Hunter v. Sylvester Material Co. (In re Turkeyfoot Concrete Inc.)

198 B.R. 506, 44 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 1019, 1996 Bankr. LEXIS 837
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Ohio
DecidedApril 3, 1996
DocketBankruptcy No. 94-3175; Related No. 94-31399
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 198 B.R. 506 (Hunter v. Sylvester Material Co. (In re Turkeyfoot Concrete Inc.)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hunter v. Sylvester Material Co. (In re Turkeyfoot Concrete Inc.), 198 B.R. 506, 44 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 1019, 1996 Bankr. LEXIS 837 (Ohio 1996).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND DECISION

RICHARD L. SPEER, Bankruptcy Judge.

This cause comes before the Court upon Plaintiffs Motion for Summary Judgment, Defendant’s Memorandum in Opposition, and the Plaintiffs Response. This Court has reviewed the arguments of counsel, exhibits, as well as the entire record of the case. Based upon that review, and for the following reasons, the Court finds that the Plaintiffs Motion for Summary Judgment should be denied.

FACTS

An involuntary bankruptcy petition was filed against Turkeyfoot Concrete, Inc., (hereafter the “Debtor”) on June 10, 1994. On August 23, 1994, the Debtor was adjudged bankrupt. Plaintiff is the Trustee in this Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. In his Complaint and Motion for Summary Judgment, the Plaintiff claims that the Defendant, Sylvester Material Company, owes the bankruptcy estate the sum of Thirty Thousand Dollars ($30,000) as the result of a preferential transfer. Defendant admits receiving a payment in this amount in June of 1993, as the result of a judgment awarded to Defendant against the Debtor and Arthur D. Williams, the owner and principal officer of the corporation. However, Defendant argues that the payment was not preferential because Debtor was not insolvent at that time. The Plaintiff insists that the Debtor was indeed insolvent at that time.

In his Motion, the Plaintiff points to three exhibits to show that the Debtor was insolvent at the time of the transfer. These [508]*508exhibits are not certified, and are only accompanied with an unnotarized affidavit of the Plaintiff stating that they are, “true and accurate to the best of my belief and knowledge.” ' The first such exhibit purports to be a copy of a letter from a Certified Public Accounting firm, with accompanying financial statements of the Debtor for the year ended September 30, 1991. The next exhibit purports to be an income tax return for the Debtor for the year ending April 30, 1991. Plaintiff’s third exhibit purports to be an income tax return for the Debtor for the year ending April 30,1992.

Plaintiff claims that these exhibits show that Debtor’s financial situation was in sufficiently poor condition that' Debtor’s insolvency at the time of the transfer can be inferred. Defendant argues that the exhibits are not authenticated properly, that Debtor was not in fact insolvent, and that a number of events after the date of the transfer are what led to the Debtor’s insolvency.

LAW

The Bankruptcy Code provides in pertinent part:

11 U.S.C. § 101. Definitions
In this title—
(32) “insolvent” means—
(A)with reference to an entity other than a partnership and a municipality, financial condition such that the sum of such entity’s debts is greater than all of such entity’s property, at a fair valuation, exclusive of—
(i) property transferred, concealed, or removed with intent to hinder, delay, or defraud such entity’s creditors; and
(ii) property that may be exempted from property of the estate under section 522 of this title[.]
11 U.S.C. § 547. Preferences (b) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, the trustee may avoid any transfer of an interest of the debtor in property—
(1) to or for the benefit of a creditor;
(2) for or on account of an antecedent debt owed by the debtor before such transfer was made;
(3) made while the debtor was insolvent;
(4) made—
(A) on or within 90 days before the date of the filing of the petition; or
(B) between ninety days and one year before the date of the filing of the petition, if such creditor at the time of such transfer was an insider; and
(5) that enables such creditor to receive more than such creditor would receive if—
(A) the case were a case under chapter 7 of this title;
(B) the transfer had not been made and
(C) such creditor received payment of such debt to the extent provided by the provisions of this title
(f) For purposes of this section, the debtor is presumed to have been insolvent on and during the 90 days immediately preceding the date of the filing of the petition.

The Bankruptcy Rules provide in pertinent part:

Rule 7056. Summary Judgment
Rule 56 F.R.Civ.P. applies in adversary proceedings.

The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure provide in pertinent part:

Rule 56. Summary Judgment
(c) The judgment sought shall be rendered forthwith if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions of file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.

The Federal Rules of Evidence provide in pertinent part:

Rule 803. Hearsay Exceptions; Availability of Declarant Immaterial
The following are not excluded by the hearsay rule, even though the declarant is available as a witness:
(6)Records of regularly conducted activity.
A memorandum, report record, or data compilation, in any form, of acts, events, [509]*509conditions, opinions, or diagnoses, made at or near the time by, or from information transmitted by, a person with knowledge, if kept in the course of a regularly conducted business activity, and if it was the regular practice of that business activity to make the memorandum, report, record, or data compilation, all as shown by the testimony of the custodian or other qualified witness, unless the source of information or the method or circumstances of preparation indicate lack of trustworthiness. The term “business” as used in this paragraph includes business, institution, association, profession, occupation, and calling of every kind, whether or not conducted for profit.

DISCUSSION

Proceedings to determine, avoid, or recover preferences are core proceedings pursuant to 28 U.S.C. Section 157. Thus, this ease is a core proceeding.

A movant will prevail on a motion for summary judgment if, “the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.” Celotex Corp. v. Catrett,

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
198 B.R. 506, 44 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 1019, 1996 Bankr. LEXIS 837, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hunter-v-sylvester-material-co-in-re-turkeyfoot-concrete-inc-ohnb-1996.