In Re Alderson

114 B.R. 672, 17 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 832, 1990 Bankr. LEXIS 947, 1990 WL 59404
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. South Dakota
DecidedApril 27, 1990
Docket19-40055
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 114 B.R. 672 (In Re Alderson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. South Dakota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re Alderson, 114 B.R. 672, 17 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 832, 1990 Bankr. LEXIS 947, 1990 WL 59404 (S.D. 1990).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM DECISION

IRVIN N. HOYT, Chief Judge.

The Court has before it: (1) Attorney Rodney C. Lefholz’s application for compensation and reimbursement of expenses and the objections thereto, (2) Attorney Lefholz’s motion to reconsider the Court’s order of November 22, 1989, assessing terms against Attorney Lefholz, (3) creditor Eunice I. Gull’s motion for terms against Attorney Lefholz and the debtor, L.D. Alderson, and (4) creditors Roger and Cindy Armstrong’s motion for terms against Attorney Lefholz and the debtor.

L.D. Alderson filed a petition under Chapter 12 of the United States Bankruptcy Code on May 8, 1989. The first meeting of creditors was held on July 6, 1989. On August 3, 1989, Alderson filed his Chapter 12 plan of reorganization. Creditors of L.D. Alderson, especially Eunice Gull, Roger Armstrong and Cindy Armstrong, submitted numerous motions. Motions included were to dismiss or convert, remove the debtor in possession, relief from the automatic stay, enjoin the use of cash collateral, and objections to confirmation of Ald-erson’s plan. Adversary proceedings to determine the dischargeability of debts were initiated by Mrs. Gull, Roger and Cindy Armstrong and Norwest Bank. Hearings had to be continued on several matters due *675 to the debtor’s failure to furnish necessary records and information. In the interim, the debtor’s income was frozen and ordered to be paid directly to the Trustee.

On October 3, 1989, the Court held a lengthy hearing on the above-mentioned motions. Witnesses included the debtor, Fall River County Sheriff Leo Bray, Mike Cross of the United States Forest Service, and Perle O’Daniel and Mike Assman, farmer/ranchers. After hearing the evidence, the Court converted Alderson’s bankruptcy to Chapter 7 because of the fraud that permeated his Chapter 12.

After conversion, Mrs. Gull and Roger and Cindy Armstrong filed motions for: relief from the stay, to enjoin the use of cash collateral, for terms and contempt, turnover of property, determination of ex-ecutory contracts, and objections to claimed exemptions. An expedited hearing on these motions was set for October 20, 1989, in Pierre. At the beginning of the October hearing, Attorney Lefholz made an oral motion to withdraw as debtor’s counsel because of conflicts between Attorney Lef-holz and the debtor. A hearing on Attorney Lefholz’s motion to withdraw was set for November 8, 1989.

The timing of Attorney Lefholz’s motion to withdraw stymied the proceedings on the other motions. The Court was forced to continue the majority of - the motions set for hearing and generally ruled so as to preserve the estate and maintain the status quo of the case. The Court granted terms against Attorney Lefholz for Attorney Andrew Reid’s time and expenses in traveling to Pierre for the expedited hearings.

On December 12, Attorney Lefholz filed a motion to reconsider the Court's assessment of terms against him and also submitted an application for final compensation and reimbursement of expenses. Mrs. Gull and Roger and Cindy Armstrong objected to Attorney Lefholz’s motion to reconsider. Objections to Attorney Lefholz’s fee application were received from Mrs. Gull, Roger and Cindy Armstrong, Nor-west Bank, and the United States Trustee. The initial hearing on the fee application was held on January 9, 1990. The Court determined that the application was deficient and continued the hearing to afford Attorney Lefholz an opportunity to amend his fee application. Attorney Lefholz submitted an amended fee application on January 24, 1990. Mrs. Gull again objected to the application.

On February 5, 1990, a final hearing was held concerning the four motions currently pending before the Court. The Court took the matters under advisement.

The basis of Attorney Lefholz’s motion to reconsider is that Attorney Reid’s motion for terms and contempt created the conflict of interest that caused Attorney Lefholz to withdraw. Further, Attorney Lefholz argues that the expedited hearings set for October 20 were unnecessary as evidenced by later continuances, and that the expense of the expedited hearings in Pierre could have been minimized had the matters been handled by teleconference.

Attorney Reid responded that Attorney Lefholz’s motion was baseless and untimely. The Court did not learn of Attorney Lefholz’s intent to withdraw as counsel until the October 20 hearing in Pierre. It did not appear that Attorney Reid knew of Attorney Lefholz’s decision to withdraw as Attorney Reid was ready to proceed with the scheduled hearings.

While Attorney Lefholz is correct that the hearings scheduled for October 20 were continued to November 8 and again to December 11, it was not because of the Court’s or Attorney Reid’s inability to proceed. The first continuance was necessitated by Attorney Lefholz’s motion to withdraw, and the second continuance was due to Mr. Alderson’s inability to secure substitute bankruptcy counsel. The Court also is not persuaded by Attorney Lefholz’s contention that expenses could have been minimized had the hearings set for Pierre been handled by teleconference. Hearings of this nature are not routine or uncontrovert-ed, and they are not compatible with a teleconference disposition.

It appears to the Court that Attorney Lefholz’s decision to withdraw could and should have been made known before *676 Attorney Reid departed for Pierre. Attorney Lefholz’s motion to reconsider the terms against him to compensate Attorney Reid for the time and expenses he incurred in coming to Pierre for the expedited hearing will be denied.

The Court will next examine the motions for terms filed by Mrs. Gull and Roger and Cindy Armstrong against Attorney Lefholz and the debtor. These motions ask that Attorney Lefholz and the debtor be required to pay Attorney Reid’s costs and expenses. The bases of the motions against the debtor are his fraudulent activity throughout the pendency of this case, his failure to prepare for the Section 341 meeting and the 2004 examination, his failure to comply with discovery requests, and his abuse of the bankruptcy process by the perpetuation of his wrongful possession of the movants’ property. Requests for terms against Attorney Lefholz and the debtor are based upon their awareness of the fraudulent nature of the debtor’s statements and schedules, their failure to amend the same, and their misrepresentation to Attorney Reid concerning the availability of the debtor’s financial records.

The motions for terms are made pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1927, and Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 11, 26(g), 37 and 56(g). These Rules comport with Bankruptcy Rules 9011, 7026, 7037 and 7056. Rules 7026, 7037 and 7056 apply in adversary proceedings and contested matters. However, it is questionable whether a bankruptcy court has jurisdiction to impose sanctions under 28 U.S.C. § 1927, In re Arkansas Communities, Inc., 827 F.2d 1219 (8th Cir.1987), although other courts have held that such jurisdiction exists.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
114 B.R. 672, 17 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 832, 1990 Bankr. LEXIS 947, 1990 WL 59404, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-alderson-sdb-1990.