Husky International Electronics, Inc. v. Ritz (In re Ritz)

567 B.R. 715
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Texas
DecidedApril 19, 2017
DocketCase No. 09-39895; Adversary No. 10-03156
StatusPublished
Cited by24 cases

This text of 567 B.R. 715 (Husky International Electronics, Inc. v. Ritz (In re Ritz)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Husky International Electronics, Inc. v. Ritz (In re Ritz), 567 B.R. 715 (Tex. 2017).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM. OPINION ON PLAINTIFF’S ORIGINAL COMPLAINT TO DENY DISCHARGEABILITY OF DEBT PURSUANT TO 11 U.S.C. § 523

[Adv. Doc. No. 1]

Jeff Bohm, United States Bankruptcy Judge

I. Introduction

Prosecution of complaints to determine dischargeability under 11 U.S.C. [720]*720§ 523(a)(2)(A)1 are quite common in the bankruptcy system. However, prosecution of the complaint to determine discharge-ability in the case at bar has been quite uncommon. In 2011, this Court, after holding a trial, issued a memorandum opinion explaining why it denied the plaintiffs request for a judgment of non-dischargeability. In re Ritz, 459 B.R. 623 (Bankr. S.D.Tex. 2011), rev’d and remanded sub nom. Matter of Ritz, 832 F.3d 560 (5th Cir. 2016). The plaintiff appealed, and in 2014, the District Court issued a memorandum opinion explaining its affirmance of this Court’s ruling. In re Ritz, 513 B.R. 510 (S.D. Tex. 2014), rev’d and remanded sub nom. Matter of Ritz, 832 F.3d 560 (5th Cir. 2016). The plaintiff then appealed to the Fifth Circuit, and in 2015, that Court issued a memorandum opinion explaining its affirmance of the District Court’s ruling. In re Ritz, 787 F.3d 312 (5th Cir. 2015), rev’d and remanded sub nom, Husky Int’l. Elecs., Inc. v. Ritz, — U.S. —, 136 S.Ct. 1581, 194 L.Ed.2d 655 (2016). Undeterred, the plaintiff sought relief from the Supreme Court, and in 2016, the highest court in the land issued an opinion that reversed the Fifth Circuit’s ruling and remanded the matter for further proceedings consistent with its decision. Husky Int’l. Elecs., Inc. v. Ritz, — U.S. —, 136 S.Ct. 1581, 194 L.Ed.2d 655 (2016). On remand, the Fifth Circuit issued another memorandum opinion and, in doing so, remanded the matter to this Court for further findings of fact and conclusions, of law. Matter of Ritz, 832 F.3d 560 (5th Cir. 2016). This Court now issues this Memorandum Opinion — the sixth one overall for this dispute — explaining why it has now decided to grant the plaintiffs request for a judgment of non-dischargeability.

II. Factual Background and Procedural History op this Adversary Proceeding

Husky International Electronics, Inc. (“Husky”) is a supplier of components used in electronic devices. Between 2003 and 2007, Husky sold its products to Chrysalis Manufacturing Corp. (“Chrysalis”), and Chrysalis accumulated a debt to Husky totaling $163,999,38. [Pi’s Ex. No. 3, p. 25 of 252]. During this 4-year period, Daniel Lee Ritz, Jr. (the “Debtor”) served as a director of Chrysalis and owned at least 30% of the company’s stock. [Feb. 2, 2011 Tr. 68:13-69:2, 78:17-22].

Between 2006 and 2007, the Debtor orchestrated transfers of cash out of Chrysalis’s accounts into the accounts of several other entities in which the Debtor had an interest. [Pi’s Ex. No. 5]. Meanwhile, Chrysalis did not pay the debt of $163,999.38 it owed to Husky (the “$163,999.38 Debt”). Indeed, Chrysalis filed a Chapter 7 petition in 2008. [Case No. 08-33793, Doc. No. 1]; [Defs Ex. No. 563].

[721]*721Following Chrysalis’s lead, the Debtor filed his own Chapter 7- petition in this Court in 2009. [Main Case No. 09-39895, Doc. No. 1]. Husky thereafter timely filed a complaint to determine dischargeability against the Debtor, seeking a judgment that the $163,999.38 Debt is a personal obligation of the Debtor that is non-dis-chargeable under § 523(a)(2)(A) (the “Adversary Proceeding”).4 [Adv. Doc. No. 1]. Husky based its § 523(a)(2)(A) claim on § 21.223(b) of the Texas Business Organization Code5 (the “TBOC”). [Id. at p. 6, ¶ 13]. This section allows a creditor of a corporation to pierce the corporate veil and impose liability on an officer, director, or shareholder of the company if the creditor can prove that the individual “caused the corporation to be used for the purpose of perpetrating and did perpetrate an actual fraud on the obligee primarily for the direct personal benefit of the holder, beneficial owner, subscriber, or affiliate.” Tex. Bus. Org. Code Ann. § 21.223(b) (West-lawNext 2015). This Court held a trial and-, on August 4, 2011, issued a memorandum opinion explaining why Husky could not prevail under its § 523(a)(2)(A) claim. See Ritz, 459 B.R. 623.

Specifically, this Court explained that the “actual fraud” element of § 21.223(b) requires that the defendant make a representation to the plaintiff; and since the Debtor made' no representation to Husky, no actual fraud could'be proven — which in turn meant that Chrysalis’s corporate veil could not be pierced to allow Husky to impose personal liability on the Debtor for the $163,999.38 Debt. Id. at 633, Additionally, this Court held that the test for proving “actual fraud” under § 21.223 was the same for proving “actual fraud” under § 523(a)(2)(A): namely, proof of a representation by the defendant to the plaintiff; and since the Debtor made no representation to Husky, there was no way that this Court could hold that the $163,999.38 Debt was a non-dischargeable personal obligation of the Debtor. Id.

Husky appealed to the District Court. [Adv. Doc. No. 97]. On July 14, 2014, the District Court issued a memorandum opinion affirming this Court’s ruling. Ritz, 513 B.R. 510. However, in doing so, the District Court disagreed with this Court’s view that the “actual-fraud” element of § 21.223 requires a misrepresentation by the Debtor to Husky. Id. at 537. Citing a Fifth Circuit opinion on § 21.223 issued two years after this Court’s original 2011 opinion — Spring Street Partners-IV L.P. v. Lam, 730 F.3d 427 (5th Cir. 2013) — the District Court held that the “actual fraud” element of § 21.223 does not require any representation.6 Ritz, 513 B.R. at 537. Rather, the District Court held that actual fraud under § 21.223 can be established by proving that the defendant (here, the Debtor) committed “actual fraud” under Texas Business and Commerce Code § 24.005.7 Id. at 537-38. In the context of [722]*722this suit, the District Court held that the transfers of funds effectuated by the Debt- or out of Chrysalis’s account could constitute “actual fraud” if Husky could prove the existence of a sufficient number of so-called “badges of fraud.” Id. at 538. The District Court then held that this Court, in its memorandum opinion, had found the existence of four badges of fraud. Id. Based on the presence of these badges of fraud, the District Court held that the Debtor had committed actual fraud under TUFTA and therefore had established the “actual fraud” component required by § 21.223. Id.

Despite this holding, the District Court affirmed this Court’s ruling that Husky could not prevail because the District Court agreed with this Court that “actual fraud” under § 523(a)(2)(A) — unlike “actual fraud” under § 21.223 — does require a misrepresentation from the defendant (here, the Debtor) to the plaintiff (here, Husky); and the District Court emphasized that the Debtor never made any representation to Husky. Id.

Husky appealed to the Fifth Circuit. [Adv. Doc. No. 115], On May 22, 2015, the Fifth Circuit issued a memorandum opinion affirming the District Court’s ruling. Ritz, 787 F.3d 312.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
567 B.R. 715, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/husky-international-electronics-inc-v-ritz-in-re-ritz-txsb-2017.