Hines v. Marchetti

436 B.R. 159, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 89648, 2010 WL 3430697
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Alabama
DecidedAugust 30, 2010
Docket3:09-cv-1175-MEF
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 436 B.R. 159 (Hines v. Marchetti) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hines v. Marchetti, 436 B.R. 159, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 89648, 2010 WL 3430697 (M.D. Ala. 2010).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

MARK E. FULLER, Chief Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

This cause is before the Court on appeal from the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Alabama. 1 David A. Hines, the appellant and debtor in the underlying bankruptcy case, appeals the bankruptcy court’s partial grant of summary judgment in favor of Anthony J. Marchetti and West Georgia Emergency Medicine, LLC (“WGEM”), the appellees and creditors in the underlying bankruptcy case (collectively, the “Appellees”). Hines’ appeal requires this Court to decide whether there is an issue of material fact regarding Hines’ intent when he transferred property within one year of his bankruptcy filing. The Appellees contend that Hines should be denied a discharge because he violated 11 U.S.C. § 727(a)(2)(A) by transferring property with the intent to hinder, delay, or defraud a creditor within one year before he filed for bankruptcy. Because this Court concludes that there is no issue of material fact regarding Hines’ intent, the bankruptcy court’s decision is AFFIRMED.

II. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

A. Factual Background

The following facts are undisputed. Hines and Marchetti are both medical doctors who previously practiced medicine together as members of WGEM. Hines was the manager of WGEM and controlled the firm’s books and records. In December 2005, Marchetti and WGEM brought suit against Hines in the Superior Court of Troup County, Georgia alleging that Hines misappropriated WGEM’s funds and wrongfully refused Marchetti access to WGEM’s books and records. The lawsuit was referred to arbitration, and on November 26, 2007, the arbitrator awarded Marchetti and WGEM approximately $667,000 in damages and attorney fees. A Georgia state court confirmed the arbitrator’s award by a judgment entered on December 21, 2007. On January 28, 2008 (the “Filing Date”), Hines filed a voluntary petition for bankruptcy under chapter 7 of title 11 of the United States Code.

It is also undisputed that Hines transferred property within the year before the Filing Date. These transfers can be divided into three categories. The first category involves transfers of property from David A. Hines, MD, PC (“Hines PC”) to David A. Hines, MD, LLC (“Hines LLC”). Hines PC was a professional corporation formed by Hines in 2000 in which Hines owned a 100% interest. Hines LLC is a limited liability company that Hines formed on October 20, 2007 — just weeks before the Georgia arbitration began. In November 2007, approximately two *163 months prior to the Filing Date, Hines transferred all of Hines PC’s assets consisting of office supplies, two vehicles, and at least $32,000 to Hines LLC. Hines owns a 25% interest in Hines LLC and Hines’ wife, Irma J. Hines, owns a 75% interest in Hines LLC. Hines PC received no consideration for the transfer of assets to Hines LLC. Hines PC was dissolved on January 24, 2008, only days before the Filing Date.

The second category involves transfers of property from Hines to Mrs. Hines within the year before the Filing Date. The Appellees identified over $68,000 in checks and bank deposits that were transferred from Hines to accounts owned solely by Mrs. Hines. Of the $68,000, over $48,000 in checks payable to Hines were deposited into a Regions bank account owned solely by Mrs. Hines and opened less than two months prior to the Georgia arbitration. The other $20,000 were transferred from an account owned jointly by Hines and Mrs. Hines to an account owned solely by Mrs. Hines. In addition to transferring these funds, Hines also closed his existing bank accounts. As of the date of the § 341 meeting of creditors, Hines did not have a single bank account in his name. (Doc. # 2-21, 60). Hines testified at that meeting that he consolidated his bank accounts because of the litigation with Appellees. (Id.).

The third category involves the transfer of two vehicles — a Ford Excursion and a Lincoln Navigator — to Hines LLC in January 2008 in the days leading up to the Filing Date. (Doc. #2-11; Doc #2-12). The parties present conflicting facts as to the ownership of the two vehicles prior to their transfer to Hines LLC. Hines claims that the vehicles were owned by Hines PC prior to their transfer. In support of this claim, Hines points to payments made by Hines PC to Ford Motor Credit and the fact that Hines PC listed the vehicles as assets of the corporation. Hines also claims that the initials “PC” were mistakenly left off the title resulting in the vehicles appearing to be titled to Hines individually instead of Hines PC.

In contrast, the Appellees claim that the vehicles were owned by Hines individually before their transfer to Hines LLC. The Appellees point to the fact that the certificates of title list Hines individually as the owner, that Hines listed himself and not Hines PC as the seller of the vehicles at the time they were transferred to Hines LLC, and that nearly $11,000 in payments on one of the vehicles came from accounts owned either jointly by Hines and Mrs. Hines or solely by Mrs. Hines. Regardless of their previous ownership, there is no indication in the record that Hines or Hines PC received any consideration from Hines LLC for the transferred vehicles.

B. Procedural History

On September 29, 2008, the Appellees commenced an adversary proceeding against Hines in the bankruptcy court by filing an eight-count complaint seeking to deny Hines’ discharge in bankruptcy, or alternatively, to determine the discharge-ability of the Appellees’ unsecured debt. (Doc. #2-2). The Appellees then moved for summary judgment on the first four counts of the complaint, (Doc. # 2-4), and on September 25, 2009, the bankruptcy court granted the Appellees’ motion for summary judgment with respect to Count I. The bankruptcy court held that Hines should be denied discharge because he violated 11 U.S.C. § 727(a)(2)(A) by transferring property within one year before his bankruptcy petition with the intent to hinder, delay, or defraud a creditor. (Doc. # 2-34). The bankruptcy court denied the Appellees’ motion for summary judgment with respect to the other three counts in the motion. (Id.). Hines’ current appeal *164 challenges the bankruptcy court’s grant of summary judgment as to Count I of the complaint.

Ill DISCUSSION

A. Standard of Review

This Court reviews the bankruptcy court’s entry of summary judgment de novo. See In re Optical Tech., Inc., 246 F.3d 1332, 1335 (11th Cir.2001) (“the district court ... review[s] a bankruptcy court’s entry of summary judgment de novo.”). In doing so, this Court must draw all reasonable inferences in the light most favorable to the non-moving party. Patton v. Triad Guar. Ins. Corp.,

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
436 B.R. 159, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 89648, 2010 WL 3430697, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hines-v-marchetti-almd-2010.