Howell v. Fulford (In re Southern Home & Ranch Supply, Inc.)

515 B.R. 699
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Georgia
DecidedAugust 11, 2014
DocketBankruptcy No. 11-12755-WHD; Adversary No. 13-1043
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 515 B.R. 699 (Howell v. Fulford (In re Southern Home & Ranch Supply, Inc.)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Howell v. Fulford (In re Southern Home & Ranch Supply, Inc.), 515 B.R. 699 (Ga. 2014).

Opinion

ORDER

W. HOMER DRAKE, Bankruptcy Judge.

Before the Court is the Motion for Summary Judgment, filed by James R. Fulford (hereinafter “Fulford”) and SRH Holding Company, LLC (hereinafter “SRH” and, collectively with Fulford, the “Defendants”). The Motion arises in connection with a complaint (hereinafter the. “Complaint”) to avoid and recover an allegedly fraudulent transfer, filed by Griffin Howell, III (hereinafter the “Trustee”) in his capacity as the Chapter 7 trustee of the bankruptcy estate of Southern Home and Ranch Supply, Inc. (hereinafter the “Debt- or”). This matter constitutes a core proceeding, over which this Court has subject matter jurisdiction. See 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(H); § 1334.

Procedural History

On August 18, 2011 (hereinafter the “Petition Date”), the Debtor filed a voluntary petition under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code. Subsequently, the Trustee filed the Complaint against the Defendants, seeking to avoid the transfer of substantially all of the Debtor’s assets to or for the benefit of the Defendants and to recover such assets for the benefit of the Debt- or’s estate. On September 16, 2013, the Defendants filed a motion to dismiss the Complaint, which the Court denied on May 1, 2014. The Defendants subsequently filed the instant motion for summary judgment, which the Trustee opposes.

Findings op Fact

Prior to the Petition Date, the Debtor, formerly known as Builder’s Station, Inc.,1 operated several construction supply and hardware stores in North Georgia. Tr. of Rule 2004 Examination of Ray Fulford, April 25, 2013 (hereinafter “Fulford Examination”), at 52; Tr. of Rule 2004 Examination of John Patrick Malloy, Jr., May 8, 2013 (hereinafter “Malloy Examination”), at 15. On the Petition Date, Fulford, along with his brother, John D. Fulford, and John Patrick Malloy, Jr. (hereinafter “Mal-loy”), was a member of the Debtor’s board of directors. Malloy Examination, at 12-13. Fulford owned a 25% interest in the Debtor. Fulford Examination, at 12. Ful-ford is also the sole owner of defendant SRH, which was organized under the laws of the State of Georgia on June 9, 2010. Defs.’ Statement of Undisputed Facts (hereinafter “Defendants’ SUF”), ¶ 13; Trustee’s Resp. to Defendants’ SUF (hereinafter “Response to SUF”), ¶ 13.

The Debtor began experiencing financial distress in approximately 2007. Malloy Examination, at 18-19. The Debtor asked Fulford for money to “pay bills,” including payroll and supplies, and Fulford provided funds to the Debtor on three separate occasions: (1) $350,000 on or about March 25, 2008; (2) $500,000 on December 11, 2008; and (3) $500,000 on February 2, 2009. Fulford Examination, at 37-46, 77; Aff. of James R. Fulford (hereinafter “Ful-ford Affidavit”), ¶¶ 2-9; Malloy Examination, at 33-38, 58. The Debtor appears to have paid interest on these advances, but made no principal payments.2 Malloy Ex-[702]*702animation, at 35; Fulford Examination, at 39; Fulford Affidavit, ¶¶ 4-5.

In or about March 2009, the Debtor executed a promissory note with a one-year term, dated March 1, 2009 (hereinafter the “2009 Note”). Defendants’ SUF, ¶ 5, Response to SUF, ¶ 5 (not disputing the authenticity of the 2009 Note). The 2009 Note obligated the Debtor to pay Fulford $1,350,000 with interest of 6% per annum and required monthly interest payments. See Fulford Affidavit Ex. 6. Ful-ford intended the 2009 Note to replace or combine the earlier three advances made by Fulford to the Debtor. Fulford Examination, at 47; Malloy Examination, at 42.

The Debtor also executed a security agreement dated March 1, 2009 (hereinafter the “Security Agreement”). Defendants’ SUF, ¶ 5; Response to SUF, ¶ 5 (not disputing the authenticity of the Security Agreement). The Security Agreement granted Fulford a security interest in certain of the Debtor’s assets (the “Collateral”) to secure the repayment of the 2009 Note, subject to and subordinate to “a certain Security Agreement from Debt- or in favor of Branch Banking & Trust Company” (hereinafter “BB & T”). See Fulford Affidavit Ex. 7, at 6. The Collateral included “all furnishings, fixtures, machinery, equipment, appliances, vehicles, supplies and materials, books and records, chattels, inventory, accounts, accounts receivable, contracts, contract rights, consumer goods, general intangibles, and personal property of every kind and nature whatsoever [then] or [thereafter] owned by Debtor” and any proceeds thereof. See id. at ¶ 2. Fulford recorded a UCC Financing Statement regarding the Collateral in the official records of the Clerk of the Superi- or Court of Carroll County, Georgia on August 12, 2009. Fulford Affidavit, ¶ 12 & Ex. 8.

When the 2009 Note matured in March 2010, the Debtor did not pay Fulford the amounts owed thereunder. Defendants’ SUF, ¶ 12; Response to SUF, ¶ 12. On June 30, 2010, Fulford assigned his interest in the 2009 Note and the Security Agreement to SRH. Defendants’ SUF, ¶ 14, Response to SUF, ¶ 14. Also on June 30, 2010, the Debtor executed an Agreement for Voluntary Surrender of Collateral and Consent to Proposal to Accept Collateral in Full Satisfaction of Obligation (hereinafter the “CSA”). Defendant’s SUF, ¶ 15; Response to SUF, ¶ 15. Pursuant to the CSA, which was approved by all of the Debtors’ shareholders, the Debtor surrendered the Collateral to SRH (hereinafter the “Transfer”). Defendants’ SUF, ¶¶ 15-16; Response to SUF, ¶¶ 15-16. The Collateral included substantially all of the Debtor’s assets, including inventory and any lease required to operate the [703]*703Debtor’s stores. Fulford Examination, at 61-63.

At the time of the Transfer, Fulford asserted that the Debtor owed the principal amount of $1,850,000 plus some amount of accrued and unpaid interest. Fulford Affidavit, ¶ 20; Trustee’s Complaint, ¶ 10. Fulford intended the Transfer to be in “full satisfaction of the obligation evidenced by” the 2009 Note. Fulford Affidavit, Ex. 16; Fulford Examination, at 36. Prior to the Transfer, Fulford also paid $1,281,347.38 to BB & T with the intent of paying off a debt owed by the Debtor to BB & T, thus obtaining a first position lien on the Collateral. Fulford Examination, at 66; Fulford Affidavit, ¶ 21; Defendants’ SUF, ¶ 18; Response to Defendants’ SUF, ¶ 18 (not disputing the fact that Fulford paid some amount of money to BB & T related to the debt owed by the Debtor to BB & T). After the Transfer, SRH owned the Collateral. Defendants’ SUF, ¶ 19; Response to SUF, ¶ 19.

Conclusions of Law

The Trustee seeks to avoid the Transfer as either an actual or constructively fraudulent transfer, pursuant to sections 544 and 548 of the United States Bankruptcy Code (hereinafter the “Code”). Upon avoidance, the Trustee seeks to recover the assets transferred for the benefit of the Debtor’s bankruptcy estate under section 550(a) of the Code. The Defendants assert that the Trustee lacks evidence to establish at least one of the required elements under sections 544 and 548 of the Code. Thus, the Defendants seek summary judgment as to all claims.

A. Summary Judgment Standard

Summary judgment is proper where “there is no genuine issue as to any material fact” and “the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.” Fed. R.Crv.P. 56(c); see also Hairston v. Gainesville Sun Publ’shg Co.,

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