Humphries v. Rogers (In re Humphries)

516 B.R. 856
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Mississippi
DecidedAugust 29, 2014
DocketBankruptcy No. 10-11006-JDW; Adversary No. 13-01008-JDW
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 516 B.R. 856 (Humphries v. Rogers (In re Humphries)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Mississippi primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Humphries v. Rogers (In re Humphries), 516 B.R. 856 (Miss. 2014).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

JASON D. WOODARD, Bankruptcy Judge.

This adversary proceeding is before the Court on the Complaint to Determine Dis-chargeability (the “Complaint”) (Dkt. # 1) filed by debtor-plaintiff Kenneth Don Humphries (the “Plaintiff’) against defen[861]*861dant-counterclaimant Robyn Rogers (the “Defendant”). This Court has jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 151, 157(a) and 1384(b), and the United States District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi’s Order of Reference of Bankruptcy Cases and Proceedings Nunc Pro Tunc Dated August 6, 1984. This is a core proceeding as set forth in 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(I) and (J).

The Plaintiff and Defendant are divorced. On February 28, 2010, the Plaintiff filed for chapter 13 protection in this Court. On July 19, 2010, the Defendant filed a Proof of Claim in the Plaintiffs bankruptcy case for $212,906.91 (Claim 5-1).

The Plaintiff filed the Complaint on February 4, 2013, seeking a declaration that the debts owed to the Defendant are dis-chargeable in the Plaintiffs bankruptcy case. The Defendant’s claim arose, initially, from the parties’ Judgment of Divorce (the “Divorce Decree”), entered in October, 2003, by the Chancery Court of Al-corn County, Mississippi (the “Chancery Court”). The Plaintiff alleges in the Complaint that the debts are in the nature of property division — not domestic support— and are therefore dischargeable in a chapter 13 case. In her Amended Answer to the Complaint (the “Answer”) (Dkt. # 19), the Defendant denies that the debts were in the nature of property division, but instead were intended as support, and are therefore nondischargeable pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 523.1 Further, the Defendant counterclaimed that certain other judgments related to the divorce, entered against the Plaintiff by the Chancery Court, are nondischargeable as domestic support obligations. The Defendant also asserted in her Answer that even if the debts are not domestic support obligations, those debts should be held to be nondis-chargeable as the debts are the result of Plaintiffs fraud and/or deceit.

A trial on the adversary proceeding was held on May 20, 2014, at which time the Plaintiff, counsel for the Plaintiff, Miranda Linton Williford, the Defendant, and counsel for the Defendant, Dalton Middleton, all appeared.

During opening statements, Defendant’s counsel made specifically clear that (with regard to her counterclaims) Defendant would be traveling under §§ 523(a)(4)2 and (a)(15) exclusively. The Court expressly inquired whether the Defendant was asserting a claim under § 523(a)(5). Defendant’s counsel unequivocally stated that no claim was being asserted under § 523(a)(5). As such, the Court must only decide whether the Defendant’s claim is nondischargeable pursuant to §§ 523(a)(4) and/or (a)(15).

The Court has considered the pleadings, the testimony offered and evidence admitted, the arguments of counsel and applicable law, and finds and concludes that the Defendant’s claim is dischargeable in part, and nondischargeable in part, as set forth below.

I. FINDINGS OF FACT3

The Plaintiff and the Defendant were married on October 22, 1999, but separat[862]*862ed on May 13, 2002. The Divorce Decree was entered on October 6, 2003 by the Chancery Court. The parties had no children together. At the time the parties were married, Defendant was employed, owned her own home, and owned rental property. She also has a college degree and owned stocks worth approximately $150,000.00.

A. The Divorce Decree

In the Divorce Decree, the Chancery Court ordered that the parties divide and/or return to one another numerous items of real and personal property. The only property division or portion of the Divorce Decree at issue here concerns the businesses co-owned by the parties.

The Chancery Court found that (i) H & H Wholesale, Inc., (“H & H”) (ii) LeBlanc, Nichols and Page, Inc., (“LNP”) (iii) Budget Phone, (iv) Guntown Cash Advance (“Guntown”), and (v) Chadco, were all marital assets. The Chancery Court specifically found that the Plaintiff had drawn money out of the businesses since the parties’ separation. In order to compensate the Defendant for the Plaintiffs withdrawals of money, the Chancery Court awarded her the exclusive use, possession and ownership of Guntown. Toward that end, the Plaintiff was ordered to turn over to the Defendant all information, documents, assets and account information related to Guntown. As to the other four businesses, the parties were each awarded a 50% ownership share in each business. By the time the Divorce Decree was entered, H & H was the only business still operating.

A transcript of the Chancery Court’s bench opinion (the “Divorce Transcript”)(Ex. D-2), incorporated into the Divorce Decree by reference, comprehensively details the Chancery Court’s well-reasoned and thorough allocation of property. . Based on a reading of the Divorce Transcript, this Court finds that it was not the intention of the Chancery Court to create any form of support or alimony. Rather, the Divorce Transcript is clear that the Defendant did not seek any form of alimony payments, and as such, the Chancery Court did not consider alimony in its decision regarding division of property. (Ex. D-2, pg. 13). Given the parties’ respective ages at the time of the marriage, relative financial positions entering the marriage, the brevity of the marriage, and the fact that the couple shared no children, it is unlikely that the Defendant would have been eligible to receive support payments from the Plaintiff in any regard. Instead, the division of property was in the nature of a property settlement.

B. Motions for Contempt

On September 15, 2008, the Defendant filed an Amended Complaint for Contempt in the Chancery Court (the “Contempt Complaint”)(Ex. D-1). A copy of the January 22, 2010, Chancery Court Judgment resolving the Contempt Complaint was admitted into evidence at trial (the “Contempt Judgment”)(Ex. D-l). The Defendant filed the Contempt Complaint due to Plaintiffs failure to comply with the Divorce Decree, including the failure to assist in the audits of the companies jointly owned by the parties, failure to pay two (2) outstanding notes as provided for in the Divorce Decree, and failure to provide the Defendant with certain information and documents pertaining to the jointly-owned businesses. The Chancery Court ultimately found that the Defendant was entitled to a judgment of $212,906.91, plus interest at the rate of eight-percent (8%) per annum from the date of entry of the Contempt Judgment (January 22, 2010). The Contempt Judgment award was calculated based on findings further discussed below.

In the Divorce Decree, the Plaintiff was directed to pay two outstanding notes, to[863]*863taling $77,194.40, secured by a building owned by LNP (the “Notes”).

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

Related

DiBassie v. Reeves
Fifth Circuit, 2026
DiBassie
S.D. Texas, 2025
Michelena v. Michelena
S.D. Texas, 2022
Lou v. Ochello
S.D. Mississippi, 2022
Charles Dallas Hunsucker
N.D. Mississippi, 2021
Joshua J Cochran
N.D. Iowa, 2020
Potts v. Potts
N.D. Mississippi, 2020
Chad Potts
N.D. Mississippi, 2020
Dumitrache v. New (In re New)
589 B.R. 288 (N.D. Mississippi, 2018)
Mid-S. Maint., Inc. v. Burk (In re Burk)
583 B.R. 655 (N.D. Mississippi, 2018)
Larson v. Bayer (In re Bayer)
521 B.R. 491 (E.D. Pennsylvania, 2014)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
516 B.R. 856, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/humphries-v-rogers-in-re-humphries-msnb-2014.