.2 (AECF No. 7).3

On August 16, 2013, an order was entered scheduling a pretrial conference and a trial. (AECF No. 10). On February 3, 2014, an order was entered approving a stipulation between the parties that rescheduled the discovery deadline to April 30, 2014, the pretrial conference to May 21, 2014, and the trial to June 2, 2014. (AECF No. 19).

On January 30, 2014, Debtor filed a motion for summary judgment (“SJ Motion”). (AECF No. 13). On March 19, 2014, Hillsman filed his opposition to the SJ Motion that included a Countermotion for Summary Judgment (“SJ Countermotion”). (AECF No. 25). On April 16, 2014, an order was entered denying both the SJ Motion and the SJ Countermotion. (AECF No. 29).

On May 12, 2014, the parties filed a joint pre-trial memorandum (“Joint Memorandum”). (AECF No. 34). In that pre-trial memorandum, Hillsman indicated that he [215]*215would seek a determination of nondischargeability only under Section 523(a)(2)(A).

APPLICABLE ELEMENTS UNDER SECTION 523(a)(2)(A).

Hillsman seeks a determination that the funds loaned to the Debtor should be excepted from discharge under Section 523(a)(2)(A). Hillsman, as the plaintiff, bears the burden of proof by a preponderance of the evidence. See Grogan v. Garner, 498 U.S. 279, 286, 111 S.Ct. 654, 659, 112 L.Ed.2d 755 (1991).

A debtor may not receive a discharge under Section 727(b) of any debt “for money, property, services, or an extension, renewal, or refinancing of credit, to the extent obtained by... (A) false pretenses, a false representation, or actual fraud, other than a statement respecting the debtor’s or an insider’s financial conditions.” 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(2)(A).

In order to establish a claim under Section 523(a)(2)(A), a creditor must prove: “(1) misrepresentation, fraudulent omission or deceptive conduct by the debtor; (2) knowledge of the falsity or deeeptiveness of his statement or conduct; (3) an intent to deceive; (4) justifiable reliance by the creditor on the debtor’s statement or conduct; and (5) damage to the creditor proximately caused by its reliance on the debtor’s statement or conduct.” Turtle Rock Meadows, etc. v. Slyman (In re Slyman), 234 F.3d 1081, 1085 (9th Cir.2000); Sachan v. Huh (In re Huh), 506 B.R. 257, 262 (9th Cir. BAP 2014). The “intent to defraud is a question of fact,” and the “intent to deceive can be inferred from the surrounding circumstances.” Cowen v. Kennedy (In re Kennedy), 108 F.3d 1015, 1018 (9th Cir.1997).

It is well-established that nondisclosure of a material fact constitutes a fraudulent representation under Section 523(a)(2)(A) where the debtor has a duty to disclose. See Apte v. Japra (In re Apte), 96 F.3d 1319, 1323-24 (9th Cir.1996). In a business transaction, parties owe each other a duty to disclose if because of the relationship between them, the customs of the trade, or other objective circumstances, a reasonable expectation of disclosure is created. Id. at 1324.

Where a creditor’s claim under Section 523(a)(2)(B) is based on a forbearance, the creditor must prove that at the time of the forbearance “it had valuable collection remedies.” See Stevens v. Nw. Nat’l Ins. Co. (In re Siriani), 967 F.2d 302, 305 (9th Cir.1992). The same requirement applies where a forbearance is obtained through misrepresentation and fraud encompassed by Section 523(a)(2)(A). See Cho-Hung Bank v. Kim (In re Kim), 163 B.R. 157, 161 ( 9th Cir. BAP 1994), aff'd and adopted, 62 F.3d 1511 (9th Cir.1995).4 See, e.g., Locke v. Milner (In re Locke), 205 B.R. 592, 598 (9th Cir. BAP 1996) (creditor lost valuable collection right where landlord did not call first letter of credit and debtor had fraudulently induced creditor to issue second letter of credit in favor of the landlord); Antioch Community Federal Credit Union v. Pagnini (In re Pagnini), 2012 WL 5489032 at *5-6 (9th Cir. BAP 2012) (creditor lost no valuable collection remedies when it failed to demonstrate that repossession and sale of collateral would have resulted in greater proceeds than if it had not refinanced the loan based on false information provided by the debtor); California Bank & Trust v. Kahn (In re Kahn), 2013 WL 5881618 at [216]*216*14 (Bankr.S.D.Cal.2013) (creditor failed to present evidence that right to foreclose on collateral and sue for deficiency had lost value during fraudulently obtained extensions); Husain v. Chopra (In re Chopra), 2013 WL 1681773 (Bankr.N.D.Cal.2013) (creditor failed to demonstrate the existence of valuable collection remedies under factoring agreement allegedly lost as a result of fraudulent settlement agreement); Banner Bank v. Bell (In re Bell), 2010 WL 4809123 at *5 (Bankr.W.D.Wash.2010) (bank failed to demonstrate what it could have collected from accounts receivable collateral had it not extended due date of loan). In addition to proving the actual existence of valuable collection remedies at the time of the forbearance, the creditor must prove that such remedies lost value during the period of forbearance. See In re Kim, 163 B.R. at 161. Such proof is required to meet the proximate cause and damage elements of the claim. Id.

THE EVIDENCE PRESENTED

Thirty-two exhibits were admitted into evidence and three witnesses testified at trial. All of the witnesses were subject to cross-examination.

A. The Exhibits.

1. Promissory Note dated February 11,2008
2. Demand Promissory Note dated March 10,2008
3. Cashier’s Check for $200,000 issued March 10, 2008
4. Amending Agreement dated March 10, 2011
5. Email from Shirley Escoto to Robert Hillsman dated April 22, 2007
8. Debtor’s Bankruptcy Schedules and Statements filed January 4, 2013
9.

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544 B.R. 212, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hillsman-v-escoto-in-re-escoto-nvb-2014.