Hopper v. Lewis (In re Lewis)

551 B.R. 41, 2016 Bankr. LEXIS 1845
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. California
DecidedApril 25, 2016
DocketCase No. 14-21946-B-7; Adversary No. 14-2126
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 551 B.R. 41 (Hopper v. Lewis (In re Lewis)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hopper v. Lewis (In re Lewis), 551 B.R. 41, 2016 Bankr. LEXIS 1845 (Cal. 2016).

Opinion

DECISION AFTER TRIAL

Christopher D. Jaime, UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY JUDGE

Introduction

This is an adversary proceeding (1) to have a debt excepted from discharge under 11 U.S.C. § 523 and (2) objecting to discharge under 11 U.S.C. § 727. The plaintiffs are the chapter 7 trustee appointed in In re Jack Burns, Case No. 10-22742, and Sally Wong.1 The defendant is Desiree Rebecca Lewis. Lewis is a debtor in the underlying chapter 7 case filed and pending in this court as In re Desiree Rebecca Lewis, Case No. 14-21946. The Petition, Schedules, and Statement of Financial Affairs were filed in Lewis’ chapter 7 case on February 27, 2014.

The complaint in this adversary proceeding was filed .on May 9, 2014. It alleges five “Counts” as claims for relief: a claim under § 523(a)(2)(A) in Count I; a claim under § 523(a)(4) in Count II; a claim under § 523(a)(6) in Count III; a claim under § 727(a)(3) in Count IY; and a claim under § 727(a)(4)(A) in Count V. The summons was reissued on July 18, 2014, and, together with a copy of the complaint, was served on July 23, 2014. Lewis answered the complaint on August 15, 2014.

A trial in this matter was held on April 11, 2016. Ronald Roundy, Esq., appeared for the Burns trustee and Wong. Brian Turner, Esq., appeared for Lewis. The court made several pretrial rulings on the record in open court which are incorporated herein by this reference. The court also takes judicial notice of the docket in this adversary proceeding-and in the underlying chapter 7 case.

The court has heard and considered the testimony of witnesses and has also considered the documents admitted into evidence. The court now enters its findings of fact and conclusions of law pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 52(a) made applicable in this adversary proceed[46]*46ing by Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 7052.

Jurisdiction and Venue

Federal subject-matter jurisdiction is founded on 28 U.S.C. § 1384. This matter is a core proceeding that a bankruptcy judge may hear and determine. See 28 U.S.C. §§ 157(b)(2)(A), (I), (J), and (0). To the extent it may ever be determined to be a matter that a bankruptcy judge may not hear and determine without consent, the parties nevertheless consent to such determination by a bankruptcy judge. See 28 U.S.C. § 157(c)(2). Venue is proper under 28 U.S.C. § 1409.

Findings of Fact

Lewis worked for Brown at the King of Curls in Sacramento, California, in the months preceding and into March of 2006. Lewis discussed her financial problems with other employees and with Brown during that time. Specifically, Lewis made it known that the mortgage on her residence at 4822 Mission Beach Court, Elk Grove, California, was in default and that the property was in foreclosure.

Lewis asked Brown for a loan to avoid foreclosure on the Mission Property. Lewis told Brown that she could repay the loan by refinancing another property she owned located at 3229 Babson Drive, Elk Grove, California. Lewis did not tell Brown that the Babson Property was previously refinanced numerous times. Lewis and Brown also discussed other ways that Lewis could make money to repay the loan such as by operating a daycare or laundry business out of one of her properties, or by selling the Mission Property. In any event, Brown was fully aware of Lewis’ financial condition, he was aware that the Mission Property was in foreclosure, and he endeavored to help Lewis nonetheless.

Brown discussed extending a loan to Lewis with his wife, Wong, and they agreed to loan Lewis over $18,000 to help Lewis avoid foreclosure on the Mission Property. Lewis provided Brown with her bank information and Brown gave that information to Wong. During her lunch break on March 30, 2006, and at Brown’s direction, Wong made a series of Western Union wire transfers to Lewis’ bank. The funds for those transfers came from Wong’s separate property account. Those funds were used to bring Lewis’ mortgage current which allowed Lewis to avoid foreclosure on the Mission Property.

Wong had not met or talked with Lewis before she wired funds to Lewis’ bank. Wong did not speak with Lewis until after the wire transfers were made. Wong spoke with Lewis afterwards because of transposed numbers on the account to which the funds were wired and to obtain the correct account information for Lewis’ account.

Before she transferred funds from her separate property account to Lewis’ bank, Wong did not inquire about Lewis’ financial condition. Wong relied entirely on Brown’s statements that one of his newer employees needed a loan to save her house from foreclosure. Wong also testified that she knew that real property values were depressed in 2006.

Five days after Wong transferred funds to Lewis’ bank, on April 4, 2006, Brown met with Lewis and asked her to prepare a written agreement regarding the loan made on March 30, 2006, and repayment of that loan. Lewis provided Brown with a hand-written document, which she refused to sign. The document confirmed the loan, included Lewis’ statement that she had a purchase agreement on the Mission Property, and also included Lewis’ statement that she would repay the loan with proceeds from the sale of the Mission Property.

[47]*47Several months later, on or about August 21, 2006, Brown and Wong sued Lewis in Sacramento County Superior Court. The complaint filed in that state court action alleged breach of contract and fraud claims. Three days later, on August 24, 2006, a deed of trust securing a $36,000 promissory note executed by Lewis was recorded against the Babson Property. Those funds were not used to repay the loan.

The state court case was tried on April 20, 2007. On April 24, 2007, Lewis recorded a homestead declaration on the Babson Property. Fourteen days later, on May 8, 2007, the state court entered judgment in favor of Brown and Wong and against Lewis in the amount of $18,715.79. The extent of the state court judgment is as follows:

Evidence was presented by plaintiffs that funds in the amount of $18,715.79 were paid by them to defendant’s lender to stop the foreclosure on her home. Defendant contended that said funds were a gift. After considering the evidence, the court finds that said funds were not a gift to defendant.

The state court judgment was recorded with the Sacramento County Recorder on May 21, 2007. Shortly thereafter, Brown and Wong attempted to enforce the judgment by garnishing Lewis’ wages. They were unsuccessful because they did not have Lewis’ social security number.

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

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
551 B.R. 41, 2016 Bankr. LEXIS 1845, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hopper-v-lewis-in-re-lewis-caeb-2016.