Huntington Center Partners, Ltd. v. Dupree (In Re Dupree)

197 B.R. 928, 1996 Bankr. LEXIS 827
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Alabama
DecidedJuly 11, 1996
Docket17-71831
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 197 B.R. 928 (Huntington Center Partners, Ltd. v. Dupree (In Re Dupree)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Huntington Center Partners, Ltd. v. Dupree (In Re Dupree), 197 B.R. 928, 1996 Bankr. LEXIS 827 (Ala. 1996).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

JACK CADDELL, Bankruptcy Judge.

This matter is before the Court on the complaint of Huntington Center Partners, Ltd. (hereinafter “Huntington”), requesting the Court to determine that certain debts owed by the debtor/defendant, Tina Darlene Dupree (hereinafter the “debtor”), are non-dischargeable pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(2), (6), and seeking a determination by this Court that the discharge of the debt- or is due to be denied pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 727(a)(2), (3), (4)(A), (5). Huntington further seeks the entry of a judgment against the debtor in the amount of $58,673.60. The hearing in this matter was held on the 10th day of May, 1996. This is a core proceeding under 28 U.S.C. § 157(a), (b)(2)(I)-(J), over which this Court has jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1334 and 157(b)(1). The Court has considered the complaint, the response, the documents submitted in support thereof, the arguments of counsel, and finds and concludes as follows. 1

I. FINDINGS OF FACT

On September 18, 1995, the debtor filed a voluntary petition for relief under Chapter 7 of Title 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code (the “Bankruptcy Code”). Prior to filing bankruptcy, the debtor was engaged in the video tape sales and rental business as the sole proprietor of a video rental store known as Berry’s Video # 2. 2 Huntington is engaged in the business of managing commercial real estate, and is debtor’s only unsecured creditor. 3

*932 On April 3, 1992, debtor executed a Lease Agreement with Firstco Service Corporation for the lease of certain property located at 11220 Memorial Parkway, Huntsville, Alabama, Suite I of Huntington Center to operate her video rental store. Huntington purchased the shopping center in August of 1993, and acquired the subject lease.

On June 2, 1995, Huntington’s management and leasing agent, InterSouth Properties, LLC (“InterSouth”), mailed a certified letter to the debtor in which InterSouth informed the debtor that she was two months delinquent on her rent and common area maintenance payments. InterSouth further explained that collection actions would be pursued if full payment was not received by June 10,1995.

On June 6, 1995, debtor closed the video store, masked the store windows with black plastic, and placed a sign in the window indicating that the store was “Closed for Inventory.” Approximately two days after the debtor closed the store for inventory, she sold the inventory of 10,000 video tapes to an entity known as Amps. The debtor received a cashiers’ check for $30,000.00 from the purchaser in consideration for the transfer. Rather than deposit the same in her business or personal accounts, the debtor cashed the check at AmSouth Bank taking $15,000.00 to $20,000.00 in cash and two (2) or three (3) $5,000.00 cashiers’ checks to her home. All disbursements of the $30,000.00 hereinafter described were made by her with said cashiers’ checks and cash. The debtor also removed shelves, VCR’s, and two computers from the premises; 4 provided her aceoun-tants with all documents related to the business; and abandoned the premises.

Although Huntington possessed a landlord’s lien upon the video tapes, the debtor did not notify Huntington nor InterSouth of the sale, and does not have any documentation evidencing the transaction. The debtor admitted that she was behind in her payments to Huntington at the time of the transfer, but testified that she failed to notify Huntington of the sale because she was unaware that the lease created a lien upon the property in favor of Huntington. (Deposition of Dupree, page 23).

The debtor did not obtain written consent from Huntington to close the store as required by the Lease Agreement, and, instead failed to notify Huntington regarding her decision to close. The debtor testified, however, during her deposition that the decision to close “wasn’t really planned. I didn’t really know I was going to close until that day. I just knew I couldn’t get out. I didn’t have any other options.” (Deposition of Du-pree, page 23).

Upon discovery of debtor’s abandonment of the premises, InterSouth, by certified letter dated June 13, 1995, accelerated the payments under the lease in accord with the terms of the lease. InterSouth also informed the debtor that the sum due under the accelerated lease was $58,673.60. 5

Debtor made no effort to pay the subject debt or even a portion thereof, but choose instead to bring current various obligations, including the repayment of a loan from a *933 Kenneth Berry in the amount of $1,000.00. 6 Huntington was the only creditor that debtor failed to pay.

In addition to satisfying obligations to various creditors, debtor loaned her sister, Donna Parsons, $1,500.00 from the $30,000.00 video tape proceeds, and spent $1,700.00 of the proceeds on a vacation to the Smokey Mountains in July of 1995. The debtor also apparently paid her attorney for filing the present petition with a portion of the $30,-000.00. (Deposition of Dupree, page 34).

The debtor purchased a 1980 El Camino automobile for her husband after the debtor filed for bankruptcy. Although the debtor could not remember the exact date of the purchase, she testified in her deposition that the purchase occurred after she filed her bankruptcy petition, and that she paid $3,750.00 in cash for the automobile. (Deposition of Dupree, page 35-6). Debtor further testified that she utilized at least a portion of the proceeds to pay various post-petition expenses such as rent and utilities. Yet, debt- or refused to specify the amount of money remaining from the $30,000.00 sale of inventory on the date she filed her bankruptcy petition. 7

The debtor maintains a joint cheeking and savings account with her husband at Colonial Bank, and a business checking account at AmSouth Bank. In Schedule B of debtor’s bankruptcy petition, debtor indicated that she had $15.00 in “cash on hand,” $650.00 in her joint checking account at Colonial, and $110.00 in her joint savings account at Colonial. Debtor failed to disclose the AmSouth checking account in Schedule B. When questioned regarding her failure to disclose the business account, the debtor stated as follows: “Well this is personal; that was business.” (Deposition of Dupree, page 46).

The debtor also failed to disclose the $30,-000.00 sale of inventory in her Statement of Financial Affairs. Question ten (10) in the Statement of Financial Affairs attached to debtor’s petition, contains the following instructions:

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Bluebook (online)
197 B.R. 928, 1996 Bankr. LEXIS 827, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/huntington-center-partners-ltd-v-dupree-in-re-dupree-alnb-1996.